Professional Office Worker? Were you trained by the employer in your first job out of college?

[TheBeagleLady]

I work in accounting and have always had some sort of training. School and experience have taught me the concepts and there are some things that are pretty basic and universal (how to prepare a journal entry, for example). However, different companies use different systems and some of my jobs have been in different areas of accounting (GL vs financial reporting, public corporation vs University). I am pretty good at figuring things out on my own but I am not afraid to ask questions to make sure I am doing things correctly. Also, I take notes and always put together a notebook of procedures, for my own reference and in case I need to train others.

[lookingforadvice20202]

At my first corporate job I was lucky to be in a really nice and supportive department. The head of my team showed me the ropes about working in an office, how to navigate the corporate working world, tips on my job, that sort-of thing, and they're lessons I've carried and built on to this day. Didn't help in my current toxic job, but you win some you lose some.

Beyond that extra stuff, I was taught the basic procedures and process of my role. The job itself, though, was self-taught (copywriting) and was a skill I brought with me... which is why I got hired in the first place. Doubt I would've been hired if I didn't do the work on my own. Being able to educate yourself and get a network for that seems like one of those key skills you have to develop.

[tnff]

Originally Posted by lunetunelover

Bad advice.

However, I thought the "well rounded" part was covered by some of the basics you take with ANY college degree (humanities, arts, sociology, etc) typically during the first two years of college.

I love your statement because it is so true. All those folks with engineering, science, business, etc degrees ARE well rounded. They do have all the liberal arts courses. It's not either/or; it's both/and.

[GravityMan]

That academic adviser gave horrible advice.

Training very much depends on the company, as well as the specific position. I already had a good understanding (and hands-on practice) with the underlying concepts of my job, thanks to my computer science degree. They trained me how to use, modify and work with their own proprietary software and processes. They also trained me on their procedures for deploying new builds. That said, even companies who DO train their employees will have a heightened appreciation for new hires who can be productive quickly or immediately.

Most people who attend college take at least some liberal arts courses, regardless of major. For example, I took basic philosophy and psychology courses, IIRC some sort of government or political science course, and a few other courses that I don't remember. Many universities require that students have X amount of credits in liberal arts subjects before they can graduate.

Soft skills are essential in the professional world, yes...but a lot of us organically and gradually learn a lot of that stuff during childhood and early adulthood in a variety of ways (life experiences [good and bad], school, networking, our parents, trial-and-error and so on). By the time we start our post-grad jobs/careers in our early-mid 20s...many of us may not be top-tier in the soft skills department, but we're already fairly decent and will get better with more time, experience and maturity.