5 things to take away from your first job

1.    Teamwork - Teamwork is not something that can be taught.

Our first jobs either showed us the preferred characteristics of a high-functioning team or the areas of growth needed for low-functioning teams. Maybe you worked in a high-paced restaurant, learning that working together is the only way to get things done. You could have even worked on a big sales team, which created the need for constant communication. Even if you decided that maybe you need a career with more solo projects, that experience is valuable and crucial to your success.

2.    Conflict Management - Conflict is inevitable.

Your first job was probably littered with life lessons and taught you so much about confronting issues with guests, co-workers, and event management. Maybe you were a barista, and you had a regular who needed her coffee just right. Perhaps two co-workers needed someone to step in a deescalate things. Conflict management isn’t an easy thing to do, and sometimes it can become second nature if you’ve been doing it for a while. Think about how that translates into your position now.

3.    Communication - Communication is an essential part of your work environment!

Although you most likely didn’t think much of company culture when you first began, communication is a huge part of how you fit into your company’s values and workflow. If you were a dog walker, you probably had to let your client know what days worked for you, if you were going to be late, and express any concerns you had about the dog. Do you think your communication in your current workplace is better or worse than in your first job? Why do you think that is?

4.    Time Management - There’s only so much time in one day!

I don’t know about you, but I was a freshman in high school when I was hired as a cashier. There were so many things we had to worry about, and job on top of all that! Guess what? That still applies to you today! You still must make sure you get to work on time, complete things by their respective deadline, and make sure everything else in your life isn’t completely falling apart. People with good time management are practically superheroes! So don’t sell yourself short. 

5.    Adaptability - Being Adaptable helps you add value to your work environment.

Part-time jobs are notorious for the element of change. You no doubt helped your supervisors in more than one by just being yourself. It could have been that some people on your team at McDonald’s or Wendy’s were sick and you had to adjust. Just as well, staffs grow and shrink, rolling with the punches is no easy feat!

Remind yourself of all your Invisible superpowers and know you are a great asset to your team. Learning doesn’t stop at any specific time or place. You have the capacity to expand these skills and learn new ones all the time. Recognize your own growth and be proud of yourself.

A career should be something where you feel excited about! If you ever feel like your talents and skills are at a standstill where you are, don’t be afraid to grow somewhere else.