No matter your age, getting your first “real job” is both exciting and terrifying for most young adults. There’s so much to do in the weeks leading up to your first day that it can be difficult to keep yourself from freaking out at times. To make sure you’re ready, use this quick guide on how to mentally prepare for your first job. That way, you don’t lose it before you even get to your first day.
Start Preparing for Your Move Right Away
Even if you don’t have to move to be closer to your place of employment, your parents won’t want you to live at home forever, so you should start planning out your move now. Of course, this is much more relevant if your new job is across the country.
Either way, there’s a whole host of things you’ll need to do before moving out, so getting a jumpstart on planning is a must. Whatever you do, though, don’t send yourself into a frenzy trying to get everything ready. Moving a long distance will take some time, and your future employer will know that. If you feel like you need more time, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask to push your start date back. If they’re a good employer, they’ll more than understand.
Do Your Homework on the Company
We’re sure you already did plenty of research on your new job before getting it, but there’s always more you can learn. Figure out what advancement opportunities are available or whether they count sick days and PTO as the same thing. Any tiny bits of information you can find now will make your training less overwhelming and help you focus on the more crucial aspects of your role.
Plan Out Your First Day
This advice might sound weird, but planning out your first day mentally before it actually arrives can cut back on your stress before the big day significantly. Pick out your clothes, the food you’re going to eat, and what kind of desk decorations you’ll bring. You’re going to have a thousand things running through your head the night before, so worrying about little factors like this will stress you out even more.
Whatever you do, though, don’t over-plan it. There’s no way your first day will go exactly according to how you thought it out in your head, so keeping your expectations low is a great way to be ready for anything they throw at you.
Set Aside Some Relaxation Time
Easily, the most important tip we can give you on how to mentally prepare for your first job is to set some time aside for yourself. Going from jobless to a 40-hour workweek is quite the change, and not everybody can prepare for it fully. That’s why you should use this time to have some fun and relax.
Plus, if you spend every waking minute preparing, you could burn yourself out before you even clock in for the first time. The key to keeping your mental health in check during this time is to find the delicate balance of preparation and play. As long as you do that, you’ll be golden.