Be Hungry But Be Humble
Your first job will not be your last unless you are a magical unicorn. In which case, contact me. Because I like unicorns.
When I first started out, I was hungry. I wanted a bigger, better job and I wanted it now. I was a fine administrative assistant but I could have been stellar. There’s a particular kind of boredom that comes with a job that you could do in your sleep. People will say that you have to put in your dues but it’s more than that.
At your first job, you are learning how to function in a corporate environment. You are learning how to show up every day on time and wear the right clothes and nod when your boss assigns you a task that you have no idea how to accomplish. Yes, you can copy. Or send emails. Or use Outlook. But what do you do when your boss and your boss’ boss have conflicting instructions? How do you prioritize your work? How do you stay focused for four hours at a time when you used to fall asleep in classes that lasted an hour? You will learn these things at your first job.
You will learn how to master things you never knew could be so detailed. There are 17 steps to scan and send an electronic document. Trust me. You will learn these things. And then you will apply them to your next job. It’s like your intro math class. It’s all connected and you need to be hungry and still humble.
Each job will get you closer to your dream job. They don’t have to be perfect but they have to be on the right path. If you’re in the woods, you might get there or you might get lost and have to eat your own leg to survive. Don’t be that guy. (Or girl.)
Find your passion. Find the thing you’d do if nobody paid you. Find the thing you’re crazy good at and love doing. This thing will change. Follow it. You spend 40+ hours a week at work. You do not want to do this while hating every second spent typing TPS reports.
Find the company that gets you. Make them hire you. You may love suits or you may want free soda all day long. Find the company that allows you to be the best professional version of yourself.
Run away if anybody ever asks you how you handle stress. You are an adult. You have managed to pay your bills on time and get to the interview and somehow you actually brushed your teeth this morning. No business but a sweatshop would ask you how you handle stress. You can find another job that will not place unrealistic expectations on you.
Trust your gut. Ask questions. You have a right to know if they have a 401k and how good their healthcare is. If the office is poorly kept up, it is a red flag and you should run before you get buried in the basement.
No job is perfect. We all have days where we want to read Buzzfeed for six hours and drink the free coffee. But those days shouldn’t be every day. Have the courage keep asking for more and don’t let anyone bully you into accepting less. Keep learning on your own time. Meet deadlines. Use every opportunity presented to you and turn it into something stellar. You never know where your career might lead.
Be hungry, but be humble.