From Campus to Career: Supporting First-Generation Professionals

The number of first-generation professionals (FGPs) in the workforce is increasing. FGPs are the first in their immediate families to complete college and enter professional employment. They bring valuable strengths to the workplace, including resilience, motivation, proactivity, and fresh perspectives. However, they often struggle to build the workplace relationships that are central to successful socialisation. This paper examines three main barriers they face. The first is financial and time constraints, which limit participation in informal social activities. The second is the pressure to code-switch in workplaces whose culture differs from their own. The third is a lack of practical knowledge about networking, often caused by limited exposure to professional environments. The paper then proposes strategies for organisations and universities. Organisations can involve managers in relationship-building, create carefully matched mentoring and reverse mentoring programmes, support employee resource groups, and offer cross-departmental collaboration. Universities can expand access to paid work experience, facilitate professional networking, embed career coaching in degree programmes, and strengthen students’ self-efficacy. These measures are most effective when they complement one another and do not add financial or time burdens. By making relationship-building an explicit part of education and employee development, institutions can help FGPs turn their strengths into lasting career success.