Full-time work life is absurdly, insurmountably daunting. It’s “The Wall” and actual adults are white walkers waiting with a grad job on the other side. And just like Jon Snow, I know nothing.

BUT, uni has blessed us (cough) with several years worth of group work and friendships that, surprisingly, have taught us a lot about adult life. Specifically, our experiences at uni are a great insight into our learning, communication and work style.

So think back, self-assess and ask yourself if the environment you’re signing up for is really your cup of tea. 

Team Spirit

The position you naturally take during your average group project says a lot about your working style. One general way of breaking down a group dynamic is through the following categories: the Dominator, the Influencer, the Steady and the Conscientious. Otherwise known as “DISC”.

The Dominator is focused on the bottom line and getting the assignment submitted on time. They’re blunt but see the big picture.

The Influencer builds the team’s relationships, organises group meetings and assigns segments so everyone is happy.

The Steady is the worker-bee who likes to get their part done early and hates being rushed to the last minute. They keep the calm.

The Conscientious are detail focused, independent and don’t like being told they’re wrong.

If one of these sound like you, then plug it into Google and learn about your motivations and stressors. Certain job types are also generally perfect/counterproductive for each type.

While there are a lot of other things to consider in picking your grad position, this might help you decide between accounting and sales. (If you’re an Influencer, definitely go for sales.)

Matter Of Degree

Your degree also says A LOT about what sector you should find yourself in – and not only for the obvious reason of your qualification. Different majors and friends teach you about the general culture of jobs in that field. After all, they’re the other grads you’ll be working with!

Arts/Humanities

Ah! The creatives! Arts degrees and the arts sector is filled with vibrant, inspired, unique causes and individuals that can engulf you. These careers often involve high enthusiasm, emotional intelligence and big thinking. And, like I experienced in my Mock United Nations group assignment, high passion leads to strong opinions that can be difficult to change. Blunt and objective styles of working may not gel here.

Commerce/Science

Objective, bottom line focused and detail orientated is the cookie-cutter grad for commerce and science grads. You love process, meeting targets and seeing the final product.

However, there is often little room for creative, non-linear thinking. It also requires patience and resilience — clients and experiments don’t always deliver as expected.

Law

Law is brutal but empowering. You can wield words, present concise arguments and scrutinise any piece of information to the world’s end. As a result, law students are generally charismatic, competitive and hyper-critical.

High pressure, high energy, and high risk is the general environment at uni and then at work. This can be super motivating – but it comes with frequent feedback and never-ending editing too.

Knowing yourself and your work style is a great advantage. Job interviews are as much about them interviewing you, as you interviewing them, so this self-assessment will help you determine if your potential future colleagues are the right fit.

(Lead image: Parks and Recreation/NBC)