Navigating the Corporate World for the First Time
Navigating the Corporate World
Our Marketing apprentice, Kezia Newland, provides this insight into how to adapt to a corporate environment in your first ‘proper’ job. In this article, Kezia, who works at Zurich Insurance UK, provides a useful interpretation of jargon, and based on her first-hand experience she advises new employees on workplace etiquette.
So… you’ve just got a shiny new job in a corporate firm (insurance maybe) and you’re over the moon. But then you realize this will all be completely new to you, maybe you’ve only had part-time jobs or just finished education or perhaps it’s just you’ve never had a job like this one.
But don’t worry even though the corporate world can be very intimidating at first, everyone can find a place in the workforce.
For a start, many of us can find the new lingo and etiquette scary and we don’t know where to start with learning it.
That’s why I’m here to help explain the common questions and teach you the most used phrases. Treat this as your beginner’s corporate survival guide!
So, why should you listen to me?
Good question, well let me introduce myself. I’m a 19-year-old marketing apprentice within the Insurance industry and still very new to the corporate world. So far, I’ve been in this role for around 8 months but before this my only work experience was part-time roles in customer services positions, while studying for my A-Levels.
Before starting this job, I tried to research online how I should act or speak in a business environment, but I could never find anything. Truth is, however, there is no exact way you should act or speak, and you should never change yourself to fit in. Having said that, there are definitely some unique phrases and practices that you’ll come across, so let me talk you through them.
Let’s start with the corporate phrases that you might not have heard before:
1. Bandwidth – describing someone’s or something’s capacity to take on tasks.
2. EOD – Stands for End of Day, usually meaning they need something done within that time frame.
3. Park it – This refers to putting a halt or pause on an idea, similar to ‘put a pin in it’.
4. Circle back – Going back to an idea to rediscuss or redevelop.
5. Touchbase – Referring to a talk two people should have to make sure they’re on the same page and working well together, often said by a manager (but nothing to worry about).
6. Deep dive – Talking about heavily researching an idea or topic to ensure a proper understanding.
7. Hot desking -When you are in an office that share desks, so they aren’t assigned to anyone in particular. They operate on a first come first serve basis. Although some businesses may allocate specific areas to teams so that teams sit together.
8. Pain point – This refers to a problem that either affects the business or customer.
9. Wheelhouse – When someone says ‘Oh – it’s in their wheelhouse’ that means that the task that person has been assigned is one of their main skills or ‘right up their street’
So now that you know a little more about corporate speak here’s a few of my top tips to help with the other elements of your work life and things that might be intimidating to newcomers.
One of the biggest fears I had when starting my job was what to wear? ‘Smart-casual’ what does that mean? Now obviously this will differ from place to place but the most important thing to do is to follow the dress code but make it your own style. There will always be someone more or less formal than you and as long as your outfit is within guidelines you have nothing to fear. However, if you’re really nervous I would recommend going in relatively formal for the first few days in the office, so you can gage the regular dress sense while not worrying about whether you look too informal.
Another common fear that I know I was affected by was how I should be acting in this new, more formal environment. Well, the truth is just be yourself! The company hired you for a reason so don’t be afraid to show off your personality. The main points of getting on well with others in an office are simple and generally just revolve around you being nice and respecting others, however I’ll outline them briefly for you.
· Avoid swearing
· Stay away from workplace gossip
· Remember you can always learn from those around you
· Try not to speak overly loud in a quiet office
· Be nice and respectful to all
After reading this I hope you feel a little more confident about going into your new job, just remember it’s really not as scary as it looks! And I’m sure everyone is excited to have you in their office.
Author: Kezia Newland, Zurich Insurance
At Swarm Training, we want to give apprentices the best possible start in their new careers, so we provide Personal Development Training on topics such as Professionalism in the Workplace and Conflict and Resilience.
