Transitioning from university to the workplace

Participants

• Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Prospects
• Marihah Nasir - business lead graduate scheme, Jisc

Transcript

Marihah Nasir: You won't always know your impact the thing is, even though you think you're a graduate, like you're a newbie, the work that you do, even though it may seem nothing or small to you, generally does have a massive, massive impact.

Emily Slade: Hello and welcome back to Future You. The early careers and student advice podcast brought to you by Prospects.

Marihah Nasir: So I'm Marihah Nasir. I'm a business lead, graduate at Jisc, the graduate scheme's for two years and I'm in my final six months, which is scary because it's gone really quick. It's sad, but I've learnt so much So. Yeah.

Emily Slade: Yeah. So this is your first job Like proper graduate job?

Marihah Nasir: So I did a four year course in my third year, did a placement year, and that was for the full 12 months, and I did marketing operations at an engine company. It was more like behind the scenes of marketing, some more like data focused although it was something that I didn't really like or enjoy. It did give me the skills to add onto my CV to get this job. So yeah, good and bad.

Emily Slade: Yeah. So how did you get this job?

Marihah Nasir: This job? How did I get this job? So obviously the job market is very horrible at the moment, so. So, when my final year started, around about October time, I started applying to every grad scheme I could find, like marketing or anything to do with business, because I did a marketing degree and I found this job and it took about, I think, 6 or 7, eight months to get it took a long time. The process was very long. But it was worth it. And it was the first one I actually applied to, and it's the only one that I got from, like, I think I applied to like 50 or 60 grad schemes. Yes. All around Great Manchester North West basically. So yeah, it's just just thinking about right now is so exhausting.

Emily Slade: Yeah it's long, its so tiring. Amazing. But you got it.And you're nearly at the end of it. So can you talk to us about that transition from four years at university is particularly long even with a placement in between. So what was your first impression when you walked into the workplace?

Marihah Nasir: Nervous. Very nervous. Mainly because uni is so different. Like you're you're with similar like-minded people. You're not, you don't really have a professional attitude or a mindset. So now you're in this corporate world. There's like certain expectations and even it's not stupid, but like silly things like workplace etiquettes or like the office culture, like adjusting yourself to that dress code, things like that. But, I feel like having my, my placement year really, really helped. adjust myself back into my graduate scheme.

Emily Slade: How did you learn, how did you pick up things like dress code, like etiquette?

Marihah Nasir: Honestly, observing. I am an observer. What's that thing called? The insights wheel? [Insights Discovery] I'm not sure who did it, but I'm a blue. And that means you're a heavy observer. You just sit in the back. Because I'm an introvert. I don't really like to talk as much. So I remember in my first week it was actually here, and I was just asking my coworker, just like lots of questions because she was actually a newbie, was kind of a newbie as well. And that really, really helped having a buddy.And that's something that Jisc is very good at. Not like doing like the heavy promo, but seriously, like having a buddy, even having a mentor. It's so valuable to have, especially as someone who's so new to the corporate world and you just have so many thoughts and it really, really does help your anxiety. And also, when I did join this grad scheme, I think the biggest thing for me instantly was having issues with and how to communicate with my managers. Because like I said, I am an introvert and I feel like if I keep on bothering my managers and asking questions, I feel like I'm a nuisance and they might think I'm not capable of doing my job. But that's actually one of the thing that's encouraged the most to ask questions. They want you to ask questions, and I always hear people say this online, but now that I've experienced it first hand is genuinely true. I just ask questions. Yeah. And. Also I wanted to say at uni you're working 24/7. You don't really you don't you don't have a set schedule. But with this job you're working your 9 to 5, and then after that do anything you want. And I think that was a struggle for me as well, because even after my 9-5 finished, I just felt like I had to do something. Because at uni I had a very what's the word like a perfectionist mindset.

Emily Slade: Okay.

Marihah Nasir: So I feel like I always had to do something, always do more learning to improve myself, but you don't really have to do that here. You can do that in your job. But yeah, yeah.

Emily Slade: So you had to basically learn how to relax after work?

