5 thoughts on transitioning from university to the workplace…

Written by Felix Bowler

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It has now been around 6 months since I sat my last exam at university, and having now found my feet at Sunny Side Up now seemed like a good time to look back at my transition from university work to an industry job.

  1. Time management is crucial. At university, you have more flexibility with your schedule, but in the workplace, you have to be more disciplined and prioritise your tasks in order to be successful. University courses have a set amount of tasks with a  set amount of deadlines which makes time management relatively easy. In comparison, the daily and weekly tasks in PR are always changing as new tasks make themselves apparent as the day goes on. These changes require you to improve and alter your methods of time management, task prioritisation is a key skill within this.  
  2. The work environment is different from the university environment. In the workplace, you may have to work in a team, deal with deadlines and pressure from supervisors, and adjust to the company’s culture. This can be challenging, but it is important to communicate effectively with your colleagues and supervisors and to be adaptable in order to thrive in the workplace. Despite the challenges to overcome, it offers a fantastic experience of getting to know a fresh group of people, who in my case,  have helped expand my knowledge of the industry as I ask every possible question to absorb all their knowledge and experience.  
  3. The skills you learn in university may not be directly applicable to your job. Not everything can be taught in a lecture, some skills need real-world experience to develop. You may have to learn new skills or tune the skills you have to fit the needs of your job and the requirements of your company. This can be daunting, but it’s also an opportunity to grow and develop as a professional. 
  4. The level of responsibility is higher in the workplace. In university, you are responsible for your own learning, but in the workplace, you are responsible for contributing to the success of the company. This means that you have to be reliable, accountable, and proactive in order to fulfil your responsibilities and make a positive impact on both the company and those you work alongside.  
  5. Networking is important. At university, you may have built connections with your classmates and professors, in the workplace, it is equally important to build connections with your colleagues and industry professionals. These connections can help you learn from others, gain new opportunities for the company, and help you advance in your career. It’s vital to be proactive in building and maintaining these connections and to take advantage of networking opportunities whenever they arise

I’ve very much enjoyed the transition from university to the workplace and it’s nothing to be afraid of. It provides such a brilliant opportunity to put the theoretical skills learnt at university into practice, this allows you to grow both professionally and as a person. However, this is just my experience and I have been lucky enough to be taken in by such an incredible team which I am very grateful to be a part of. But just don’t tell them that!

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