So, You’re Hired. What’s Next?

After what felt like a restless feat that kept you on your toes for the past few weeks, you’re finally hired. You waited, you prepared, you practiced, you exceeded expectations, and, well, you’re hired. They saw you, they heard you, and now, they want you. You!

So, upon waking up from the well-deserved celebration, both mentally and physically, you might get this sense of urgency to wonder and ask the question you haven’t really had the proper time to think about: What’s next?

Fortunately, we have some answers to boost you forward.

Your Job Offer

As soon as you receive your JO, take time to read it. We’re always told to never sign anything without having first read it, but, really, never sign anything without having first read it. This is going to be your life, and whether or not you think your employer can be trusted, knowing all of your duties, responsibilities, schedules, start date, salary, as well as your company’s policies, terms of growth, confidentiality agreements, and other necessary terms will protect the both of you in the long run. It saves you the hassle of being misinformed, and, not to scare you, but, potential mistakes that could get you repercussions, or even lawsuits. If something’s not clear to you, or seemingly different from what they’ve told you in the interview, it’s more than okay to shoot an email to ask! Make sure that you truly know what you’re getting yourself into—and that you want it, to say the least.

Your Expectations

Upon getting hired, it’s also time to let go of the corporate ideals that you’ve been looking forward to in getting through college. It’s perfectly fine to set high expectations for yourself, but you also have to come to terms with the reality of your work. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen. But at some point where it doesn’t exactly feel like your “dream job” anymore, it’s better that you’re equipped with enough patience to realize that it’s a whole different thing in real life than in your head, especially now that the nature of most jobs is remote. By setting realistic expectations, you can be comforted with the fact that there’s always room to improve, both in every task that you do and in every day that you check in.

Your Work Etiquette

Landing a remote job is a double edged sword, so you still have to be careful with how you present yourself. For instance, you can be in your most comfortable clothes when you’re loaded with asynchronous tasks and have an all-clear in your calendar, but you can’t be too complacent in the times that you’re set with important meetings. There are existing Zoom fashion lookbooks to go with it, but one thing that’s for sure is this: dress appropriately, from top to bottom, when you have scheduled calls with company clients or your superiors. No one may ever know, but just to entirely avoid a situation where your good ol’ pajama pants make a special appearance in the camera, follow the company dress code onsite. Afterwards, you can change back and be cozy while doing the rest of your work for the day.

Your Place

Knowing your place as an employee doesn’t only mean following the organizational structure that comes along with your job. It also means building yourself to be a better person and professional, as well as being aware of your rights and responsibilities at work. There are going to be inevitable overtimes and compromises in projects and team efforts as most situations demand flexibility, but none of it should be reason enough to violate your liberty. At the very least, you must be respected regardless of your position.

The workplace will challenge and test you, so you will learn to be polite to others and to yourself at all times. You will learn to work with diverse and unique sets of people, and you will learn to associate with the right ones. You will learn to show up, speak for yourself, and ultimately, stand tall enough to empower them in your own little and big ways. Navigating the workplace is undoubtedly a whole new job in itself, and it can be such a bizarre experience sometimes. Take on the challenge. But the second that you feel like it is becoming uncomfortable to you, go to your managers and HR with no hesitation.

Your Meaning

Most importantly, you get to refine your meaning. You’ve always had your ultimate, personal goals from the beginning of crafting your resume and thriving in interviews, but experiencing your job firsthand in the right company will give you more insights and opportunities to develop, and maybe even accomplish them. From the very core, this will push you to wake up everyday with a positive attitude, and also with an active, critical mind. Every job comes with hard-thought decisions—and when you feel that you’re going in the right direction, it becomes easier for you to choose the greater good: for yourself, for the company, and for the people around you.

Now, take a breather, and maybe rest your feet, because your celebration for getting hired was a celebration for a journey that has just begun.