11 Things You Need To Know About Your First “Real” Job

The highs and lows of starting your first “real” job. Learn how to transition into the working world without being blindsided.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt victimized by family members congratulating you on getting your ”first adult job”. I worked my butt off in several jobs before this, what do you mean by “first” job? You become so dedicated to correcting every mishap until it hits you …this really is different. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s possible to have a pleasant experience when starting your true career after college. If you’re not one of the lucky ones though, you may experience an intense wake-up call, also known as imposter syndrome, after celebrating your ascendance into adulthood. In an attempt to give you a more realistic transition into adulthood, here are 6 things I discovered and 5 key takeaways I learned as I began my first career after college.

6 Uncomfortable Truths I Discovered

5 Positive Key Takeaways

1. Your boss is just another coworker. I mean, sure, with capabilities to fire you, but don’t be afraid to initiate healthy banter. If you really want your boss to like you, be the person they want to come to when they need a moment to be themselves. You might just find your next bestie.

2. You’ll be challenged in many ways — mentally, emotionally, and maybe even physically. While this may seem like a con at first, consider it the ultimate professional and personal development course. Once you get through obstacles you never imagined, you’ll come to the realization that “maybe, you really can do this”. You can now rock it!

3. Even if you hate the job itself, value is all around you. Sign yourself up for everything within your capacity, even if it’s outside of your comfort zone. It may seem intimidating at first but the more you volunteer for those speaking engagements and get in the room with leadership, the more likely it is that you’ll become one of the most well-versed employees at your company who can handle anything and everything. By the time you land your next job, you’ll be comfortable, confident, and ready to steal the show.

4. It’s your first job. While advice from your parents, older friends, and mentors is valid, you’ll soon realize that the professionalism hacks you’ve been taught all your life may not be as important as they seem. Of course, you should always have your own boundaries of how casual you’ll allow yourself to be in a workplace but lean into the fact that you’re growing. You’ll have moments where you say the wrong thing, say nothing at all, and have disputes, and/or major setbacks. This is just the beginning though so, laugh it off, and get back to learning.

5. It’s okay to have real moments. As a first gen, the way I carry myself has always had to be important. It took this very humbling transition into the working world and an open door from my boss to learn that 9 times out of 10, you can be honest — even when the truth isn’t pretty. More times than not, your boss will need a reason bigger than your honesty to make them want to fire you. In fact, having such a real open line of communication was sometimes the only thing that motivated me to keep trying.

It’s safe to say that starting your career is a major transition. Every. Thing. Changes. Starting your career after college is going to test you, sway you, and teach you things about yourself you never knew were there. Instead of allowing the first job in your career path to defeat you, try to soak up as much value as you can and make the most of it. Once you feel like you’ve gotten all the experience you can, start interviewing so you can apply your knowledge elsewhere; move up and out. Either way, make sure you have an end date set in mind from the very beginning. Your first job doesn’t have to be your forever job. Set up healthy boundaries for yourself and I promise you’ll look back in awe of all you’re doing and have accomplished. Now get off the bench and into the arena!

Comment Below: When thinking about your first career, what advice or fears would you share?