Empathize and Define (Design Thinking Action Lab)
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Fresh graduates face challenges when transitioning from university to the workplace. The document summarizes interviews with several fresh graduates about their experiences. Key challenges mentioned include dealing with unmotivated people, long working hours, navigating office politics, and applying classroom knowledge to real-world work. Having internship experience helped smooth the transition for some. Maintaining self-efficacy, optimism, and a willingness to learn were traits that helped graduates overcome difficulties in the workplace.
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Empathize and Define (Design Thinking Action Lab)
- 1. Empathize & Define Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss 5 August 2013 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss 1
- 2. Empathy map Interesting challenge Complex environment Huge volume of information Specialised knowledge Internships played importance Culture of firm helped Lack of Org level understanding Smooth transition Luck Asking Questions Gain knowledge Exposure Immediate responsibilities Practise Practise Practise Time Management More effort done to meet standards Different expectations Not prepared to deal with unmotivated ppl Self-efficacy Impact of people Optimism Short learning cycle Process of learning Personal experience of transition Habits of analysis Increased responsibility Common sense Relevance of what I’ve studied Visualisation of everything to piece them together Office politics Human relations Increase complexity 2 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 3. Stakeholder Needs a way to NEED because Insights Fresh graduate needs a way to motivate and understand themselves better because of today’s demanding and complex workplace. 3 Design Thinking Action Lab 213 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 4. • Open ended questions How was your experience like transiting from university to workplace? What was the toughest part?What would have made it better? Do you find your skillset relevant? How was the learning curve like? How do you overcome your setbacks or difficulties How did you feel through that moment? 4 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss • Note – Do not lead interviewees on and keep asking why do they feel so; to understand the emotions and decision making
- 5. Interview 1 • Ms X, Phd Student • Smooth transition due to couple of internships • Most difficult was having a lot of free time, as she used to study all the time. • University did not taught her how to handle people who are not motivated to do work. • Trying to overcome inability to handle lazy people/ lack of commitment 5 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 6. Interview 2 • Mr P, Securities employee • Good transition, due to prior internship experience (higher expectations) • It helps when culture of company is good • Tough bit is waking on time and being punctual at work • Steep curve but it can be overcome by putting more effort to learn about what is required to deliver (standard) 6 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 7. Interview 3 • Ms B, Social worker (fresh graduate) • Luck was on her side, smooth transition • Did not like structure lifestyle • Toughest part was job searching and interview are still nerve wrecking. • Loved and willing to learn a lot and she’s not picky • Overcome her difficulties by just doing it! 7 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 8. Interview 4 • Ms D, Communications executive • Studied Media comms and it is what she’s doing now • Being idealist helps, but she could have gone for more internships • Practised what she has learnt. Even psychological modules • Not really a steep learning curve • Practice makes perfect? 8 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 9. Interview 5 • Mr K, Asst. Manager, Customer relationship • Transition was smooth due to working experience in NGO • Expect things to be different and have little benchmark again what working life will be like. • Working hours was longer that university life • Toughest part was to visualise how everything that everyone does synergises and fits together, lack of organisational knowledge • Managing datelines, tasks and deliverables, to be conscious of immediate responsibilities and managing perception of management. • Keep questioning everything and treat everything as a challenge 9 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 10. Interview 6 • Ms Q, Client Relations Associate • Transition was interesting challenge and novel • Learning cycle has shortened, added complexity of human relations • Learning paradigm and usage of thinking tools • Useful tools includes analysis , rigour approach and determination (traits) to build confidence to face challenges • Common sense! • High degree of self-efficacy and optimism helps! • Plug knowledge gap and shorten learning cycle and increasing complexity and depth of experience. 10 Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss
- 11. Interview 7 • Ms T, Finance Processing officer • Its both smooth and difficult. Its different from school days with assignments and deadlines and mugging for exams. And the occassional uncooperative project mates • Depressing and demoralizing when dealing with unfriendly customers, which school hasn’t prepare me for. • Having nice colleagues helped me a lot! • Learnt more at work to manage different people Design Thinking Action Lab 2013 | Jeremy Aruldoss 11
Editor's Notes
- Respondents:1 – Student1 – Fresh Graduate5 – Employees
