While "roundtabling" with the actuarial math class I was sub teaching, I got a question about the difference between being a student and a professional upon entering the world of work.
The first thoughts that arrived:
1. Self-education was a must. My boss was busy, and not a natural teacher. We didn't have a formal training program. There are no lectures with accurate notes to go from. Be resourceful! It's easier, much easier, now with Internet to do research.
2. You can't do it alone. Self-education more often than not means going to people with questions, sometimes really basic questions. As a student, you pull your own weight almost entirely. As an employee, you need the help of your teammates, not only to learn the basics but also, as you get more seasoned, to get things done. Introverts have a challenge here, to get out of your shell.
3. Don't confuse "experience" for "intelligence." Most co-workers know much more than you because they've been around longer than you. A high-achiever with school grades will now have less knowledge than those around you, an uneasy feeling to get used to. It chipped away at my confidence in my intelligence more than it should have. I needed someone to coach me that in time I would excel as I got the lay of the land.
No comments:
Post a Comment