Student & early careers
Your first graduate job: what actually matters in the first 90 days
Talent Media · 18 July 2026 · 6 min read
No one tells you the unwritten rules of a first professional role. These are the ones that matter most.
The gap between university and work is not about skill. It is about behaviour, and nobody hands you a manual.\n\n**Reply to things**\n\nThe fastest reputation win available to you is being the person who answers. Acknowledge within the day, even if the answer is "looking at this tomorrow".\n\n**Ask questions in writing**\n\nWrite down what you think the answer is, then ask someone to confirm. You will look prepared rather than lost.\n\n**Keep an evidence file**\n\nFrom week one, keep a note of what you delivered and what changed as a result. In two years that file becomes your CV.\n\n**Find the person who knows how things really work**\n\nEvery team has one. It is rarely the manager. Buy them a coffee.
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