Outside The Office New City, New Life

As important as your position or job is (to you, your career, or your family), what's happening outside of the office is also very important.

Adjusting to a new life, and a new lifestyle is not easy, especially the one that comes with first job.

Everything worthwhile takes time, the same is true with a new job, which comes with a new lifestyle, a new office environment, new people, and new responsibilities.

As much as you may think, you’re just an Analyst or an employee of some big firm, you are a person too, that has beliefs, priorities, and goals of your own outside of what the company might have in mind for you inside of the office.

It's important to adjust your expectations accordingly and have your career in the right mindset.

It’s a lot easier said than done, especially in today's world where everyone wants immediate gratification (we do too), but it’s important to try and take the time to adjust.

And the way to rise up the ranks is by adjusting, and adapting to the new culture you're in.

Tip: If you can change the pace of your life from the fast lane to the middle lane, then you'll be in better shape than most of the other Analysts.

Life Pace

Once you graduate school or start working in the real world, everyone wants to go fast.

Especially in our world today, everyone wants to be first, get instant results, and see immediate gratification.

Unfortunately, that isn't realistic, nor how the business world works.

We learned that the hard way.

The people who are rewarded, and rise up the ranks, are the ones who put in the time and energy that no one else does, and it pays off for them in the long run.

Adjusting

Think about this, how hard is it to adjust when you're driving a car 100 MPH, versus 40 MPH?

The faster you go, the harder it is to adjust, and the tougher the crash will be.

There really is a lot of merit to the line, slow and steady wins the race.

Because long term consistency beats short term intensity.

Slowly picking away at your goals is how you'll achieve more than you thought.

Our Advice: Most older people say slow and steady wins the race for a reason.

Adapting to The Lifestyle Change

Working in a professional setting that is fast-paced and high pressured is new for a lot of people becoming an Analyst, but that's part of the position, unfortunately.

Most of your time in a day will be spent in an office, probably a large office building in one of the city’s Central Business Districts.

You’ll be behind a computer, at a desk, and you’ll be completing various tasks throughout the day, some with a high priority that your boss will put pressure on you to complete and some will have more relaxed deadlines.

It’s also, a good idea is to take strolls around the office often, as you're going to need to stretch your legs and keep your blood flowing.

Try to watch the Associates, MD`s, VP`s and other senior people’s behavior and language, then slowly start integrating them into your daily routine and daily conversations.

The adjustment will take time, it’s likely you have internship experience, so you might have a general understanding or framework of what office culture is like, but as a full-time employee, it’s a much different experience than one of an intern.

Our Tip: Give yourself enough time to adjust, it’s not going to be instant or overnight, but you will integrate well by learning, watching and acting in a professional manner. 

Full-Time vs. Intern

Life as an intern is much different than life as a full-time employee.

As a full-time employee, basically anytime during the workweek you're pledging to the company, or for whatever your boss requests of you.

As a full-time employee, you're going to have real responsibilities and will be expected to produce at a high level.

We aren't trying to scare you but we’re trying to explain and prepare you that lifestyle change as a full-time employee, is much different than the one you experienced as an intern.

Expectations

Expectations both inside the office, and outside the office are difficult to manage.

Inside the office, there are going to be expectations for you to produce and maintain a certain level of work quality on a day to day basis.

Your parents, family, friends, and yourself are also going to have expectations for you, that involves both outside the office, and inside of it.

We're going to focus on the ones outside the office.

The expectations you have for yourself and the expectations that the people around you have for you are almost crippling.

Managing these and being ok with them is tough and feels impossible, but it’s doable if you move slowly and stick to the game plan.

The key is to put your job into perspective.

By understanding that it’s a job, and yes, it's important for your future, but you can always get another one, or change it if you don't enjoy it.

Putting yourself on a rigid and critical path is only going to make your life outside the office more difficult.

We've been there, done that, and don't recommend it.

Regardless of who it is pressuring you or making you feel like you have to do xyz, you don’t!

You always have a choice! Always!

You ultimately have to live your life and live with the decisions, you make no one else.

And as a young professional, it's brutal, really fucking brutal but everyone can do it if they're willing to preserve through the pain, disappointment, and frustration it might create in the short term.

For as long as we can remember, we always had the highest expectations for ourselves and wanted to be successful and great all at once.

When you forget all they are, are expectations, and you start directly connecting your life performance and your expectations with your happiness and fulfillment, that's when it's going to become trouble for you.

You want to be great and do great, and that's awesome, so do we, but it's important to have perspective.

Some people might not like this section, but it's true.

It's a tough pill to swallow after being in competitive environments for so long, but it's worth swallowing in the long run.

