What can you expect from your first job after you leave college? As a recent graduate from a technical program, I entered the workforce fully prepared to do the job I was hired to perform. What I was not prepared for were some of the expectations and challenges posed by my employer, my co-workers, and—surprisingly—myselfDuring the hiring process, the employer makes sure that you have the knowledge and skills that the position calls for. However, once you are on the job, you will discover that he or she has many other expectations of you as well. Basic job requirements such as being on time should come as no surprise, but volunteering for tasks outside working hours, cheerfully taking on additional responsibilities, and demonstrating work habits that go beyond the basic requirements of the job are all unspoken expectations that employers have of new employees. In my first month on the job, I attended a managers’ weekend retreat; joined the company’s health and safety committee and United Way campaign; and, on the advice of my supervisor, accepted an offer to serve on my college program’s advisory board. My social life suffered, but I felt that I was becoming a valued member of the company’s management team.Co-workers present a different challenge. Those who did not attend college may question the value of your diploma or degree; they learned the business the hard way, on the job, and they want you to know that your “book learning” will carry you only so far. You will cope with this hostility more easily if you understand that it is caused by insecurity. Manyemployees feel intimidated by colleagues who have qualifications they lack; their aggressive stance is their defence. Even those whose college or university days are long behind them may display this attitude. If you show them that you are willing to learn from their experience, you will prove to them that you have the skills and attitude the job requires. One of the unwritten responsibilities of any job is earning the respect of your colleagues. This is not an easy task. It requires time and humility, but, in the long run, it is critical to be an accepted part of the team. Outsiders don’t get past the first or second rung on the long ladder to career success.Finally, your expectations of yourself may surprise you. In your first job out of college, the stakes are higher than any you have ever experienced. The pressure to succeed can create real stress and even hamper your performance. One of the grads who was hired the same month that I was became so nervous about doing well that he couldn’t make decisions in case he was wrong, wouldn’t take on extra jobs in case he couldn’t handle them, and drove himself (and those around him) crazy by compulsively checking and rechecking everything he did to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake. As a new employee, you should expect some performance anxiety. The best way to deal with it is to channel it productively by working extra hours or volunteering for charity work until you develop the confidence to be satisfied with just doing your best at your job.I celebrated my first year as a full-time employee just a month ago, and when I look back on the past year, I can’t believe how fast it has gone or how much I have learned. Because of my college training, I certainly had the ability to do the job, but it has taken me almost the full year to become comfortable with the culture and attitudes of the workplace and to get my own expectations under control. I wish I’d been given this essay to read