Marihah Nasir: Yes, yes. Yeah. I remember like mum was just like, you know, you can just like, go on your phone and like, just like, chill. But I was like, I feel like I need to be doing something like. It's like an itch, but, like, I just need to relax. I need to calm down.

Emily Slade: So what was the biggest change that you noticed or experienced? I suppose is, as you said, it's that you do clock off at like 5 p.m., you can stop. You don't then have to go to a kayak club. I don't know what you did at university. Like an hour of taekwondo, then up to the club. The club? God, can you tell I went to university in the 2010's?

Marihah Nasir: Yeah.

Emily Slade: Did you guys go to the club?

Marihah Nasir: I don't club.'cause i'm a Muslim, I don't do that kind of stuff.

Emily Slade: Right, right, right.

Marihah Nasir: Do you know what the crazy...I really wasn't because I was in the Covid years. So in my first and second years I was at home. So I never experienced Freshers Week. I really wish I did. I never had that proper university experience. And then my third year I did my placement year, so I wasn't at uni and then I only experienced it in my final year. But final year was just so busy and at my university they adjusted to doing on zoom, like all in zoom, so I didn't really have to go in. So I didn't really do it. Like I didn't join any societies or things like that. So it is a bit of a bummer, but I like to work at home anyway because I feel like I'm just more creative and just. Do you know what I mean?

Emily Slade: Yeah, completely. That's interesting. So really, entering the workspace like physically was a shock anyway, because you hadn't even been able to attend lectures in a traditional way or seminars in the traditional way and navigate around talking to these people like head on face on getting their energies, which could drain a person and an introvert especially. So that did you find you were tired a lot when you first started working?

Marihah Nasir: Can I say that I was a bit fake or is that a bit mean?

Emily Slade: Yeah. No, you're fine. Like, you like - you masked?

Marihah Nasir: Yeah. You could say that I was not fake. But what's a nice way to put it like very over enthusiastic. Because I want them to know that you've hired the right person. Like, I'm going to do the job for you. I'm going to try my best. And I felt like as an introvert, that's not really. It's like you have to go outside your comfort zone, which which I hate. So especially working in marketing, a lot of people say to me, like, you do marketing, you do all these like social media things and you're introvert. And I was like, well, you have no choice. You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Emily Slade: Yeah, otherwise every introvert would just be working, what in libraries in silence?

Marihah Nasir: Yes, literally.

Emily Slade: There'd be no introverts in any work place?

Marihah Nasir: Honestly, it's. But actually one thing that I'm so grateful about this graduate scheme is that because you're moving in different, teams, like, that's another thing that's really like outside of my comfort zone, which is like always talking to new people.

Emily Slade: And have you found that that's strengthened your confidence in your ability to do it? The more you had to do it?

Marihah Nasir: 100% like at uni, I was very timid. I was very shy. I never thought I could do things like this, like even doing social media videos for Prospects. But like this graduate scheme is really, really helped my confidence a lot. Like I can talk to people, I can, I don't know, I feel like I can what's that word called, like I can express my ideas without feeling like I'm going to get judged or something. And that's. Yeah, basically yeah.

Emily Slade: And do you find that you're no longer fake.

Marihah Nasir: Yes, yes, yes. I feel like the more people I've met it's improving my confidence, but I've also made more connections and especially with the Prospects team, I feel like I've become more unhinged, I guess, like I feel I can be I feel like I can be myself. Yeah. And do you know what? I didn't realise how much impact that has on my work as well. Like, I can talk in meetings now. I can, I can, I can, point problems out. I am not shy, I'm not shying away from saying my ideas and what can be improved and things like that

Emily Slade: So your graduate scheme means that you've circled around a variety of teams within Jisc over the past two years, and you're now in your final placement. That's not necessarily a traditional, you know, entry into the world of work in that every six months you have to almost start again. Would you agree?

Marihah Nasir: Yes, yes, but it feels like I've had three jobs. Like it's it's with a grad scheme, like it's good and it has its negatives, I guess. But the good part is like you learn much, much, much more skills. And I feel like a graduate scheme. The managers and the people know that you're fresh from uni. And I feel like the more what's the word called? Not kinder, but their more willing to help you and shape your skills and experiences, whether as if you go straight away into a graduate job. I feel like you won't get that same kind of experience.

