Make Every Job Experience Count For Your Future Career
Job Experience Where?
Once you have a job, then what?
Well, you can work for a while then move on to the next job, right?
Yes, and no.
One mistake a lot of young people make is jumping from job to job looking for more money, better hours or nicer people. It's understandable. You get tired of making minimum wage after a while. And no one likes dealing with difficult managers or co-workers.
But you should do it anyway.
Why?
Let's see:
We'll get the eye roll inducing stuff out of the way first -
Job Experience builds character
This means that you learn how to be patient, handle conflict and all of those skills that you will need later in your career. No matter what you do and where you work!
It looks impressive on a resume.
Yes, employers care about your ability to stick it out on the job. If you quit at the first sign of trouble, it's tough for a new employer to trust that you'll still be around in a year.
Now, on to the good stuff.
It improves your income.
This might sound like baloney, but it's not. The best way to get pay increases is to keep a job for a period of six months or more. And then, when you do move on, you're more likely to start at a higher wage because you've proven you can be trusted to stay put a while.
What if your managers or co-workers are a total pain?
People are not always fun to deal with. If you have co-workers who slack and make you pick up the pace so the work gets done, find subtle ways of making it clear to your manager who is doing the work. But, remember that they probably notice more than you realize.
If it's a manager who's difficult to deal with, all you can do is tough it out when you work with that person. Once you are there for a while, you might be able to ask not to work with that particular person.
The only exception is if the manager begins to physically or sexually harass you. Most employers have policies about these issues which tell you how to handle them if they come up.
How long should you keep a job?
Depending on when you begin working, stay at least a year. You don't have to work full-time, just work.
What else?
Your attendance matters.
Show up and do the job. Keep the best attitude you can each day. We all have off days, so don't worry if you have one or two. But you should treat others as you want to be treated.
Don't abuse your privileges.
That's a great way to lose them. If you get free food, for instance, take only what you can eat. If you get a discount on products, use it wisely and don't secretly give it to friends when they come shopping.
Give proper notice before you quit.
Even working fast-food, this matters. It shows respect for your managers and for the job itself. So, when you know you are ready to move on, give a two-weeks notice and work that two weeks as though it were any other. In other words, show up and do the job well.
Working can be fun when you are a teenager and young adult. It can also set a strong foundation for your career success later.
It's up to you to make the most of every job experience.
