As you are finishing up your college degree and preparing to enter the workforce, it is an exciting time in your life. But thanks to COVID-19 and other factors, many new workplace trends have developed over the past year or so. Thus, as you get ready to graduate, here are four trends you should carefully consider as you begin a new phase of your life.
Workplace Diversity
As society has focused on racial and gender inequality following many high-profile events, companies have taken notice with many now having a Chief Diversity Officer to ensure the company’s workforce allows individuals of all types to have equal opportunities. However, there are still many workplaces that aren’t ideal for people of certain races, genders, or sexual orientations. Keep that in mind when considering where you want to work and if you’re ok being in that situation.
Expect to Retrain and Learn New Skills
Even if you graduate with a tremendous set of skills, today’s workforce is all about evolving within the job and adapting to circumstances along the way. Therefore, your employer will be expecting you to be a lifelong learner, always willing to retrain and learn new skills, especially as they relate to technology. From having in-house training at your office site to attending seminars, workshops, and classes elsewhere, be ready to always learn something new once you begin your job.
The Hybrid Workplace
If the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated one thing to companies and workers, it is that quite a bit of work can be done from the comforts of home. Because of this, more and more workers are expecting their employers to have hybrid working options in place, allowing them to work some days in-office and other days at home. As you finish your degree, give some careful thought to how you feel about this trend. Do you enjoy having the independence and solitude of working from home, or do you enjoy being in an environment with many other people most of the week?
Relocation is Growing
As many people have opted to move out of big cities in favor of living in areas that have fewer people and less stress, relocation has become a big component of today’s workplace. This can work to your advantage, especially if your degree is in a high-demand field. In fact, many localities and companies are offering substantial relocation packages to entice workers to live and work in certain areas.
Trending Risks In Your Field
If you are working in the tech industry, then you may be at risk of being trained with outdated information while you are in school so you may have issues getting hired. For those that are considering engineering or positions that work with large equipment, you may have a different kind of risk. For example, you may be at risk of getting injured while you are working. If you aren’t sure of the risk involved, you can talk to other people in the field or, even a job site accident lawyer. An accident lawyer may be able to provide you an outside perspective of their experience with how many injuries they process in that industry. They may even be able to provide insight into specific companies and if it was hard or easy for the employee to work through the injury.
By considering whether or not you want to work from home, are willing to relocate, or are comfortable learning new skills once you begin your career, you can be prepared to adapt to these and other changes today’s workplace has for its workers.