Many of us are inclined to remember a lot of "firsts" in life: first kiss, first beer, first date, first car. And, of course, first job, especially the first job after graduating from college.
In most cases, that first job will not make you rich in the wallet, but could make you richer in wisdom. That's what happened to me: I became better schooled about the ways of business, how to play office politics, and how to work nicely with others. In contrast, I had a crappy salary, little spending cash, and had to get my parents to cosign a loan for a new car.
Those memories – as painful as they remain – came back when I read a post this week on the Career Rocketeer blog. The writer, Mario Schulzke, reinforced the point that learning is more important than earning at that first post-college job. His advice:
- Let the job help determine your future,
- Develop skills related to what you're passionate about, and,
- Build professional relationships that can help you advance your career.
That said, I'd like to get the perspectives of readers who've been out of college long enough to have at least a couple professional jobs on their resumes. What first-job experiences do you think are most important for those who just graduated this year? What do you think is the most important thing for them to learn from their first full-time job?
Please share your thoughts and post a comment below.
RELATED LINKS
New Grads: How to Prepare for Your First Interview
6 Job Networking Tips for New Grads
Meet Cori, a New Grad Facing Life after College
#1: Learn the culture of the job & environment - Culture in this case means the way things are done around the place. Stop, look and listen a lot. Better to ask then assume. Whether you think this job is a flash on your career path or the beginning of your dream job, the way you interact with what you find and how you interact is indicative of your success.
@ Edward -- Right! And if it's a culture you're not too crazy about, learn what you can and aim for a culture more to your liking when you look for your second job.
1. The first lesson learned as a new teacher was to be silent and absorb all the knowledge I could from veteran teachers. 2. Don't act as if I new everything coming out of a college. 3. Pray each day before my students entered the classroom.. 4. Learn to listen to the students. 5. Always remember that students remember how you treat them rather then what you say.
@ Lisa -- Good lessons! And they could be applied to just about any role! As someone who teaches a little, there's a lot of two-way value out of Nos. 4 and 5: Listen and you gain their trust. Treat them well and you gain their respect.
Thanks for dropping by!