Starting a New Job As a Recent Graduate

I recently got a new job after graduating from Arizona State University. The first week — a few weeks ago — was definitely a struggle trying to get adjusted to the new job. Getting trained virtually had its challenges; however, once I got my bearings, it became pretty smooth. One of the difficulties of working remotely is not being able to go into your colleagues’ offices when you have a question. Of course, email and text messages take a while when you need an immediate response. Thankfully, this past Monday was my first day in the office (and first time in an office setting since mid-March).

Going In The Office After COVID-19

After working remotely with the new company, they decided to let me go into the office! I was so excited and couldn’t wait to decorate my desk. After growing up with a mother who worked at a nail salon, having a corporate office job is something I always dreamt of. I love dressing business casual and I love having cute decorations on my desk.

Because I’m around people at the office, it’s my responsibility to be careful during my off time. I won’t be infecting only my boyfriend if I get sick – I would be infecting the whole office too. I will definitely proceed with caution as I have been doing. No pressure.

Upgrading My Desk

At my old company, I had a 4-foot desk in an office shared with another coworker. My coworker ended up leaving the company, so I had the whole office space to myself. Shortly after my former-now-current supervisor left (confusing, I know), things got moved around and I was placed in a different department. I went from having a 4-foot desk in an office by myself to a circular 2-foot diameter table – I would call it a desk but in all honesty, it was an end table. The office was shared with two other colleagues and it was a pretty compact space.

Going from a 2-foot end table to an actual big desk has been such an upgrade. I also share the office with one of my supervisors, which is nice because I can bombard her with all of my questions, haha.

First Day at The Office

On the first day in the office, I was literally showered with presents from my supervisors. I got two notebooks, cute pens, macaroons, fake lilies, a pouch, a photo frame, hand lotion, a tumbler, a mug, and a couple desk organizers. My supervisors said we can also order more frames and decorations if needed.

I’m so excited about the photo frame. I signed up for Big Brothers Big Sisters 6 months ago, and the organization finally found a Little for me! While I do love Henry, I’m going to frame a photo of my Little and me. Sorry, Henry – I’ll try to get more photo frames and frame one of you!

I love my desk and how huge it is. We ordered a monitor for my desk so it’ll probably be arriving soon. My supervisor and I have a TV in our office. There’s also a really nice stocked kitchen with snacks, beverages, and a fancy coffee machine. I can’t wait to be back in the office tomorrow! Overall, I’ve had an amazing first week in the office and I’m so excited to be part of the team.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve received many questions since announcing my graduation and the new job! I figured I should answer some FAQs.

What is your new job?

I do marketing for a law firm and their subdivision, which is a consulting company. I genuinely love marketing and hope to have a long career in it. I’m grateful for being able to do what I love.

How did you find your job?

I was very fortunate. My current supervisors were actually my former supervisors at the previous company. They decided to take me along with them.

Do you have any advice for those who recently graduated without a job?

I wrote a similar post that can be used in this situation as well. 2 of my 5 internships were found from networking and just knowing people. In my few years of experience, I hate to say it but it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. Of course, with that being said, you can still reach your goals without initially knowing people. There just happens to be an advantage if you do know people.

Another way to find a job is cold calling! In my experience, it usually works! Just send an email to HR and ask if there’s a position that matches your experience. This is how I landed one of my internships.

Read more on how to find internships. This post also applies to job hunting!

If you work in corporate America, have you gone into the office? If not, does your company have any projected date of returning?

I’d love to hear what other companies are doing!