How Long Should You Stay at Your First Job Out of College?

Statistics from 2021 showed that 37.9% of graduates 25 or older had their bachelor's degree. An additional 10.5% of graduates had an associate degree.

If you are fresh out of college, the possibilities probably seem endless. The first thing you will likely do is go on to your first job.

This is the next step most graduates take after completing their education. There are some things to consider about your first job, however.

Keep reading to find out how long you should stay at your first job after graduating.

How Long Should a Job After College be?

If you have landed your first job after college, you may be wondering how long you should stay. This is a very common question since you may have bigger aspirations.

Your first job probably wasn’t your topic, it was just what was available. Because of this, you may be itching to look at other opportunities that may be better.

Most experts recommend that college graduates stay at their first job for one year. This is a very reasonable amount of time that allows you to gather skills.

You will gain a deeper understanding of how to work in that environment and what your skills are. This will also show that you can be dedicated to a job.

If you were to quit any earlier, it would look like you aren’t able to commit. This can reflect badly and make it difficult to find other work.

If the job is a good fit, it is always a good idea to stay even longer. The longer you stay at a job, the better it will look as one of your references.

The next job you have you should stay at for 2 to 3 years. This is a good timeline to keep in mind for every job you have after your first one.

Of course, there are circumstances where you may need to quit faster. That is why you will need to apply this to your situation and your job.

What to Expect at Your First Job

When you are looking at graduate jobs, you need to know what to expect. Entering the workforce can be quite confusing and a bit overwhelming.

There is no way to know what to expect until you jump in. But doing a little research beforehand is always a good idea.

You can research the post-graduate career you are entering as well as the company. It also doesn’t help to look up reviews from previous employees to get perspective.

These are just a few things you can do to prepare yourself for your first job.

It Won't be Perfect

The number one thing you need to remember is that it is not going to be perfect. No job is perfect, let alone the first job that you choose.

Your new career is usually going to start out pretty anti-climactic. This is a very exciting step to take but you don’t want to expect too much.

This is most likely a job that is not going to be your dream job. It may be similar, but it is just a stepping stone to other opportunities.

You may have even had limited options when applying for jobs. This can be common depending on whether employees are sought out at that time or in that industry.

You may be competing against other graduates, or they may be looking for someone with work experience. The important thing is to not get dissatisfied with this job.

Everyone has to start somewhere, so you have to persevere through your options.

The Pay May be Low

It is also very important to remember that the pay may not be great. As a graduate, you aren’t someone who enters the workforce with an abundance of experience.

You may have never had a job before, and if you have, it probably wasn’t in this industry. This can negatively impact your applications since companies want experience.

This will directly impact the salary that you are given. This can also depend on what is going on with the economy and in that particular industry.

Keep in mind that this is not something to be upset about when you have just graduated. Your first job is only an opportunity to gain work experience.

Most graduates don’t earn very much at their first job unless they get lucky. The experience that you will take away will be worth this and will help you to earn more later.

This is a great opportunity to focus on accumulating skills that make you valuable. The more skills you have, the higher the salary you can expect later on in the future.

It May be Hard to Adjust

Adjusting to your first job can feel like a difficult process. After all, you have probably been in college for 3 to 4 years, if not more.

Joining the workforce is very different from attending college. You may have a similar workload to the system, and the schedule is going to be very different.

You need to give yourself grace so that you can acclimate to this new journey. This is why it is also a good idea to choose a good work schedule.

Some graduates prefer to start in a part-time position to get the hang of it. Most part-time positions have the possibility of becoming full-time positions anyway.

This is a great way to dip your toes into the workforce without feeling overwhelmed. Then you can start to pick up more time as you feel confident in your work.

You May Not Get Along

You always want to enter your job with the best expectations. Be realistic but try to keep a positive mindset about what this job will be like.

With that said, it is important to remember that you may not get along with everyone you work with. Your coworkers may be older and have more experience than you do.

This can create a generational gap where you don’t quite fit in. The workforce also contains a variety of personalities that may not get along with one another.

Just because everyone works together, that doesn’t mean that everyone will get along. You must stay polite and cordial even with coworkers you don’t like.

Remember that your first job is just the beginning, and you won’t be there forever.

What to Look for in a Good Job Opportunity

Now that you know what to expect at your first job, what should you look for? It can be difficult to know what is a good job opportunity and what isn’t.

When you are fresh out of college, every job may seem like a good choice. This is especially true if you are eager to join the workforce and start earning money.

But there are a few very important things that you need to consider when job hunting.

Good Employees

Something that makes a job stand out is good employees. After all, these employees are going to be your coworkers who you work with daily.

Unfortunately, this is not something that you will gauge until you work at that job. But it is worth considering how well you get along with your coworkers.

Sometimes other areas of the job that you don’t like can be made up for in this area. There are plenty of jobs where your coworkers can be very difficult to work with.

Once you find a community where everyone is kind and accepting, this is a good sign. Although, you don’t want to stay at a job just because of the coworkers.

You also need to consider your career and the path that you want to take. As well as the growth opportunities that you are looking for.

Kind Boss

How your boss behaves is also something that you should consider. Bosses tend to have a bad reputation as there are plenty out there who don’t behave well.

When you find a good boss, this is something to consider about that job. A boss can help you to grow in that job and become better at what you do.

There are plenty of instances where you may need to leave a job because of a bad boss.

High Pay

There are plenty of jobs out there, but the pay is going to be very different. This rule applies to jobs that are even within the same industry.

That is why it is important to do your research and find out what the salaries are. You want to look up the basic salary for the area that you are working in.

Then you want to compare the salaries of job positions that are open. You want the basic salary at the very least and the highest salary if possible.

This most likely won’t be possible with your first job, but you want to find the best option. You do not want to be underpaid for experience that you have from your degree.

Accessibility

It is also important to look at where the job is. Some people have to travel to work, which can become very difficult.

It can be expensive to drive far to work between gas or having to pay for transportation. It also takes away a lot of your free time when you are commuting each day.

Overall, having a job that is not close by is not a very realistic option. This is fine for a first-time job but you want to look for something closer when you are getting your second.

You may even need to consider moving if there aren’t any available options. This is more common than people realize since specific jobs are easier to find in certain areas.

Raise Possibilities

You need to look at the raise possibilities at a job. This is when your position is given a raise after a certain amount of time of putting in the work.

The majority of places will give you a raise after six months. For other places, this takes a year, but you should usually get a raise once or twice every year.

For many people, this can make even a low salary worth it. Some raises are very high and help to supplement your income each year.

Keep in mind that some job types don’t offer raises at all. You may need to do a bit of research about this before making your decision.

Career Growth

The job that you choose should have plenty of career growth opportunities. A good job will allow you to move up the ladder as you gain experience.

This is important if you have goals in mind for your career. You don’t want to be stuck in a position that doesn’t allow you to improve yourself or your situation.

Career growth gives you more experience and allows you to get paid better. The best career growth offers unlimited opportunities where you can continue to move up in the company.

How Long Do You Need to Stay at Your First Job

If you have graduated and are entering the workforce, how long should you stay at your first job? This is a common question that graduates may be concerned about.

Most people only have to dedicate a year to their first job before moving on to better opportunities.

Are you interested in furthering your education and your career opportunities? Contact us today at Honor Society for graduate resources for your career.