Advancing Your Career as an Adult
Heading back to gain a College or University education or skill advancement is an endeavour worth investing in. To make the process smoother, review and consider the following points in order to plan your finances accordingly.
Are the program requirements manageable for your lifestyle?
If you need to continue working while going back to school, is your program flexible and offer part-time, evening or weekend programs or distance education programs? If you can prepare to take off work in order to meet the educational program requirements, will the course allow you to focus on the projects and assignments in order to finish quickly?
Going back to school is just like riding a bike, but…
Expect that you will need to adapt to your new course, classmates, technology or classroom structure. A lot may have changed since you have last attended school. Use your life experience to adjust to the new situation. It’s important to remind yourself about your goals and aspirations. Why did you decide to go back to school and where will the accomplishments take you once you have graduated?
Strive to be healthy
Being stressed out leads to less sleep and an overall compromised immune system. Stay healthy in order to fully take advantage of the time you are back at school and learn to your highest potential. Not only will your day-to-day abilities increase, but the chances you will achieve your career aspirations once you are done your program as well.
Financially plan for your education
Keeping your spending in check is crucial. You may be attending school with less income than you are used to and need to reduce or limit unnecessary expenditures. Follow a sensible budget and manage your time to reasonably complete your education with little or free of debt.
How to Manage a Lay Off
Experiencing a lay off can be devastating and be a big shock, even when you know it’s not that uncommon. It’s important to maintain your positivity and your self-esteem. When it happens, many people experience all kinds of emotions and feel displaced, unwanted and insecure about your future.
When confronted with a job loss, there are certainly things you can do to improve your confidence and keep moving forward during this time.
Steps to Starting Your New Job
When you get that call that you’ve got the new job, it can be exciting but also somewhat daunting. Along with learning about the new environment, also comes your new responsibilities and building of new relationships with co-workers, suppliers, and clients. To ensure you settle in more quickly, there are 5 key things to help you feel more comfortable.
Prior to Your First Day
- Is there a dress code?
- What is your start time?
- What is the best route for your commute?
- Who is the contact person you ask for when you arrive?
- Make your lunch the night before.
- What time does your shift end?
Initial Days and Weeks on The Job
For the first few days and weeks ahead, your main focus should be to listen, learn as much as possible, take notes along the way and ask lots of questions. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. You will find that your note taking will be extremely helpful for remembering things along the way. Be sure you are clear about your responsibilities and your supervisor’s expectations of you. It’s also helpful to jot down your co-worker’s names and their titles. Whether you jot down things by using pen & paper, or you use your laptop, the important thing is to take notes.
Appreciation Goes A Long Way
It’s always a good idea to thank those you helped you with your job search. There may come a time when you need to reach out to them again, or perhaps you can lend a hand to their business search should the need ever arise.
When you’re in your new job, it can be beneficial to reach out to a team member and ask if they might like to mentor you so you can learn the ropes quickly. Perhaps a coffee break or a lunch date could help you learn more about them and the company itself.
Stay Positive
It’s perfectly normal to experience feeling tired, missing your old co-workers or even doubting your decision to take on the new job. When these fears crop up, just remember to focus on all the advantages of this new role and the reason why you accepted it in the first place. Perhaps it was because of all the new skills you’ll be learning, or the varied responsibilities you will have. Maybe the company has an amazing RRSP/RPP plan or exceptional health and dental benefits or flexible hours.
Think Success
It’s important to keep your focus on the tasks at hand and for the future. You are with the new company not only for yourself, but to help them move forward in their overall success. Everyone benefits from the feeling of a team effort; By staying positive, looking for ways to help wherever you can, these will help you feel comfortable in your new position.