Learning at a new jobPurpose: Give a general idea of what to expect when going into a new job, for fresh graduates 

Start of the job 

  • Most amount of learning is done at the start of the job
  1. Make sure to write everything you hear down on notes
    • You’ll have to read documents with instructions about your procedures on them
    • However, you’ll get a lot of advice that’s only given to you verbally

Most critical aspects of a job 

1. Procedures and safety information 

  • Anything regarding your safety and the tasks that you perform are of high importance in a workplace

2. Daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and special events format for organizing job tasks 

Here is a quick way that you can organize the tasks that you’re expected to do in any job. When you learn a procedure, it can be important to note how often you have to do this procedure. This will give you an idea of what you can expect to be doing at work. One major way that work differs from school is that there is less structure in a busy workplace. It can be confusing to be thrown into this environment without a heads up.

Daily 

  • Tasks that you have to complete every day

Weekly 

  • Tasks you complete every week

Bi-weekly 

  • Tasks you complete every 2 weeks

Monthly 

  • Tasks you complete every month

Special events 

  • Tasks that are rare and random that you’ll occasionally need to perform

In addition, you can organize the job based on time intervals as well

For example,

Daily 

8:00 am – 9:00 am

– Task 1 

9:00 – 9:30 am

– Task 2 

9:30 am – 10 am

– Task 3 

Etc…

This method of organizing your job is similar to how an RPG game functions. You can use the same method that an RPG organizes quests to organize your job. It’s easier for your schedule to have relevance if you play these types of games and make this connection.

3. Computer pathways 

  • Any job that involves interacting with computers will have you go through folder and tab pathways.
  • It’s crucial that you write these down in your notes so that you’re not lost when you’re using technology

How are procedures typically taught on the job? 

There are four components to how you’d be taught a procedure:

1. Read the instructions

2. Observe the procedure being performed by someone else

3. Perform the procedure under observation

  • You’ll perform the procedure as you remember it from the first two steps
  • The amount of observations required depends on the company

Important: Ask all the questions that you have in this period of time

  • Try to ask about every step of the procedure and what the significance of the step is to the process
  • In addition, ask why this process is important to the company
  • Ask about every single new piece of information that you’re given as well

You’re expected to know everything that you’ve seen and make note of how often you have to perform that particular procedure

4. Perform the procedure correctly until you get signed off

  • This states that you know the procedure to the point where you can perform it by yourself

What to do as the job progresses 

1. Make sure to update your notes as you progress throughout the job – Carry some sticky notes around with you to write things down

2. Keep track of every piece of information that you get

  • Anything that you hear in the job can be relevant to something that you need to do – Keeping a pen and paper with you at all times can be helpful for this as well

3. Try to get to know the people that you work with

  • A lot of your enjoyment from the job will depend on who you’re around

4. Try to learn some of the theory of why you’re doing the processes that you’re doing – This is crucial if you want to get another job or move up into higher positions within the field

5. Continue updating your resume as you go along

  • It’s important to have an updated resume to accurately represent your skills and experiences

What to watch out for

1. Anytime when your goal is not clear or you have virtually no work to do for prolonged periods of time

  • Sometimes an employer might judge or fire you if you’re in a situation where you’re not taking on any work

Note: Some employers don’t explicitly state if they want you to take on extra work. In this situation, it can be safe to try to take on a bit of extra work if you can

Note: There is a huge debate about the concept of quiet quitting, so I think that it’s important to mention this here

There’s a differences between randomly getting assigned extra work and choosing to do extra work that you can put on your resume

Anytime that you get assigned extra work, a good way to reframe it is to think about using that experience to get a better job

2. Employer assigns too much work for you to finish

  • In some instances, the employer might assign you too much work for you to handle. This might be something that you can bring up with your manager if they seem open minded enough. However, HR typically handles anything related to these types of complaints.

3. Any type of drama between colleagues

  • This will involve using conflict resolution skills to solve, and I highly advise that anyone making you uncomfortable be reported as soon as possible if necessary

4. Inspectors and quality assurance personnel / Potential clients as well as long time clients visiting

  • Your company may occasionally get visitors from outside the company. It’s crucial to be on your best behavior in these cases so that it doesn’t look bad on you

In the above circumstances:

If you feel uncomfortable with unfair treatment in the workplace, it’s important to start looking for a new job as soon as possible.