Five Lessons About The Entire Career That Your First Job Can Teach You

Most likely, your first job won’t be your dream job. However, that’s not bad. Your first job is still extremely important, regardless of how crappy it can be. It can teach you a number of lessons that you may use throughout your entire career.

Lessons You Can Learn from Your First Job

You Are Expendable

With few exceptions, you can be easily replaced, no matter how many skills you have. Remember, if you leave your job, someone will come to your place and it is possible that they will do this job even better than you are doing. So, instead of thinking that you’re irreplaceable, better strive to become valuable – do the job you have to do and be responsible.

Relations with People Are Important

It is not enough just to work hard; you also need to grow and develop new skills through communication. Your first job is a great chance to make connections and build a job network. You need to demonstrate your respectful attitude to your bosses, colleagues and customers, and mind your manners. Be nice and say thank you. Learn to work in a team and treat everyone well.

Culture is Very Important Too

You can like or dislike your boss, but what you should definitely put up with is your company culture. Even if you do not like the job you are doing, you should feel good and encouraged at the workplace. And vice versa, if you work at a wonderful and comfortable place, but the atmosphere is terrible and full of harsh critique, you will neither like it nor do it well. At your first job, you can feel it all on your own experience and see which atmosphere is favorable for you and which is not.

Almost Any Job Can Help Your Career

Even if your first job is not related to your major at all, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it. Remember that each of your jobs is the small step to your dream job. It teaches you some good skills, helps create a job network and of course gives some cash to pay the bills. It can be hard to figure out what an exact job can give you, but when you actually begin working, you will figure out what it is.

Know When It’s Time to Quit

You should be able to see it when you have taken everything you needed from a job. When this happens, you ought to quit and find the job that will contribute to your further growth – personal, professional, financial or any other. So, keep an eye on the warning signs (you can start hating your boss and stop standing to do the work anymore) and try not to miss the moment when it is time to leave. Analyze your reaction after leaving. If you feel happy and relieved about it, then that was a right thing to do.