Talkshow: Preparing to leave school and start working

You have just spent a large period of your life in a school where your teachers and peers know you well and you have established yourself as part of a community.

This all changes when you start working.

In school, you will be pushed to finish your work and meet deadlines and the teachers take a lot of responsibility away from you. In employment, you will be expected to manage the day-to-day tasks yourself. You may have also felt that teachers were always on your back, always picking at the little things; uniform has to be worn correctly, arriving at school and lessons on time, politeness and being able to work independently, but these are key aspects that will help you when you looking for and getting a job.

For your entire time in education, you have been used to a set 6 hour day, with a morning, lunch and maybe afternoon break. Employment works differently. When you start working you must be ready to work longer hours, with breaks being set by your manager. This will be difficult to adjust to at the beginning but over a short time period, you will become used to it.

Receiving a salary gives you an amazing feeling and will leave you wanting more. If you work in a professional manner, showing enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn you will be successful.