After all, they are just the things you expect from yourself because of the great things you did in the past, don’t forget that.

Without your great past actions and successes, you would not have those lofty and ambitious expectations you currently do.

Side Note: The best way to handle your expectations is by having an open mind and the flexibility to adapt throughout your journey.

Social Life

This one depends on the person and their situation.

The best way to better your social life is by forming new friend groups whether it be colleagues, existing friends, friends of friends or people you have met from organizations/events you have attended.

You’re going to have to step outside where you’re comfortable to make and form these new friendships, but it's worth it once you do.

It’s also an opportunity to start fresh, new group of people, and new friends.

A social life is important, and keeps you socializing and around people.

Also, be conscious of when you are drinking and going out because we can tell you from our experience, going to work hungover and having to work a full day is not fun.

Our Tip: Either way, find a social life that works for you and balance the work and play that best suits your lifestyle and happiness.

Financial Budgeting

This one works hand in hand with your social life.

The more you go out, the more money you're going to be spending.

It's also incredibly difficult, if you're living in a city, even tougher if its a big city.

Most likely you'll be grappling with budgeting with a tight salary and living in an expensive big city.

In the past (probably college), expenses were not nearly as much, and the cost of living was much cheaper.

As you move up the ladder and progress through life, so do the bills and costs associated with living. That’s life :(

It’s critical to keep a rainy-day fund that you might need for emergencies, as you may never know what can or will happen to you.

As an Analyst, you might be accustomed to a lifestyle you don’t deserve or have a right living (most likely a lifestyle your parents deserve), that’s why it’s critical you live below your means and keep going forward.

Which is ok, they are your parents, but it isn’t the life you can afford to live on your own two feet.

Financial independence is a tough task, especially when you pair it with handling life and the responsibilities that come with it.

In a social dynamic, this can be even tougher, having to say no to plans, feeling like an outsider, or being left out because of finances is not fun.

Finances, living expenses, and lifestyles all require some form of sacrifice.

Whether it's your social life, your pride, your ego, or your bank account, something is going to have to give.

Our tip: Do your best to pick which are going to be sacrificed, and which aren't, whatever is best for you. It’s all about finding a balance you’re happy and content with.

Living Environment

Living in a city for the first time is a very challenging and very difficult undertaking most people underestimate.

With a new job there is a good chance you will be in a new living environment.

Whether it's a new city, new home, new apartment, or a new area, you’ll have to need to it.

Adjusting your lifestyle is not easy, seriously.

Completely creating a new day to day life with all new habits, in a new routine and a new environment is brutally difficult.

That’s why it’s important you do it slowly and in a gradual progression.

Focus on making small steps and assimilating into your new environment and lifestyle slowly over time.

Everyone wants to do it fast and act like it was nothing, so do we, but the people with staying power do it slowly and surely.

One step is a new gym membership, another is a new organization or charity, and another is a new group of friends.

Our Hint: Give yourself enough time to adjust yourself with your new life, new city, and new job before you pass judgment. Eventually a lot of little steps will add up to some pretty big steps.

Happiness

It's tough because everyone has told you that you have to start at the bottom and do the work no one wants to do as an Analyst, in order to work your way up.

Most of the work will be difficult, annoying, and tedious. And unfortunately, you’re realizing this to be true.

It’s difficult to accept misery, but if you believe in a career in that field, you might have to decide if the short-term misery, pain, and torture is worth the unhappiness at the moment for your long-term gain.

For some, they are okay trading a few years of their life for future happiness while others don’t find it worth it.

Ultimately you have to make the decision for yourself and chart the path you want to take in your life and how you want to spend your time.

The Balancing Act

After everything you have read so far, seems impossible right?

It is definitely not easy and outside the office can get difficult and difficult real fast if you let it.

You have to battle and fight through what you don’t like.

Sometimes you are going to shake your head and have to let things go, other times you have going to have to take a stand.

There are going to be times where you aren’t happy with the way things are, but you can always make them better.

Sometimes it takes a new job, a new location or a new team. The sign of good balancing is being content and enjoying the status quo.

It's tough because there is no reward, except the status quo.

But the one thing about keeping the status quo is the experience you gain.

If you feel overwhelmed or unhappy, maybe your balance is out of whack.

That's usually a good signal that it might be time for a change.

Conclusion

Often times, as an Analyst, and a relative beginner in the real world, we're all laser-focused on our jobs and building ourselves a career.

Life outside of the office becomes a second priority, and almost an afterthought to work.

But it's important to remember that you're a person, not a job.

And the world outside the office is going to affect who you are inside the office.

We struggle with this daily, but we're putting one foot in front of another, and going forward every day.

Join us.