Emily Slade: Yeah, that's sort of like support.

Marihah Nasir: Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Emily Slade: Have you noticed that it's streamlined your understanding of what you want to do?

Yes.

Emily Slade: Did you leave university with an idea? Has that idea been confirmed, affirmed, turned over, flipped upside down, and, you know, like, I thought I wanted to do this, and now I've experienced it, I don't, or vice versa. Or like, I thought I wanted to do this and now I've done it, I definitely do. And now I've had to do this as well. That is different. I know I don't want to do that. Does that makes sense?

Marihah Nasir: Yes, I would say. So my degree was actually in management with marketing. But I know I always wanted to do marketing. I just find it so fun. And then even though my graduate scheme is business and leadership, my first rotation was in marketing, and straight away confirmed that I want to stay in this field. I want to improve because obviously the marketing does different areas. So my first rotation, it was that everything like email marketing, CRM, things like that. But then with Prospects on my second rotation, that was more social media and I never thought I, I would want to even do something like that. But it was a good skill to have very good skills to have actually. Is it something that I want to do in the future? No, it was too much pressure, especially with doing like B2C, meaning business to customer sort of marketing. You're dealing with students and as you know, students there, there's all these trends and things and their behavior is much more different. And you always have to like stay on top of trends and be creative. And sometimes it's a lot for me. So I think definitely maybe I don't want to I don't want to stay in that field. And my final rotation I'm doing digital marketing, and that's something I've actually avoided, avoided in my past rotation because first of all it seems very complicated. It's data. It's analytics reporting. That's something that it just scares me. Do you know what I mean? But I'm like a month and a bit in and I do really enjoy it.It's really, really interesting. It's just it's a different side of marketing. And yeah. So you can say that the grad scheme, it has helped. But yeah.

Emily Slade: Yeah.So what happens in six months time when you come to the end of your grad scheme?

Marihah Nasir: Oh.

Emily Slade: Not to stress you out.

Marihah Nasir: I'm already stressed. I've been thinking about since last year like I need to maybe. What is the process? I think there's only two routes. Essentially get a job here, like internal opportunities or find other job outside. And I have to start applying in July just to be cautious. And just the thought of going back into the job market and do my CV interviews, all that kind of stuff is a bit daunting, like especially when I apply for this grad scheme back in 2023, there wasn't heavy use of AI like, but now I'm really worried because I do hear that AI like reviews your CV looks at your interview videos, and I don't trust that because I could be a good candidate. But AI compared to a recruiter, do you know what I mean?

Emily Slade: Completely. So yeah yeah yeah it's scary. It's a it's overwhelming. More than it's ever been. It's always been overwhelming and horrible applying for jobs, but especially now because it's new territory. What do you wish someone had told you before starting your first day in the real world?

Marihah Nasir: You won't always know your impact, genuinely. Like, the thing is, even though you think you're a graduate, like you're a newbie, the work that you do, even though it may seem nothing or small to you, generally does have a massive, massive impact, on whatever you're doing, essentially. And not...with uni. I don't know, maybe you get a lot of praise, but at a corporate job you don't really as much. So it's really important to give yourself some credit as well and just even ask your manager, like in your reviews or, or in your one on ones, like what am I doing well? And that's a really really good confidence boost.

Emily Slade: Yeah, yeah, you don't get that feedback loop in the same way that you do at university. So you got to ask for it. And what mistakes did you make early on that you've learnt from?

Marihah Nasir: Overthinking emails a lot. I feel like when you're talking to, I don't know, like senior people or not senior people, like I always think. Do I need to have this many exclamation marks or this many smiley emoji's? Does it look like I'm too eager? And they're so stupid to overthink something like that. But it's very common. Yeah. And like, I just don't want or, like, if I don't say certain words it'll look like I'm a cow or something. Like I'm not, I promise you, I like, I want to be nice. I want you to have really good first impressions of me. So that was one mistake. But, like, you know what the vibe is when you like the moment you are in your job so then.