- Fresh graduateneeds a way to motivate and understand themselves betterbecause of today’s complex workplacStudents needs a way to be prepared of the working worldGraduate needs to understand themselves better to find a fit with the future workplaceHow can they better deal with complex situationsHuman relations, increased domain know-how etcComplex issues arising from increased public expectations of services
- Ms X, Phd student1-1a) The transition from university to the workplace was pretty smooth in my case. I had already done a couple of internships so I knew what to except. The thing I found very difficult to handle was the fact that when I started working I gained a lot of free time. I used to study every evening and every weekend while for my first job I only had to work from 9am to 6pm/Monday to Friday.2) The toughest part for me was to learn how to handle idle periods and the consequent boredom. It would have been easier if I got assigned more projects.3) Some of the skill sets I learned in university I also apply everyday at work. What university didn't teach me was how to handle people who are not motivated doing their job.4-5) I am still trying to overcome my inability to handle lazy people or people that are not really committed. I am trying to apply different strategies but so far nothing seem to work.
- Mr P, Financial industryAssociate, Securities1) My transition was good as I had prior experience in an internship where the expectations were higher. Since I had been thrown into the gauntlet before, the transition this time to a full-time job was easier. Furthermore, the culture in my company is very good (british company) and its a flat hierarchy, making the transition even easier2) The tough part would be the fact that one needs to wake up on time and be punctual to get to work. 3) The skillsets are most enhanced as they drill deeper and they are more tailored to th nature of the job as well.4/5) The initial learning curve was steep but as with all things you overcome it by putting in effort to learn what is necessary so that u can deliver the required standard.
- Ms B, Social worker1) it was in the middle. smooth because luck was on my side. difficult because i dreaded having a structured lifestyle (9-5pm) and the social service sector was small and they needed people who had experience.2) toughest part was job search process because you dread working, but you need money and youre not too sure if the job would be right for you. interviews are still nerve wrecking3) yes.4) because im willing to learn alot of things and im not picky5) just do it.youre welcome
- Ms D, Communications executive1. How was your experience transiting from university to the workplace?- Was it smooth or difficult, why was it so? Describe the process to me Smooth. Because I studiedNew Media and Comms in Uni, which is essentially what I’m doing now.2. What was the toughest part? What would have made it better? I might be an idealist, but I think its assmooth as it can go. The rest has to be learnt on the job. Possibly more internships would have helped.3. Do you find it a different skillset from what you have learnt at university? Not really, I basically practisedeverything I learnt in uni. Even the social psychological modules, events modules, writing for web, campaignrelated module for marketing purposes, stats module for MRSD related release, knowledge managementmodules etc4. Was it a steep learning curve? Not really. Except maybe for events management, project management andall the hands-on bits.5. How did you overcome it? Practice make perfect?
- Mr K, Assistant Mgr Customer Relations1) How was your experience transiting from university to the workplace? - Was it smooth or difficult, why wasit so? Describe the process to me Transition was smooth since I already had working experience as part of a startup Non-profit organisation prior tomy graduation for about a year. So all the red-tape and working as a team part was quite normal.You expect things to be different but if you don’t have prior experience, you have little to benchmark against interms of what working life will be like.What was a little difficult to adapt to at first was the longer-than-university working hours where we now seem to bepulling longer hours than normal. This evens out after awhile as we get used to the workload and learn to adjust ourown schedules. Also, specialised knowledge is required to do our role which I guess they don’t teach in uni.2) What was the toughest part? What would have made it better?Toughest part was trying to visualise how everything that everyone does synergises and fits together into thedelivery at the end of the day, because of a lack of knowledge of the organisation. Also, to keep an eye out for officepolitics and how the things we do impact the people around you.3) Do you find it a different skillset from what you have learnt at university/ postgrad?Yes because my major differs from the job I’m in. However, some things remain constant such as the need to be ableto juggle multiple deadlines, tasks and deliverables, all the time being conscious of your immediate responsibilitiesas well as the perception of management. This is akin to being in sch where you have to think about the perceptionof Profs, etc.4) Was it a steep learning curve?Yes in terms of knowledge required. But this may be job specific.5) How did you overcome it?Keep asking questions when in doubt. Don’t shy away from the things you do not know but treat each challenge as away to gain knowledge, gain exposure and gain experience. After enough time, the unfamiliar gradually becomesnormal.
