Your First Job Matters: How Early Employment Shapes Your Career Life
My first official job was as a receptionist for a close family friend. I was 19 years old and loved how grown up having a job made me feel. My second one was also for a family member; this time, I was a swim instructor for kindergartners.
I loved working these two jobs, but since they were for 'family," it meant I had to give my all every time and understand if the pay was late.
Looking back, I realise how much my first jobs impacted my approach to work. These jobs may have been small, but the lessons I learned from them were significant. They shaped my work ethic, my values, and my perspective on what a career should be.
Here are the three ways I have found they have shaped my career life
Working Hard Was the Goal
The first and most important lesson I learned was the value of hard work. You want to make a good impression when you're just starting out in the workforce. You want to prove that you're capable and competent.
When working for a family member or friend, you understand that your actions reflect on them. This means you must be reliable and trustworthy, even when the payment is late, or the work is difficult.
I had to always be dependable.
The dark side
Up until 2019, I used to go over and beyond to do my work. I would wake up at 4:00 am on Sundays because there was a task I didn't complete. I quickly realised that riding this hard did not have the payoff I thought it would. Deadlines would still not be met because the boss didn't like a magazine cover, they were out of town for the weekend, or they didn't have the time. These days I DON'T work Sundays. My motto is anything that can be done on Sunday can easily wait till Monday.
You can be paid for potential
Both potential and experience come into play when being considered for a job. The only difference is that experience earns you more.
The dark side
I am good at my job but bad at being compensated. When I love a project, I over-commit. I overgive. I over-stretch. So if someone was to tell me, "I will sort you next week", as long as I had my basic needs met, I wouldn't complain.
This was learnt when working with the family. You don’t demand payment. You wait for it. I have unfortunately carried this to my other jobs. This means that I never just get full compensation when I leave a job. I am trying very hard to shake this. I plan to never get in this fix again and if I do I will use every avenue available to me to get paid my dues.
Passion rules all
The third lesson I learned from my first job was the importance of passion. As a young adult, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I learned to quit when I didn't find the job enjoyable and move on to other bigger and better things. It meant being willing to take risks, try new things, and be open to opportunities that aligned with my values and interests.
The dark side
You may be underpaid or have long durations of unemployment that your family may need help understanding. Sometimes your passions don't have the potential to bring in the dough.
I am at that point in my career where I can pick and choose the culture I want to embrace and move forward with. I have embraced both the good and the bad. The good shows me the things I need to replicate continuously. The dark side of my lessons is things I am actively working on.
If you're just starting your career, I encourage you to take the lessons from your first jobs to heart. Remember that hard work and dependability are essential for success and that passion drives job satisfaction. But make sure that those three don’t get you overworked, underpaid, and undervalued.
No matter what your career goals are, make it count!
ISSUE 7 of The Kalahari Report is Out!!!
Happy Women's day. What a great day to publish our first woman issue. This issue was influenced by WHO'S 2023 Theme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. Hope you like it.
Read The Kalahari Report here!
What we are loving This week
Youtube Channel: How I Got Out Of Poverty And Bad Debt
In this Youtube post, Susan Wanjiku, founder of the Legacy Hub (a platform for personal finance, business coaching and personal development), talks about how changing your mindset can propel you to financial freedom.
What We Love: Very relatable Financial Literacy content told in simple, actionable steps.