As a sixth former preparing to leave education this summer, I have naturally been thinking about what comes next. University, apprenticeships, a gap year? After 14 years spent in classrooms, entering a professional environment is kind of daunting, especially for my generation.  

I completed a week of work experience with PeopleUnboxed last June. This led to me gaining the role of Brand Assistant, which I have been doing part-time around school commitments. Since joining, I have realised that school prepares us with the knowledge and grades, but the working world expects a complete diverse set of skills, which many young people have never been taught. 

If you’re looking to employ individuals, school leavers or graduates and want to support them in their transition, then I’ve written this blog for you! My writing is based on feelings, and my hope is for it to open up some supportive conversations for those whose lives are changing and they feel unsure. 

There is more to life than textbooks.  

Employment could not be more different to a school environment, for the readers of this blog, it may have a been a long time since you have sat in a classroom and for others not so long. However, I am sure that at one point we all realised that the dynamic changes drastically. For this blog, I did some outside research to gain other perspectives of how people my age view these changes too. As my peers have started entering jobs, common themes that I have found are:  

• Many managers do not sit you down and explain how to prioritise tasks, which can be overwhelming when everything feels important. 

• We have not been equipped to speak confidently and handle stress when we are the youngest person in the room. 

• There can be a lack of support about how to deal with ambiguous instructions or unexpected changes. 

And yet… these are the things work demands from day one. 

It is not a failure, but it is simply a gap that has not been closed by the school system and/or workplaces to prepare teens for the future. This becomes visible the moment you step beyond the school gates.  

School vs. Reality. 

School follows a strict structure: start times, timetables, and deadlines. You are told what to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be handed in.  

I have been with PeopleUnboxed for 8 months now… at the start, I was surprised by how much independence I was given. This is where many of my peers panicked and started to realise that they now have responsibilities and are not handed any plans; but instead, are trusted to make one. What supported me through this, was adopting an open mindset, being encouraged by my manager and colleagues to ask questions (even if I thought they may sound silly) and understanding that it is okay to make mistakes, especially when stepping into a new role for the first time. 

Companies expect you to figure out what needs doing, organise, and communicate like an adult, even if you have never actually been taught some of these skills. This is where employers need to start stepping in to support newcomers to build their confidence in a safe, positive environment. Which does NOT mean babying them but simply equipping them with skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.  

The skills I did not know I needed. 

Even in my part-time role, I learned many skills, and   I realised these were things I had never actually seen in school, like: 

• Time Management.

Work gives you freedom, which is great until you realise freedom also requires responsibility. 

You must learn quickly that time management is not about following a timetable but about making good decisions.  

• Professional, not academic, communication.

You can draft a thousand‑word essay, but that does not mean you know how to send a clear and professional email, give an update in a meeting, or ask the right questions. 

• Collaboration.

School groups you by age but work does not;, you must collaborate with a mix of personalities and communication styles and adapt. Another part of collaboration is about asking questions when you are not sure and getting to know your manager and colleagues’ communication styles, which really helped me. 

• EQ vs IQ.

Believe it or not, many companies care more about what type of person you are and how you present yourself, than your grades. The saying goes ‘grades don’t define you,’ which is extremely hard to wrap your head around coming out of school where that is the case. 

It is important to care for your colleagues and create a safe environment for them to talk and communicate openly, much like a friend. 

Looking forward into the future. 

School equips us for many things in life but not enough to make anyone feel confident about moving into the next stage. I am extremely lucky to have joined PeopleUnboxed as I have colleagues that I can trust to support me and cheer me on. I cannot help but feel for those that do not have this. 

I am sure that we can all agree that the school curriculum will not be changing anytime soon, but until then there are many ways that young adults, can equip themselves with the skills we need for a successful work life. Teaching about feedback, resilience and teamwork is important for everyone. It has really helped me to look through online information whilst also having support from the PeopleUnboxed team. On our website, there are some helpful resources such as blogs, webinars and downloads that I think could make a difference for those in a similar position to me.  

Let this blog be your incentive to open up conversations to young adults moving into the working world, building their confidence and making a difference in their lives. 

If you would like more information or to chat about how you or businesses can support people moving through this next stage, then drop me an email or message on LinkedIn.