Like many people, I got my first job when I was 16 and it wasn’t anything special. I started out serving fries on weekends and over summers for minimum wage. It wasn’t a job I ever pictured myself having forever (even though I still work there on breaks), but I didn’t realize how much it would actually set me up for the “real world” and all the jobs and internships I’ll want to apply to after college. Here are five things first jobs teach you that you can take with you to the real world:
1. Patience
There’s something about being paid that really motivates me to keep my cool. Whether there are obnoxious kids in line, angry customers, or awful co-workers, I manage to keep my cool. This might be because “service with a smile” is the best way to get tips, or maybe it’s a product of the environment I’m in, but patience is key; not only in crumby first jobs, but in every job.
2. Teamwork
Whether you like people or not, there are very few jobs that include working completely by yourself. Whether you realize it or not, nearly every job involves teamwork. From assembly lines to food service to retail, you’re never working alone and knowing how to work with others is something every employer looks for.
3. Leadership
If you stay at any job long enough, you’ll start rising through the ranks in some way. Whether that means you’re asked to train new employees or they give you extra responsibilities and important positions. These little steps at work are where I started to develop myself as a leader.
4. Communication
I am and always will be a shy, awkward person, but I can say with confidence that I am nowhere near as shy and awkward as I was at 16. Perhaps being forced to talk to people for a paycheck has its benefits.
5. Problem-solving
From calming irate customers to learning how to do your job without that one thing you thought was vital to doing your job, you figured things out, and believe it or not, that’s a skill not everyone has.