Catriona Nunn From first emails to finding your feet in a new workplace, these alumni reflections offer honest, practical advice for anyone about to take their first step into the world of work. Across different careers and generations, a clear message emerges: confidence, curiosity and connection matter just as much as qualifications, and the lessons learned early on can shape the rest of your career.
Greta Blake (Economics, 2024)
“One thing I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job is how important it is to be confident in sending emails and proactively getting your name out there.
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work was staying motivated, which I addressed by prioritising continuous learning, an approach that ultimately led me to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge before going back to work with the knowledge I have gained.
One mistake I made in my first job that turned into a valuable lesson was that I didn’t self-advocate enough early on, which taught me the importance of speaking up for my work and needs.
Who helped me the most during those early months? My managers helped me the most by providing guidance and feedback that helped me to get involved with the corporate world more.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: get involved, make connections, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.“
David Edge (DPhil Chemistry, 1970)
“When I think about what I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job, I’d say: I wish people had told me to go with the flow and modify your ambitions as you go along. I graduated with my D. Phi in Chemistry, went to the US to do a post doc. and came back to a temporary position at UMIST. Then I got a “real” job.
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work was understanding industrial research as it was very different from academia where I had just spent 7 years!
One mistake I made in my first job that turned into a valuable lesson was trying too hard too early!
Who helped me most during those early months? Friendly colleagues, especially in the pub after work.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: don’t set your expectations too rigidly, go with the flow and take unusual opportunities. I did that and ended my career as VP R&D in the Canadian branch of a major multinational!”
Neil Fazackerley (Music and Education, 1988)
“If I think about one thing I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job, it’s this: do not expect to be perfect in your role from the first day.
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work was learning new systems, learning the names of hundreds of students and staff and managing the workload in the first year. I managed it by keeping a diary, being very clear about what needed to be done by when and prioritising my time so I always had at least one day off at the weekend. Also on the first day of the holidays go to work and get things ready for next term to save the stress on week one of a new term…. Not asking for advice soon enough.
Who or what helped me the most during those early months? A mentor and an experienced teacher who I could talk to and observe her doing her job.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: ask questions, do not be afraid to admit mistakes and reflect on your practice as much as possible. Use experienced colleagues as a sounding board and observe them in their jobs and how they go about things.”
Maarten van Schaik (History, 2010)
“What’s one thing I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job? It’s not only about academic skills, but also about personal connections in the field you’d like to work. For that reason, make sure to have coffees, secure that (summer) internship and make sure to reach out to people. Turns out, most people love to talk about their careers!
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work – and in the years after my graduation – was that we were still in the tail end of the 2008 – 2010 global recession and job markets for entry level graduate jobs were tough. In the end, the difference was made not only based on academic merit – but also by leveraging my extra curricular activities and – after my return to my country of origin – the fact I had lived abroad. Main take-away: have a look at your entire life and strengths, and use these to your advantage.
One mistake I made in my first job that turned into a valuable lesson was around balance: if at all possible – set clear boundaries between work time and private time.
Who or what helped me the most during those early months? I had two colleagues who were 5 / 10 years ahead of me in their careers who were great connections to have. I still talk (and play squash!) with them regularly.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: get to know the working culture of the place you’d like to work. Like mentioned above, most people would be happy to spend 30 – 45 mins to have a coffee to share the pros and cons about working at a specific organisation or company.”
Gabriela Georgieva (International Business and Strategic Management, 2024)
“One thing I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job is that most people don’t like their first role.
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work was learning how to speak up for myself.
One mistake I made in my first job that turned into a valuable lesson was coming off too eager before knowing people well. This resulted in me receiving harsh feedback however through reflecting on this feedback I was able to improve and ultimately build a positive connection with my colleagues.
Who helped me most during those early months? My manager and other graduates.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: don’t get too attached to roles and try to understand what interviewers are looking for and how your experiences relate to the role.”
Lucie Coath (Mathematics, 2024)
“If I think about what I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job, it would be: be confident, you earnt your degree and your place at that job. Take every training opportunity you can and say yes to every relevant opportunity.
Looking back, the biggest challenge in my first year at work was confidence in asserting my opinion to older much more experienced colleagues. Had assertiveness training and I slowly managed to provide more opinions to meetings.
Who or what helped me the most during those early months? My line manager – his support was absolutely amazing.
If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: take every opportunity with opens arms.”
Peter Shields (Language, 1978)
“If I had to give one piece of practical advice to a student or new graduate applying for their first role, it would be: ask yourself whether the job will give you some transferable skills to take to the next job. This may involve training for a professional qualification (solicitor, accountant, etc) or it may be skills learned on the job (sales, presentation, digital marketing, coding, project management, etc.). Either way, you want to acquire generic/transferable skills that grow your CV and that future employers will value, not just niche expertise that only your current employer can use.
If you ask me what I wish someone had told me before I started my first full-time job, I’d say: it doesn’t really matter too much if you haven’t decided what career you want when you take that First Job, because other opportunities will arise along the way and you will “find your path”. Your work life is unlikely to take the course you envisage at the outset. More likely, your career will take twists and turns due to learning of opportunities and following them up.”
