Challenges of the first graduate job

Graduates  hoping to make a good impression in their first job by working long hours are being warned that being at the office around the clock actually will damage their chances of success.

Early in a new working year, many graduates struggle to adapt from university life to that of being a full-time employee.

It can be the first time in several years an individual needs to be alert and working for eight hours or more in a day or be up and out of the house before 9am.

University of SA’s Centre for Work + Life director Professor Barbara Pocock says establishing sensible working hours is one of the most important things graduates can do to get ahead in their first months on the job.

“I think (graduates) have a fairly realistic expectation that their days of going to the pub at four o’clock are over,” Professor Pocock says.

“But they do struggle to set appropriate work hours.

“It’s not uncommon for people in their 20s and early 30s, who are keen to be using their skills and want to make their mark, to work long hours and become overworked.”

She says there is research and evidence which shows people who work long hours over long periods of time or who work under pressure will have some poor consequences to their health.

“So (working extreme hours) is not necessarily the best way (of getting ahead) because (graduates) won’t be doing their best work in the long run,” she says.

“What is important is pacing yourself so that you can give your best and make a good impression.”

Long work hours are not restricted to graduates.

A report by the Centre for Work + Life last year found more than a quarter of all full-time workers are putting in at least 48 hours every week.

Research also released last year by Graduate Careers Australia shows graduates in full-time employment typically work 41 hours a week.

Professor Pocock says law and engineering graduates, as well as those who get work within the public sector, often work longer hours.

She accepts some graduates may feel powerless to work a standard 38-hour week in organisations in which a culture of longer hours is entrenched.

“Where you can, it’s really worth trying to set up good patterns of work hours,” Professor Pocock says.

“Take holidays as they become due and try to find an employer who is a reciprocal partner and will listen to your concerns.”

Architecture and design firm Hames Sharley prides itself on providing opportunities to graduates and has employed six in the past two months alone.

Director David Cooke says all new graduates are provided with a project leader, who acts as a mentor, to ensure they make a successful transition from study to work. “Graduates shouldn’t be locked away to work on their own in an office all day,” he says.

“A solo approach doesn’t benefit the employer or the employee.

“This (architecture and design) is a very demanding profession but also very rewarding.

“Our graduates have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects from day one . . . (and) we ensure graduates are working in a team environment where they can receive the support they need.”

Mr Cooke says graduates are encouraged to take advantage of the company’s flexible work arrangements as well as study assistance and professional development programs.

University of Adelaide graduate Paul Sarno, 26, joined the team at Hames Sharley last November.

He says it can be “a bit daunting” stepping into a busy and dynamic office environment for the first time.

“I was putting in similar hours in my final year at university (to that required at work),” he says.

“(But) I have found there is a greater intensity to the work at a firm like Hames Sharley.

“While I am working on a variety of projects, it is always in a team environment so I can refer to one of my colleagues at any time.”

Mr Sarno believes a support network is critical for anyone making the transition from university life to the fast-paced corporate environment. “It’s a steep learning curve but very invigorating,” he says.

FIRST JOBS

Tips to ensure sensible working hours:

* Keep track of time. Employees can minimise the mismatch between actual and desired hours of work by paying close attention to the hours they work and recording these hours.

* Individuals who struggle with work-life balance should closely monitor the time they spend at work. Talk to colleagues about work hours. Dissatisfaction with work hours is widespread. Individuals may find it difficult to cope with work-life balance issues in isolation but it is likely they will find support from their colleagues.

* Find out about existing flexibility arrangements. Many employees are unaware that flexible arrangements exist in their workplace or feel pursuing arrangements is not well-regarded by managers. Increased awareness can increase uptake.

* Signal to employers/unions the importance of time and genuine flexibility. Workplace flexibility has dominated debates about industrial relations in Australia for more than two decades but about four in five employees still are dissatisfied with the number of hours they work.