As the fall approaches and the first traces of this fine season begin to appear (Halloween decorations and Pumpkin Spice lattes in August?), you begin to wonder where your summer has gone. Maybe you spent your summer catching rays on the beach, satisfying your wanderlust through travel to some exotic destination with your girl gang, or sifting through your Netflix queue and catching up on sleep. Whatever way you spent your summer, the chances are high that you’ll miss it when the first day of fall classes rolls around and you’re struggling to trudge up Mount Diffenbaugh to class and juggle 8 different tasks in varying levels of complexity, all on 2 hours of sleep.
I spent my summer at work. Not exactly glamorous or relaxing, I know, but a summer job is always a great way to gain a little work experience (and to build up your savings). While it is hard to find a perfect summer job that allows for a balanced schedule, a wealth of major-relevant work experience and maybe a bit of fun, I think that I came pretty close to nirvana.
I spent the summer in my hometown of Tampa at a new breakfast restaurant (naturally) called 18 Bagels Co. We sell a whopping 18 varieties of bagels (including an Oreo bagel with Oreo cream cheese, which I promise is just as good as it sounds). I was hired as a “brand ambassador”, and that’s where this crazy journey begins.
Waking up to the blaring alarm of the real world is not an easy transition; there are just some things that will be eternally frustrating, confusing and awkward. I spent much of my summer groggy and in various stages of confusion, but I got through it (with a little bit of help), and I realized a few things that you’ll learn over the course of your career and of your life.
Waking up early is a reality.
 As a morning person (yes, I know I’m in the minority), I knew this, but in the world of business, this is a hard truth. You WILL be expected to be alive at 8 am for meetings. So how do you adjust? How does one wake up earlier than 9:30 am? I’ve found that the best way to shake off the enticing layers of blankets and get up is to set incentives for yourself to look forward to in the morning. Treat yourself to Starbucks, or prep a yummy breakfast for the morning. I am a HUGE advocate of overnight oats, the ultimate Pinterest mom breakfast. Whatever it takes for you to get up and get going, know that your efforts to present the best and most alert and focused version of yourself at work won’t go unnoticed.
You can’t just clock in and clock out.
Do you ever find yourself counting the hours until your shift ends? Sometimes, we just have off days, but if you find that you constantly count the hours until quitting time, you may want to reevaluate your mindset. If you want your amazing work to be noticed, being a presence in your workplace is a must. Whether this means putting just a little more effort into your work, catching a little nap before work, or getting to know your coworkers more, your time at work is your time to shine- and to have a little bit of fun, too.
Workplace drama is very, very real.
Much like your relationship with your roommates, being in close proximity to anyone- let alone having to work with them for 4-8 hours- will come with some drama. It can be awkward to work with someone who’s not in a good mood or who isn’t happy with you for one reason or another, but the best way to handle drama is to ignore it, continue to do you, or if the situation calls for it, speak with your coworker. Chances are that any issues can be resolved just through a bit of a chat- it’ll save you a lot of stress. If a situation escalates to the point that you’re being prevented from doing your job well, talk to your supervisor- it will benefit everyone involved in the long run.
Initiative = Success
While this lesson looks like math, it’s actually a simple formula for every aspect of your life. If you mix in equal parts drive and passion, you’ll be successful in anything you do. Like choosing a major that you love, choosing to work for a company that you love will make coming to work easy. After you know what works for you in a work environment, the only problem is doing the research to find what’s right for you. Try searching for a company or a brand that you love, and fall down the rabbit hole- you never know what you’ll find.
Backstory, part 2. When I found 18 Bagels Co. on my umpteenth day of the job search, something clicked. I realized that working for a new company would be a challenge, but that it would also be an opportunity for personal and professional growth (and some dope bagels). After awkwardly being fifteen minutes late for my interview because of a mixture of a locked door and nervousness (a story for another time), I found a place for myself in a hectic, messy startup. As the summer ends and I sit in this fully- functioning establishment that’s on the fast track to becoming a Tampa staple, I can see the work I’ve done manifest itself- and it feels pretty awesome.Â
All pictures courtesy of Anne Marie Yatsula and 18 Bagels Co.