[Repost] Little Fish in a Big Pond: Post-Grad Lessons I've Learned as a First-Year Young Professional
This is an old blog I wrote back in 2018 and originally published on LinkedIn here.
My first day at Microsoft
Just over a year ago, I graduated from college proudly with an engineering degree, awaiting for the new chapter of my life to begin, both excitingly and anxiously. My head was full of questions after the jam-packed graduation weekend: what will it be like to work for a tech giant? What will it be like to live in a new city by myself? Am I ready to be a real adult?
Time truly flew by - now I have been working at Microsoft in Seattle for over a year as a Support Engineer MACH (Microsoft Academy for College Hires). I also just returned from the inspirational MS Ready conference in Las Vegas, which was the one-year working milestone for every first-year MACH. Looking back at my first year as a young professional, I am surprised to find how much I have grown and learned, both professionally and personally. When I found that my Instagram feed has been flooded by graduation photos and new college hires were settling into their new jobs last month, I wish to share some of the lessons I have learned during my first year working at Microsoft and living in Seattle to the young adults who just started a new chapter of their lives:
You don't have to know what you are truly passionate about at the moment, explore as many opportunities as you can, but always have a plan.
I've always loved going to conferences. Grace Hopper, SWE, MS Ready, you name it. I love listening to inspirational talks from people who are so passionate about their jobs and they can't wait for the whole world to know about their work. I've always wanted to be one of those people: I want to stand on a stage one day and proudly present the world on the work I've done passionately. However, unfortunately I don't think I have found the one thing in life that I feel the burning desire inside of me every day to accomplish the goal at the moment. I love technology, and I love helping people. I am still at an early stage of my career and I am exploring as many roles I can: engineering, program management, technical sales, etc. I did feel lost at one point because I felt like I should know what I want as a life-long career: I've always known what my goals are, but for the first time in my life, I am not so sure.
But it's okay to be not sure about where you want to take your career in the next 5, or 10 years. Explore different roles, talk to different people about their jobs, and most importantly, do your current job well, so when the opportunity comes, you can confidently talk about the good work you have done. Always have a plan for foreseeable future as well: for example, if I want to become a Supportability Program Manager or a Technology Solution Professional in the next 6 months, what projects should I take on right now to develop those required skills? How can I increase my visibility through my current role? Map out your current goals, draft a plan, work hard and have fun with it!
2. Don't compare yourself with others, both in professional achievement and personal life.
I believe that everyone follows a different path. But as a young professional, it's hard not to compare myself with my peers from time to time. I sometimes would question myself as well: why haven't I had that big promotion like my friend A? Why haven't I scored that dream role like my friend B? Why I don't have the perfect relationship that friend C is experiencing?
It's easy to compare myself and start losing faith in my ability to deliver the best work, or to love. However, it's important to remain grounded and focus on what makes you feel happy and fulfilled at the moment. I will keep performing well at work, finishing all of my tasks and exploring other opportunities, so the promotion will come as my hard work pays off; I will keep treating others kindly, pushing my boundaries to try new things and being the best version of myself, so true love will eventually come along.
3. Understand how to work with people is the key to professional success. Working for a full-time job isn't like studying for an exam in college - you won't get far without collaborations.
While in college, I was almost conditioned to think that obtaining a good GPA requires a lot of solo work. Yes there were group projects, but I also spent a lot of time alone reading textbooks and doing practice exams, which led to exceptional exam scores. But in the work place, this "superman" mentality isn't going to get me far - team work always delivers far better results, with much bigger impact. Especially at Microsoft, collaboration performance is part of the job review, so it's really important to be able to listen to your teammates, take in feedback, and understand each other's strength to get work done.
4. Be patient.
Most millennials suffer from the pain for needing instant gratification, including myself. I want everything happen fast: get that promotion quickly, snatch that new job right away, or get into that relationship immediately, etc. I have always been setting goals and chasing after them relentlessly, but I forgot that it takes time to understand a position well, build up a professional reputation, and establish the network. I forgot that I just started my professional life a year ago - there is still a long way to go and a lot to learn. For all of the type-A over-achievers out there, I want to say that, it's okay to slow down sometime: spend some time reflecting on your job or personal relationships before moving on to the next thing. Did you utilize all of the resources on your current role? Did you treat the person you are with right now fairly? Be patient with achieving your goals - remain motivated and confident that you will get there eventually, when you keep up with the good work every day!
5. Be proactive and don't be afraid to ask for things that you feel passionate about working on.
When I first started working at Microsoft, I was terrified - this is a company full of brilliant minds - I was just lucky to get my foot in the door. Therefore, I followed my manager's instructions religiously and barely spoke out. As time went by I realized that, people who contribute to the company most are the proactive ones. They are the ones who are confident and keen in observing the business needs and not afraid of pitching their ideas to others. As I became more comfortable with my role and the company, I found myself speaking out during meetings more, reaching out to people to ask for more projects and becoming less intimidated by other people. Everyone in the company has something special to contribute to, and the most successful employees are the proactive go-getters who are confident with their knowledge and abilities.
I hope my tips can help some young adults out there during their first year working at a new job and living in a new place. It certainly hasn't been easy for me to navigate personal life and career development at a large corporation. But I am so grateful of my family and friends, who have been supporting me through tough times and sharing the good times with me. I also feel very lucky working at Microsoft, for the professional platform I was given and the people I get to work with every day.
Thank you for reading my very first blog on LinkedIn, and hope you will have a wonderful start of new adventures as a young professional!
