How To Prepare for Your First Job Out of College

Congrats! You got your first job after college, but now you have to prepare for your first day. It’s likely to be a stressful one, so hopefully, you will have some time to prepare for it. There are quite a few things you need to take care of. If you aren’t sure of what steps you need to take, keep reading our guide on how to prepare for your first job out of college.

Figure Out Where You’re Going To Live

The chances are good that your new place of employment isn’t in the same small town you went to college in. The chances are even better that you will be moving to a metropolitan area. If this is the case, there are a few things you should know before looking for a place to live in a new area.

Once you’ve settled on a location, plan your route. If you get there a couple of days before you start, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to test it out and see how long the commute takes. If not, be sure to leave early on your first day to make sure you’re not late.

Research the Company

You probably did this before you even interviewed with the company, but unless you are extremely thorough, you always have more to learn. Figure out who the company’s competitors are, and research them. Look into the other departments you may be working with. If you don’t feel too weird doing it, look up your future boss on social media to find out more about them. It might not be the best idea to let them know you’ve discovered their love of tanning on the weekends, but it doesn’t hurt to get an idea of who you’ll be working for.

Prepare Your Wardrobe

This tip might sound vain, but how you dress will define who you are to your coworkers. Underdressing might show that you don’t care. Overdressing might make it look like you’re overcompensating for something. Attempting to fit in too well might not allow you to stand out to your boss. It’s an impossible tightrope to walk, so try not to stress about it too much. As long as you dress in a way that makes you feel confident and authentic, that’s all that matters.

Plan a Budget

Our final tip on how to prepare for your first job out of college is the one that many people forget. Now that you know how much you’ll be making, either hourly or yearly, do the math to figure out how much that will be a month, factoring in taxes, insurance, and any other withholdings. After you have that number, calculate your bills for the month. If you’re like most college graduates, you’ll probably have a lot of new ones to figure in. Once you get that set, subtract it from your monthly income to find out how much extra money you’ll have for either your savings or as spending cash.

If you don’t feel like you have enough, figure out which bills you can cut out. Your starting pay may not be ideal, so you might not be able to afford all the luxuries you desire at first. Don’t worry, though. After you put in the time and effort, you’ll be bringing in plenty of cash and live the life you’ve been dreaming of.

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