Tips for Starting a First Job Remotely

By Sophia Walder, Marketing & Communications Intern

As we slowly overcame the challenges of COVID-19 and looked to the future with optimism to return to normal life, many implications of the pandemic and pressures of normal life persisted. As a soon to be graduate, the pressures of scoring a job or internship and to hit the ground running despite the nature of these unusual circumstances can be intimidating. 

This article, relaying advice from a 2020 New York Times piece, along with personal experience showcase three pieces of advice for fellow recent graduates or those new to the work force to be successful when embarking on the journey into the professional world in a virtual atmosphere.

Dress to impress

In normal circumstances, new hires desire to impress their supervisors and coworkers when they physically show up to a new workspace. There is a feeling of importance associated with going to an office for a first job. Don’t let that feeling of importance slip. Replicate this experience and dress to impress even from your bedroom, and don’t just do so on your top half visible on Zoom. Take off your sweatpants and put on shoes as you would going to that fancy office setting. 

The saying “dress to impress” should not only apply to clothes, but to your entire habitat that has become much more than a living space this past year. Curate your atmosphere to be a clean, peaceful and bright workspace. Whether that be by taking simple steps to make your bed or hanging light fixtures or calendars on the wall, curate your atmosphere to be an inspiring workspace. Simulate what it is like to work under ordinary circumstances. 

Form virtual relationships 

It’s no secret that working from home can feel isolating, especially for a new hire. It can be intimidating to ask questions in a face to face setting, but it can be even more so when having to constantly “spam” a supervisor with texts or emails to ask a simple question. Ask your supervisor the best way to communicate with them from the start. Then, go the extra mile to check in with them frequently. 

Take part in opportunities to bond with the staff members. It can be as simple as joining their Bachelor Bracket like we do at Bohlsen Group or setting up virtual meet and greets. These small experiences connect you to your team and make your Zoom relationships more personal and much stronger. 

It’s all mind over matter

As a young graduate, it is easy to focus on everything we have missed out on. Don’t take the easy way out and reset your mindset. The world will return to normal, and we will have the opportunity to work in face to face environments. Thus, it is important to reflect on what we have to gain from starting a job in a virtual environment. We must become very skilled time managers, self advocates, clear communicators, problem solvers and tenacious self motivators. These are priceless skills that our individual digital environments force us to learn on our own. Normalcy will return and we will get the privilege to enter the face to face workforce, and we will do so as eager and tenacious individuals, better equipped than ever before.