Oh so finally you have got a job you’ve been working so hard for. But the hustle is not over yet. The actual hustle begins now. Your first five years of your job shape the next 30 years of your life. Of course, we understand you want to travel, explore, and party. You want to celebrate your life which is not bad but you cannot give up luxury for upcoming life for instant gratification.
Very few people say this but you need to listen that your first 5 years can help you get ready for bigger opportunities. You can do these 5 things in the first 5 years of your job so that you can get a hold of bigger opportunities.
1. Ask yourself a simple question. Are you justifying your Salary?
Most freshers are not able to justify their salaries. For example, if you are getting a salary of Rs. 25,000, you should ask yourself if you are doing work that generates at least Rs. 1,00,000 for the company in terms of revenue.
If not, then you are most likely a loss-making employee for the company. It is time you begin working to make yourself an asset to the company by quickly becoming an employee who is not just justifying salary but delivering beyond that.
When you begin working with this kind of mindset, you will not only be performing great and learning a lot but also, gear yourself up for amazing growth in times to come. By the time you are 35-40, you will be capable of accepting CXO level (CTO, CIO, CEO, CMO) positions.
2. Manage expectations
For instance, you have got a degree from the best college and now you land a job, your know-all attitude can hamper your confidence. You must know your field but things are evolving now and then so to keep up with evolving trends have a learning attitude. Try to learn as much as you can from your colleagues and seniors. Wherever you get an opportunity to learn, grab it with open arms as this can keep your expectation balanced and you get to learn a new thing every day.
3. Never say no to work, any work
It will always benefit you if you happily accept the tasks given to you and give them a short with full enthusiasm. In the end, you will for sure add up another thing to your learning list. All companies care about is having people who’ll raise their hands, and get the job done, no matter what. Every time.
This can open up an opportunity for you to land up in prestigious and good learning projects in your organization.
4. An easy job can be very dangerous
This is a bit controversial but I would say getting comfortable with your job too soon can hamper your growth. The first few years are to challenge yourself and surrendering yourself to an easy and comforting job can be a blocking gate to your way to success.
Don’t fear this notion but make it your source of motivation. This helps you to constantly strive for an opportunity that challenges you daily and also helps you do better every day.
5. Continue to learn and grow
There is no other choice in this rapidly changing environment than to stay up. Nearly every day, new platforms, technologies, and ideas appear. You are not doing it correctly if you are not up to date with the most recent changes in your field.
Subscribe to newsletters that concern your industry. Observe the thinking leaders. Increase your skills via online certificates, webinars, or classroom training. There is no longer a choice to not learn.
6. Stay away from “faking it till you make it.”
Many new hires make an effort to come out as more educated than they are. They don’t query you. They believe that to be useful to their companies, they must have the solutions, hence they won’t admit when they don’t. They exaggerate their confidence to make up for their lack of it. The truth is that they are deceiving no one, though! Make it rather than fake it by respecting the abilities and expertise of your coworkers and using your first five years as a teaching opportunity.
“When you are 22 and new in your job, throw yourself into it. Eat well and stay fit, but put in 18-hour days as per requirement for at least 4-5 years.
I see a LOT of youngsters who watch random content all over and convince themselves that ‘work-life balance, spending time with family, rejuvenation bla blah is important.
It is, but not that early.
That early, worship your work. Whatever it is. The flex you build in the first 5 years of your career carries you for the rest of it.
Don’t do random Rona-dhona. Take it on the chin and be relentless. You will be way better for it.”- Shantanu Deshpande (Founder CEO at Bombay Shaving Company)
Keep learning, keep growing!