Are you a fresher in the corporate world  ? Here are the things you should know

As a fresher, there are always some doubts and questions about the corporate environment as there are always some challenges that he/she can face. Here we have listed some most common challenges that every fresher goes through at his first job.

Experience: As a fresher in any industry, this is the biggest challenge that is faced both by employer and employee.  In terms of experience it is not expected that you will have much but no company wants to spend too much on a fresher for their training. Although most of the companies used to have training programs ranging from six month to a year for a fresher to equip them with all the necessary skills required for a job. Companies always prefer candidates who have some prior knowledge of tools and technology used in the industry or those who are fast learners. So as a fresher in the industry it is always advised that you should have some kind of experience related to the industry you would want to; exposure to new tools and technology, awareness of latest trends in market etc. You can take help of industrial visits, observational tours, projects, exhibitions, technical conferences, etc to build your initial experiences. Although most of these things you will learn on the job but you can always give it a try to become better than others.Corporate atmosphere: Corporate atmosphere is totally different from your college atmosphere. It may take some time to adjust to the new environment and people but you should be mentally prepared for that in advance. There are some guidelines that you are supposed to follow in offices which are referred to as corporate etiquettes. These include dressing up, talking on phone (landline or personnel), your behaviour with colleagues, dealing with seniors and subordinates, timings and many more things which are a part of the day-to-day office life. Some companies have special training sessions during the induction program itself, but most of the times you need to learn these things by observing others only. In case of any doubt you can always ask your seniors and colleagues. It is advised that you be on your best behaviour and be cordial with others at all times.

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Specialization: As a fresher you are expected to have some domain specific knowledge of a particular area. This is one of the biggest challenges that companies face with a fresher. Company need to train you which takes a lot of time and effort. For the initial two to three years you are only a learner for the company and can hardly contribute positively, since you are not expert in any specific area. This is the biggest challenge that you need to overcome in the coming years. You need to learn things as fast as possible and go into details. You have to decide your area of specialization and then learn all the required skills for the same. Most of the time your college education helps you in understanding the basics of area and majority of the things you will pick up while working on live projects.

Identity crisis: As you will be joining at the junior most level in any organization, so an identity crisis becomes a major issue. There will be situations where you would not want to listen to the conversation or have the freedom and liberty to do things your way. Keep in mind that college life has no grounds now and there will be other employees doing their bit and not having time to guide you every step of the way. As a fresher you cannot enforce someone to guide you all the time. You need to leave your own mark by your work, ideas, creativity, manners, behaviour and other important skills. It may take time but this is the time you need to be patient and work your way into the limelight. These things matters a lot when it comes to assigning responsibility and work. This can take you far in your career.

Best of luck for your first corporate experience and challenges ahead.

–  M K Sharma