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When we speak to alumni who work as career counsellors, recruiters or learning and development managers about how we can best support early career graduates to find their feet in any industry, one message consistently comes up:

You're not alone if you don't have it all figured out.

Starting out in your career can be an uphill battle, so it鈥檚 helpful to know the people across the table know that too鈥攁nd they鈥檙e not judging you for it. In fact, they want you to know that having a perfect transition to your professional life is pretty rare.

Samantha Berry (B Teach, 鈥�99, M Teach 鈥�00) is a Learning and Development Manager at Herbert Smith Freehills, who has spent the last 10 years in the early career space.

Here are three things she says you 诲辞苍鈥檛 need to have sorted out just yet:

1. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to have a professional job right now

If you have strict dichotomy in your head between professional work and non-professional work then you might feel upset if you鈥檙e still on the 鈥榳rong鈥� side of that line post-graduation.

But鈥檚 it鈥檚 nowhere near as big a deal as you think.

鈥淎ctually, lots of people are in this situation, even if you 诲辞苍鈥檛 hear about it,鈥� confirms Samantha. She says comparison to friends is one of the easiest traps to fall into: 鈥淵ou start to worry that you鈥檙e behind and you鈥檒l never catch up.鈥�

Instead, it can be helpful to be kind to yourself and recognise that starting your career is hard. 鈥淚t鈥檚 common to have a few non-professional jobs after you graduate while you鈥檙e still building your networks. Just stay engaged and remember that your first job is just a way to get started.鈥�

2. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to know what you want to do

If you find yourself feeling unsure about your future career path, you鈥檙e far from alone. In fact, it鈥檚 one of the most common career concerns amongst new graduates. Whether you just went with the flow into an area you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have strong feelings for, or you鈥檝e been shocked to discover you 诲辞苍鈥檛 enjoy the career you thought you would, 诲辞苍鈥檛 panic. You鈥檙e just in career transition territory and it鈥檚 a place you鈥檒l likely come back to again and again throughout your working life. Think of this as practice that can help you long-term.

鈥淵ou 诲辞苍鈥檛 want to be reactive, and just jump into something new because that could repeat the issue,鈥� says Samantha. Instead, dive into some career research or career due diligence. 鈥淵ou can do some information interviews or shadowing with people you know to find out more about potential new areas.鈥�

That might mean asking them about their role and the industry prospects.

鈥淚鈥檓 a big advocate for the design thinking approach to careers,鈥� says Samantha. 鈥淭hat means using your experience to refine what you're looking for. Each job is like a stepping stone where you are testing where you go next. To do this, you鈥檙e going to be trying to find opportunities that allow you to analyse if it鈥檚 a path worth exploring further.鈥�

3. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 need to love the job you have now if it鈥檚 helping you in some way

This one might sound deflating. After all, the last thing anyone wants is a job they dislike. But somewhere between a job that鈥檚 totally working out and one that is not working out at all is the more nuanced: working out enough. And it鈥檚 middle ground that can be valuable for a limited period, says Samantha.

鈥淎ll jobs carry good points and bad points. You might not love all the day-to-day tasks but feel very supported by your team. Or perhaps the industry isn鈥檛 where you ultimately want to be. But if it鈥檚 giving you the key skills you need to go where you want to go, then it can be worth staying. Especially, if you are early in your career where the acceleration in your skills is so great.

You can still be working towards鈥攁nd interviewing for鈥攏ew jobs but you鈥檒l be maximising what you can offer to your next employer.鈥�

About Samantha Berry

Samantha Berry is a dedicated Learning & Career Development Manager with a profound commitment to empowering individuals to achieve fulfilling careers. With a background in career development, learning program management, team leadership, and process improvement, she has made her mark across various industries, including human resources, education, and strategic change projects in professional services organisations. Samantha's career journey includes roles at Ernst and Young, Mercer, Suncorp, Directioneering, UNSW, UTS, PwC and most recently Herbert Smith Freehills.