Transitioning from the life of a collegiate to world of work can be tough. There are new schedules, new assignments and new norms that may take you a while to get used to depending on how easily you can adapt. One of the easiest ways you can smoothly transition between the two very different environments is to be well versed on office etiquette. I know not all jobs are held within an office, but entering a professional office environment can be intimidating and difficult to become comfortable. Here are a few dos and donts to make that transition seamless.
1. Greet coworkers you pass when you enter the office
This might be natural for you anyway, but being friendly and approachable is a good trait to have when working with others. Be careful, though, as you don’t want to appear too nice. People sometimes see niceness as weakness, so learn how to be pleasant and approachable while still standing your ground.
2. Office time is not personal time
When you’re in an office all by yourself, it may be easy to put your real work on the back burner while you tend to personal matters. Personal calls, checking Facebook and Twitter, reading a book, knitting—whatever you may do to decompress—it’s not what you’re getting paid for. Avoid the temptation to check your notifications or Tweet what you had for lunch (since everyone is so curious). If these are things you just can’t wait to deal with, use your lunchtime for personal business.
3. Music in the workplace
If you’re anything like me, you’re more productive with a little John Mayer or Adele crooning in the background. Music in the workplace can be a tough call to make, but unless your office has a very strict policy when it comes to the tunes, then I don’t see why low-volume, appropriate music can’t be played at your desk. We all know what’s appropriate and what’s not (at least I hope we do), so just be smart in your song choices. And if you find yourself breaking out in random dance sessions way to frequently, you may want to reconsider listening at all.
4. Keep your desk and office neat
Now I may sound like your mother, but this may be one of the best ways to make a seamless transition from college life to work life. A messy workplace does not lend itself to being productive. Also, you don’t want your first impression on your coworkers to be a negative one for being the office slob.
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