More than Just Money: Lessons Learned At My First Job

I applied for the job on a Tuesday.  That Thursday I was interviewed, and by Saturday I was hired.  In the span of one week, I went from an unemployed college student to a part-time sales associate at an upscale women’s boutique.  Sounds great, right?

For the most part, it really is.  I’m glad to be working and – let’s be honest – seeing those deposits in my bank account every other week is pretty damn satisfying.  But in the month since I was hired, I’ve learned that there’s a lot more to being employed than working hard and getting a paycheck.  Here’s a list of a few things I’ve picked up since going from “student” to “working student” – who knows, they may just come in handy when you land your first job.

1. Expect the unexpected.

My job is to keep the store neat, help customers try on clothes, and (with luck) make a sale.  Pretty straight forward.  Not much else can happen in a small, upscale retail store, right?

Wrong. So, so wrong.

One week into my job, the toilet in the employee bathroom exploded (okay, so it didn’t so much “explode” as it did “backup”), leaking water onto the floor and sending me on a desperate run to Safeway for a mop.  A few days later, the steamer overflowed and sent boiling water through three dressing rooms (luckily, we now had a mop).  I’ve had printers break, computers freeze, and lights that refused to turn on no matter how many times I flicked the switch. 

The point is, you never know for sure what you’re going to face each day.  The trick is to keep calm and handle each situation as best as you can (and if all else fails, call the manager).

2. You will have to work with unpleasant people.

Three of my four co-workers are incredibly friendly people.  We divide the cleaning tasks to save time.  We help each other navigate the towering shelves of the back room.  We spend our downtime chatting and time passes quickly.

Then comes Co-Worker #4.

She gives curt, dead-end answers when I attempt small talk and spends her entire shift glued to her iPhone.  We pass our eight-hour shifts in near silence.  In short:  working with her is downright miserable.

No matter what your first job may be, chances are you’re going to have to work with people like this.  Sometimes there’s nothing more you can do than try to stay optimistic, do what you can to pass the time, and breathe a huge sigh of relief when your shift with her ends.

3. Work Takes Time.

Having a job has (of course) made me much, much busier.  Instead of spontaneously getting lunch or dinner with friends, I have to plan it out a few days in advance (yes, this really sucks).  I’ve fallen behind on watching my favorite TV shows, and almost never get to sleep in as long as I’d like.

Still, learning to manage time effectively is an extremely valuable skill that all of us, at some point or another, are going to have to learn.  It also makes you way more appreciative of the free time you do have.  Trust me, staying up late and eating Bronco with your friends is suddenly a lot more enjoyable because hey –  you could be working instead.

4. You Will Have To Ask For Help.

Nobody enjoys feeling like they have no idea what they’re doing.  Well, I’m sorry to say it, but you will find yourself in this position many times during your first weeks at a new job.  Even if you were trained your first couple of days on the job it’s much harder to remember which button to click when and what receipts go in what order when a customer is standing in front of you.

So what do you do?  You ask for help.

If you’re not sure how to do something, it’s better to swallow your pride and ask clarifying questions than it is to finish a task and realize you’ve done it totally wrong.  It’s not easy, and it’s not fun, but things will improve over time. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Learn From Your Mistakes.

During my first few weeks of working, I made so many little mistakes that I was sure my boss was going to hand me a pink slip at any moment.  But there really wasn’t much more for me to do than grit my teeth and keep learning.  My goal became to never make the same mistake twice, and so far I’ve been pretty successful.

More than just learning from mistakes, you have to be ready to own up to them. If you mess up:  don’t freak out.  Acknowledge it, figure out what you did wrong, and learn exactly how not to repeat it in the future.  As long as you’ve got that down, there’s nothing more you can really ask of yourself.

Like I said before, I know I’m lucky to have a job.  I also know that I’ll probably never have an easier time getting one than I did this time around.  With that in mind, I’m glad to have learned so much so quickly, and figure the more experience I get, the better.  Is that worth having to watch the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother a day late?  Yeah, I think it is.

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