After four years on a college campus, it’s time to move on to a different type of campus in the working world. You’ve taken the classes, earned the grades and learned many of the skills you’ll need for your new job, but it’s still probably an uncertain time for you. We’ve put together some tips from our crew to help you prepare for your new position in the workforce.

When starting a new job, I have two tips that can make all the difference. First, onboarding at any organization entails an enormous amount of information coming to you in a short period of time. I suggest re-reading and saving all emails you receive early on to ensure you get the details that might be missed when reviewing the materials the first time around. Secondly, but most importantly, is to purposefully network and make connections; it will help tremendously with feeling engaged and welcomed. – Allison D.

Starting a new role is extremely exciting but can also be overwhelming. I would recommend setting some goals to accomplish within your first months. It is also important to make new connections, so schedule time with peers and key stakeholders to begin building solid relationships. This is also a great opportunity to learn from them, so be prepared to ask questions! Further, be sure to define what success looks like with your manager and get to know them better. Lastly, taking initiative and fully immersing yourself in the role will only set you up for success! – Julie G.

Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what you might think is a silly question. If you ask that question, you’re not the first and won’t be the last. Be sure to review your new-hire benefits packet and onboarding resources before your hire date to be as prepared as you can. Familiarize yourself with the resources on your company intranet and with the support teams they have available. Be patient with yourself and your leaders in this virtual environment. We’re all learning to adapt to what the future of work will look like. – Keara F.

When I have started new roles at Vanguard, the first thing I did was set up meetings with key partners across all of the departments and divisions that I knew I would work with regularly. A coffee chat can really build rapport for when you need to come together on a future project. My other piece of advice: Observe but remember you’re in the role because your leaders see the potential in you! Do not be afraid to speak up when you identify opportunities to improve a process or outcome. – Aimee K.

Ask each person you meet for an additional name or two to do overviews with to develop your business acumen and pick up on new skills. – Ashley C.

My advice is related to your mindset. If you start a role thinking you won’t be successful, chances are you won’t. If you acknowledge you’ll have a learning curve but remind yourself of the tools you have in your toolkit to help you succeed, you’ll draw upon them when faced with adversity. I came to Vanguard very anxious about studying for the Series 7 exam (this was before the introduction of the SIE) and I found myself making assumptions about the hardest parts of the Client Relationship Associate role, including investment guidance conversations. For the first 3 – 6 months, I avoided those conversations to the best of my ability and actually made it harder on myself! Once I acknowledged the fear, but reminded myself of my qualifications, I found them to be my favorite part of the job. I even started having those conversations in Spanish! – Mike B.

It’s ok to make mistakes! The professional world can be very different from the classroom, you may have to experiment with different approaches before you get it right. Professional development is all about learning and developing best practices! – Sarah H.