Emily Slade: Yeah, you get really good at, like, reading the room. And if the email comes to you with no emojis or exclamation marks, you know, to just return in kind.

Marihah Nasir: Yeah.

Emily Slade: And because everyone's different. Because I used to be scared of that. I used to think that emails had to be this formal method of communication. And then actually, the more emails you send to the more variety of people, some people are like, cool, see you then. And other people are like, thank you very much for your blah blah blah blah blah blah. And it's so Disney Channel, but it's like, be yourself.

Marihah Nasir: I'm not gonna lie, when I used to see these videos on TikTok, like be yourself - especially, like in the workplace, I'm just like, whatever.

Emily Slade: Yeah.

Marihah Nasir: What do you mean? But genuinely, be yourself. Yeah. Like I was going to mention this actually. But like, what was I going to say. Like, oh yeah. Like being authentic matters more than being liked. Because if you're always in that mindset of like, I want people to like me, you're going to end up being fake and you're going to end up draining yourself. Just be you are.

Emily Slade: Genuinely, because then it doesn't like, let's say somebody absolutely hates you for who you are. What's that? Like, that's on them like what the hell is their problem? That they have time in their day to like hate someone. Like did you ever watch Scrubs?

Marihah Nasir: No.

Emily Slade: Okay. That was a character in Scrubs that said the most amazing quote. And she was doing it to be mean. But he, the guys like, do you hate me? And she's like, I don't hate you. I nothing you. And most people nothing everyone. And that's fine. I nothing most people, I don't think I hate anyone because I can't be bothered. So if someone's genuinely out to get you like that is a reflection on their sad little life Jane.

Marihah Nasir: I know that reference.

Emily Slade: Yeah, we found one across the borders.

Marihah Nasir: I don't know if it's like a universal experience or maybe because I'm an introvert, but I used to be really hesitant to speak up in meetings. Number one, I think I'm a graduate. Do they really want to hear my opinion compared to more senior people in the team? And does it sound stupid? Is it going to be wrong? But not gonna lie. In my first rotation I was like that. And instead, like after the meeting, I would type my manager instead. Like, at least I still said it, but I just wish I spoke in the meeting, though, because also, there's another thing. If I don't speak up in meetings, I don't want people to think that I'm too quiet and that she's not interested or things like that, but that's just my overthinking. They hardly ever think that I highly doubt it, but I don't know. I just feel like the more comfortable you are with your team I feel like that will help you speak up.

Emily Slade: Yeah.

Marihah Nasir: I think it's the most important one, to be honest, over committing.Like, again, it's that you think that you want people to like you. You want like you want to. You want to be seen as, like, very keen. So I always used to say yes to every task, to the point where I was overworking. And then my manager just always used to say like, are you sure you can do this? Have you got a capacity? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I've got capacity! But in my head i'm just like, for goodness sake, why did I say yes? But now that I realised that if your manager's supportive and she creates like. Well, and if they create that kind of what's that word called like relationship, then it made it made it easier for me to say, you know what? No. Do you know what I mean? Honestly, if you just feel like you've got too much to do, just say it. Because at end of the day, if you've got to much, if you've got too much to do, your work is not going to be as good. And then you're going to get you're going

to get even more crap, I guess so.

Emily Slade: Yeah.

Marihah Nasir: Yeah.

Emily Slade: Yeah. I mean, in terms of mistakes, like roughly how many mistakes did you make?

Marihah Nasir: Loads.

Emily Slade: Yeah. And are you...have you been fired?

Marihah Nasir: No. But I feel like I'm in a very, very lucky situation because all my managers have been so nice, like, so nice. And, like, even if I did make mistakes, they would say it in a really nice rounded way, like it's not your fault or like it's okay. Like as long as you improve upon this, then I don't care. And that's one thing that's really stuck with me. Like, you make a mistake, you're note it down. You know how to improve. Improve next time. Yeah.

Emily Slade: Amazing, thank you so much for your time today. You have to respond.

Notes on transcript

This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.

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