“透視領導力”（The Leadership Insider）是一個在線社區，商界最睿智、最有影響力的大佬會在這里及時回答一些有關職場和領導力的問題。今天的問題是：你對初入職場的大學畢業生有什么建議？回答者是美國農業合作社藍多湖公司的首席運營官貝絲?福特。

大學畢業意味著人生迎來巨大變化。畢業意味著你要從與世隔絕的象牙塔步入現實世界。你很可能會感到前路迷茫，壓力山大。我也有過這些感受。對此我的建議是，勇敢面對壓力，轉化為推動自己前進的動力。

以下是我從職場生涯中吸取的四個教訓：

甘做一線工作

剛畢業應該找一線工作，不要想著去總部?？赡芤痪€的工作沒有總部那么光鮮，但你可以借機從基層開始熟悉業務，了解客戶。這段時間的收獲對你以后的事業發展價值巨大。

職業生涯之初，我在倉庫做過夜班主管，運營一艘油輪，還在駁船碼頭干過。這些都不是剛畢業的理想工作。但通過這些經歷，我學會了如何當主管負責一攤業務，學會如何在面臨挑戰或者枯燥乏味時激勵自己和團隊成員。如今盡管已當上高管，我仍然能運用當初學到的技巧整合各業務單位，為推動公司發展貢獻力量。

鍛煉頭腦，不要只想升職

如果能平級調動或是有接觸新知識的轉崗機會，一定要抓住。不要只在本專業鉆研學習。要對知識保持好奇心，可能為你帶來想象不到的良機。

這些年，我曾在六個看似截然不同的領域工作，包括能源、包裝消費品、出版、化工、食品生產和農業綜合產業。之所以能頻繁跨界，正是因為我總是渴望嘗試新行業。

保持耐心

不管你喜不喜歡，職業生涯中都會經歷坎坷和失敗。每次挫折都會讓你學到經驗教訓。把挫敗視為學習的經歷。別僅僅因為自我感覺不夠好，就想著逃離當前的工作。正視自己的工作，不要過于擔心會老死在某個崗位上。

為經營人脈投入

良好的人際關系會可以營造好聲譽，通常會幫你找到好機會。職業生涯之初能積攢的一大寶貴財富就是職場的人脈。所以，花時間和同行真正搞好關系，不要一味競爭。不要陷入零和游戲的思維怪圈，記住，同事成功未必意味著你會損失。

關鍵是要保持積極向上，相互配合的工作關系。誰知道職業道路上會碰到什么曲折？沒準現在的同事以后會成為你創業的合作伙伴，未來的顧客或者客戶。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審稿：夏林

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question, “What advice do you have for college graduates entering the workforce?” is written by Beth Ford, chief operating officer at Land O’Lakes.

Graduating from college is a big adjustment. It’s the time in your life when you have to trade in your insulated, academic environment for the real world. It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about what your future holds. I remember having all of these feelings. My advice is to embrace and use them for motivation.

Here are four other lessons I’ve learned from my time in the working world:

Take a field job

Now is the time to take a field job and not a role at headquarters. It might be less glamorous, but you will gain a wealth of firsthand insights and knowledge about business and customers at the ground level. This education will be invaluable as your career progresses.

At the beginning of my career, I worked as a night warehouse leader and ran a tanker and barge dock—roles you certainly don’t dream about at graduation. Through each of these jobs, though, I learned about myself as a manager and leader, and gained skills in how to motivate both myself and my teams through challenging and sometimes boring situations. Now, in a senior leadership role, I still use these skills to connect the dots across business units for the overall benefit of the company.

Build your brain, not your titles

Be open to lateral moves and opportunities that allow you to keep learning. Don’t just focus on your area of expertise or education. Being intellectually curious might offer opportunities that you previously hadn’t considered.

Over the years, I have worked across six seemingly different industries, including energy, consumer packaged goods, publishing, chemicals, food production, and agribusiness. My opportunities in each of these sectors came from my own desire to try working in new fields.

Stay patient

Whether you like it or not, throughout your career you will have bumps and failures. You’ll learn something from each of them. Treat each setback as a learning experience. Don't decide to step off the career path you’re on just because you feel like you're not good enough. Embrace whatever position you’re in and don't get too worried that you'll be stuck in one place forever.

Invest in your network

Good relationships lead to good reputations, and often great opportunities. One of the most valuable assets you can have early in your career is your professional network. So take time to truly connect—not just compete—with your peers. Don’t fall prey to a zero-sum mentality: A win for a colleague doesn’t necessarily mean a loss for you.

Maintaining positive, collaborative working relationships is critical. Who knows what twists and turns your career will take? Sometimes current colleagues become business partners, customers, or clients down the road.