How your first job can set you up for the future

The first job you choose can influence your chances of moving up to a second, more senior position. Take a look at our tips so that you know what you really want and can get started on making your career plans.

A good first job can make it easier for you to climb the ladder in your chosen field. It’s generally much easier to go from a good professional position at a well known company into a better professional position at an even more successful organisation.

Investigate every career option

To improve your chances you need to investigate your options and identify what’s right for you. Make a list of at least ten different roles that would be compatible with your skills and experience. Select the three that are most interesting to you.

Now look into the lifestyle associated with each of these jobs and the type of employers that offer these roles. Go to your careers service or visit its website, look at all the other career choosing advice here on targetjobs.co.uk.

Investigate your options and identify what’s right for you

Use personal contacts to get a better understanding of what it would be like to work in each of these careers. Find out what a typical day is like for someone who does that job so you know what it’s really like.

Before you make the leap into what you think is your dream job, spend some time thinking about what are absolute necessities in your life and work. Make a list of five ‘must-haves’ and five ‘nice-to-haves’.

Can you wait for the ‘perfect job’?

Work out how long you have to find your first job. If you don’t have the financial support to wait for the ‘perfect’ first job, then decide on your minimum criteria for accepting a position. These could be related to finance, working condition, or geographic location.

At the very least, if you are accepting a job that does not suit your ‘work purpose’, ensure that it gives you the time and opportunity to keep looking for a better position.

Go after your ideal career

Don’t miss out on finding the kind of work you would love because people tell you that you are being impractical or unrealistic. It’s amazing what you can achieve if you’re determined. It may be that you will have to work harder and take longer to move into the career you want, but it will be worth it in the long run. Bear in mind that the most successful entrepreneurs were frequently told that what they wanted to do was ‘impossible’.

Don’t jump at the first job offer

Try to avoid jumping at the first offer you get without considering some of the potential pitfalls. It’s understandable that graduates often take the first job offer they get even if they’ve applied for several jobs, especially if money is tight and they’re itching to move on and start the next part of their life.

Conversely, sometimes people get too attached to their idea of what a ‘perfect job’ would look like. Beware of being too picky and of passing by opportunities that could turn out to be even better than the job you imagine you are looking for. Keep an open mind – but at the same time don’t settle for something that doesn’t fit your values or that doesn’t use your most important skills and talents.

Create your own calling

Many people think that they just have to look around hard enough until they find their dream job. The truth is that most people who have ‘found their calling’ have actually created the work that they do.

You need to network, make connections and tell people about your dreams. In doing this you are increasing the chances of finding someone who has just the right piece of information, or just the right connection for you.

Handling job offers

If you do get an offer but you’re not sure about accepting it, don’t be afraid to ask (politely!) for a little time to think it over carefully. Make sure you thank the employer for their offer, give them a date (say two or three days hence) when you’ll get back to them, and stick to it. It’s never wise to accept or decline a position without a little bit of cooling-off time.

Once again, the lure of the £ sign can hold sway if you are lucky enough to be offered several alternatives when you are looking for your first job. But do choose the job that fits your personality or your sense of purpose in life – or you will either be looking for another job very soon, or you will stick it out and be miserable.

Advice for the frugal job-hunter

Think long term. Some careers pay badly at the beginning, but go up rapidly and have fabulous long-term prospects.
Don’t look down your nose at temping. Temping usually allows recent graduates to earn a decent wage, gain experience and office skills, and also take time off for ‘proper’ job interviews.
Don’t skimp on research. It’s worth taking the time and making the effort to search your soul, investigate careers and employers to come up with the ‘perfect’ job for you. Even if it’s something like social work or the media, which can require unpaid work experience to get started, you may be able to think laterally and find an alternative career path.
Consider postgraduate study – carefully. In some lucrative careers, such as law, a certain amount of postgraduate study is a necessity. In others, such as environmental work, further study could give you the edge over the competition. The drawback is of course that funding it properly probably means further debt. Research is crucial here. Investigate all possible sources of funding and evaluate your chances realistically.

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