Lene Leth Thomsen did everything right. She found an internship in a consultancy company, had a relevant student job during her time at the university and enrolled in a Summer School at Harvard University.

She also landed her dream job as Concept Coordinator at Vestas a few months after graduation. But despite her ambitious approach and taste of the reality awaiting her after her studies, she still felt uncertain and surprised by all the things that she did not yet know enough about.

No feedback

The uncertainty was caused by all kinds of things, from dilemmas about how tasks should be resolved – and who should be involved, to more simple questions about whether she could use smileys in work emails. But one of the things that was particularly difficult to get used to was the absence of feedback.

"During the degree programme, most of what you’re doing is regularly assessed. But in the workplace, you rarely receive feedback. That’s something you have to get used to: No news is good news. In the beginning it made me uncertain about whether I was doing my job well enough. So I went to my manager, who said: 'I’m not going to praise you all the time. But look at the trust and responsibility I give you.' That was a real eye-opener for me."

Unwritten rules

Lene Leth Thomsen also thinks that a lack of knowledge about the unwritten rules in the workplace and the politics of the company can make life difficult at the workplace in the beginning.

"It’s one thing that there is a management hierarchy with the formal decision-makers in the company. But you also have to identify the unofficial decision-makers and understand the agendas that different colleagues and managers have. Also, not all decisions are made on a rational basis. That’s a reality which is difficult to navigate in as a new graduate."

Embarrassing beginner mistakes

Not knowing about unwritten rules and the company dynamics, combined with an eagerness to prove your worth, can lead to embarrassing beginner mistakes.

Lene Leth Thomsen has made several of them, as she explains:

"Once I had to organise a workshop. As soon as I had sent the invitations, I got a call from a peeved Senior Vice President who wanted to know who the hell I thought I was. So I found out that I couldn’t just invite people and take their time without first getting clearance from their boss. It might seem obvious for employees with many years of experience, but it’s not for a new graduate."

"What can you actually do for us?"

Not everyone welcomes new colleagues with a different background with open arms. Lene Leth Thomsen also had to find a grimace when she was met by a colleague at a project meeting on her very first day with the question: ‘Excuse me, if you’re not technically educated, what can you actually do for us?’

"I stood there pretty stunned without a clear answer. But it annoyed me and I decided to show him. Later on he came up to me and said that now he could see the value of having someone with my qualifications in the team. But it was a tough start."

Many people feel uncertain

In fact, it can be difficult to put a finger on exactly what it is you do as a student or new graduate, says Lene Leth Thomsen.

By talking to her former classmates, Lene Leth Thomsen also found out that she was far from the only one who was feeling unprepared and insecure in that first job. As a Bachelor's project supervisor on AU’s BSc in Economics and Business Administration, each spring she also meets students who feel uncertain about what awaits them once student life is finished. That was what gave her the idea to write a guide for new graduates.

In the book I dit første job – 9 gode råd til den nyuddannede akademiker (In your first job – Nine tips for new graduates) she combines her experiences, those of other former students, and good advice from major Danish companies such as Maersk, Grundfos and Novo Nordisk.

During the writing process she also came up with the idea of writing a guide aimed at students who wanted to prepare themselves for the first job while still studying. This became the book Forbered dig til dit første job (Prepare yourself for your first job).

Lene Leth Thomsen is well aware that it is not possible to skip the process of gaining experience by reading a book with good advice. She underlines that neither is that the intention with the books:

"But maybe you’ll get through the process quicker. My hope is that the books will be able to remove some of the uncertainty that new graduates experience. It gives them something to lean on during that first, often difficult, time."

And as she points out, companies can also gain something.

"If you’re better prepared, you’ll also be quicker to create value for the company."

Facts: Good advice for students and graduates

Lene Leth Thomsen shares some good advice about how you can prepare for your first job – both as a student and new graduate:

Translated by Peter Lambourne