Transition from Campus to Corporate- Best Practices for Corporate Ready? | Indu Basu | VP- HR & Operations| Interra Information Technologies

Our life cycle sees many transitions. The transition from campus to career in a corporate, demands a lot of thought and coaching. It is the basis for your success in the coming years. What is campus life all about? Attending classes, no focus on attire, and being scruffy is fashionable. Just scoring in the tests is all that mattered, and life was about fun and frolic. Well, all that carefree happiness is about to change, because now you have been the lucky candidate selected for a job! As a fresher, strategic planning and practice can make or break your growth path. The difference in the culture of education and the organizational culture is such a huge chasm, that if you are not prepared to bridge it well, it could potentially set you back.

Campus life and Corporate life are fundamentally so very different. The environment, expectations and commitments are all so different, that the transition to corporate life has to be a quick and permanent one. Life in the campus has a very different structure, and quite the opposite of the uncertainties that Corporate life presses on you, like tight schedules, commitment and ownership of responsibility, deadlines and competition within the ranks.

So what is this change from Campus to Corporate all about? It could be termed as Forced Behavior changes to reflect the change in work environment, so as to try to fit in, rather than to be left out.

 Gone are the days of lazy procrastination. Corporate life is all about punctuality, whether it is reaching the office or for meetings, or to submit any work. Understand that your work impacts other’s deliverables and thus your punctuality means a lot.

 Strengthen your Communication skills of listening intently, analyzing and speaking in words that are impactful and precise. Similarly with written communication. An open mind to absorb information and interpret communication correctly is always essential.

 Internal politics is a stubborn and omnipresent ugly reality of Corporate life, and learning how to steer clear of it is essential for peace of mind and a healthy work environment.

 Corporate life is about respecting everyone’s space, effort and time. Make sure “Thank you”, “Sorry”, “Beg your pardon” become an integral part of your vocabulary.

 Learning is an integral part of life, more so in the Corporate world where you will be faced with learning opportunities at every corner. Make learning a constant agenda. From new technology, methods, tools to strategy and behavior attributes, learning always helps. For that, find a mentor who will guide you.

 Always feel confident. Under-confident people can promote a negative image about themselves. Over-confidence can go against you too. Know that you can make a difference, just by being sure.

A separate Induction & Orientation for Freshers is what I always recommend, so that they are introduced to the concept of being in an organization.

Grooming children into Leaders is essential for growth.