- Ms Q, Client Relations AssociateFinancial Industry1. How was your experience transiting from university to the workplace?The transition from university to work formed a novel and interesting challenge as the yardsticks for assessment of successchanged rather dramatically. The learning cycle for every new knowledge area has shortened from one semester to a few weeksand sometimes even a matter of days. There is the additional complexity of human relations at the workplace which presents itsown vagaries and uncertainty.2. What was the toughest part? What would have made it better?The most difficult part was learning the language of a completely new industry and getting familiar with the paradigm whichgoverns the financial industry. In the huge volume of information glut, there is a need to quickly sieve out what is of businesscritical importance and what are nice-to intellectual diversions. There is also a constant need to understand that perfection isthe enemy of the good and that there is not enough time to pursue academic perfection the way that school afforded us. Beingable to do a job well frequently require assigning the right amount of time to the assignment and balancing it with otherreponsibilities which are competing for your attention.3. Do you find it a different skillset from what you have learnt at university/ postgrad?Education on paper is naturally different from education in the workplace. What is necessary to workplace success is often veryspecific in its context and information content, as such the broad-based nature of tertiary education can only be said to providethe thinking tools with which one can begin to consider new problems. Very few things which had been learnt in school can bedirectly applicable to the workplace, however the habits of analysis and rigour and determination cultivated through achallenging tertiary education endows one with the confidence to regard the new challenges at the workplace. Common sense isperhaps the most important skillset that is useful at work - something that is not very firmly emphasised in school.4. Was it a steep learning curve?It was a steep learning curve but it was nonetheless one which is very rewarding as I see the process where an individual matureinto a working adult and begin to assume responsibility for a wider community and organisation.5. How did you overcome it?The challenges were of certain magnitude but it is nothing that cannot be surmounted with a high degree of self-efficacy andoptimism. The way to plug any knowledge gap is to read voraciously on the subject matter and the way to plug any experiencegap is to volunteer for as many assignments as possible so as to shorten the learning cyle by increasing the complexity and depthof the experience.WenWen Qi TANClient Relations Associat
- How was your experience transiting from university to the workplace?- Was it smooth or difficult, why was it so? Describe the process to me Response:I would say it’s both smooth and difficult. During school days, it’s more about meeting assignments deadlines and mugging for exam. Once in awhile, I would meet 1 or 2 uncooperative project mates. However, it is more than just exams/assignments/projects in the workplace. As the nature of my work is 90% on handling customers, I have came across people from all woks of life. Not to mention the frequency in encountering difficult and nasty customers which I never would have experienced it in a university. It can be very depressing and demoralizing to deal with these people. Though the handling of customers is challenging, I’m glad that I have nice colleagues (most of them) to work with and in a way helps to mellow the stress while dealing with sh***s. Without them, I guess I wouldn’t have sustained till now. What was the toughest part? What would have made it better? Response: refer to response 1. Do you find it a different skillset from what you have learnt at university? Response: Yes, definitely. I have to learn to manage the people I work and deal with more intensively as compared to uni days. Was it a steep learning curve? Response: Well….quite a steep curve at the start but I have somehow gotten used to it. How did you overcome it? Response: Nice & helpful colleagues.