Things you wish you knew before you started working

[Polarbears]

Some people on MCM are working people in the everyday world, and I was hoping to get some tips and the do's and dont's for applying and working in general. If you experienced anything that could help others, drop it below since I'll be looking for a job soon.

 

[PradyXT]

Some people on MCM are working people in the everyday world, and I was hoping to get some tips and the do's and do not's for applying and working in general. If you experienced anything that could help others, drop it below since I'll be looking for a job soon

Find a job where you can socialize and your co-workers are like friends. I don't have a job but in my opinion, it's a must.

 

[Polarbears]

Find a job where you can socialize and your co-workers are like friends. I don't have a job but in my opinion, it's a must.

Yeah, I would hate to sit alone in a cubical all day. Thanks!

 

[Polarbears]

REDACTED

Good point, I wouldn't want to be unhappy every day just going to work

 

[Annie S.]

Actually, regarding the "do something you're passionate about and you'll never work a day in your life" mindset... It's important to do something that you can find fulfillment in, of course, but you also have to realize that sometimes you're going to not want to do what your work is asking of you, and that your job might not be your number one passion in life, and that that's okay.

My passion is game design, but I ended up going into writing and rhetoric (which I do also love) because where I was raised, liberal arts was at least a little bit more socially acceptable than "Doing Video Games". I spent a lot of time wrangling with the crippling anxiety that I was in the wrong field because some days I got so exhausted of writing, so obviously that meant that I wasn't passionate about it. In the 7 years I've worked freelance / as a copy-/technical writer in tech companies, I was miserable even though I was doing something that I usually liked, because I kept feeling like I was wasting my life not doing The Thing I Was Most Passionate About.

tldr Sometimes work sucks but it's not because you're in the wrong field - and even if it is, don't feel like you have to get out immediately or get sucked into years of passionless, dead-end drudgery. Now, I've graduated uni and am in a stable financial situation because I pushed myself to do things that weren't necessarily my number 1 passion, so I have good amounts of free time to focus on actually learning the things that I want to do.

---
Anyways,other things that I hope y'all keep in mind:
- You can't please everyone and other peoples' emotions are not your responsibility- if I could get back the time and energy I wasted trying to do so... oh boy
- It's so different from school. You're really expected to pull your own weight and stay organized without any prompting from anyone else, so start learning those skills while you're still in school
- You are tiny and there is no rush, your career is important but it is not everything in your life
- If you have a good / amiable relationship with your family, don't forget them in lieu of rushing to get to the next promotion
- Be aware of your own limits, boundaries and mental health, no job is worth compromising those things

As for applying, it depends on what kind of job you're applying for. If you need a resume, feel free to look at the resume service in my sig; if you just need advice, feel free to strike up a convo with me over Discord or PMs ;P

 

[Polarbears]

Actually, regarding the "do something you're passionate about and you'll never work a day in your life" mindset... It's important to do something that you can find fulfillment in, of course, but you also have to realize that sometimes you're going to not want to do what your work is asking of you, and that your job might not be your number one passion in life, and that that's okay.

My passion is game design, but I ended up going into writing and rhetoric (which I do also love) because where I was raised, liberal arts was at least a little bit more socially acceptable than "Doing Video Games". I spent a lot of time wrangling with the crippling anxiety that I was in the wrong field because some days I got so exhausted of writing, so obviously that meant that I wasn't passionate about it. In the 7 years I've worked freelance / as a copy-/technical writer in tech companies, I was miserable even though I was doing something that I usually liked, because I kept feeling like I was wasting my life not doing The Thing I Was Most Passionate About.

tldr Sometimes work sucks but it's not because you're in the wrong field - and even if it is, don't feel like you have to get out immediately or get sucked into years of passionless, dead-end drudgery. Now, I've graduated uni and am in a stable financial situation because I pushed myself to do things that weren't necessarily my number 1 passion, so I have good amounts of free time to focus on actually learning the things that I want to do.

---
Anyways,other things that I hope y'all keep in mind:
- You can't please everyone and other peoples' emotions are not your responsibility- if I could get back the time and energy I wasted trying to do so... oh boy
- It's so different from school. You're really expected to pull your own weight and stay organized without any prompting from anyone else, so start learning those skills while you're still in school
- You are tiny and there is no rush, your career is important but it is not everything in your life
- If you have a good / amiable relationship with your family, don't forget them in lieu of rushing to get to the next promotion
- Be aware of your own limits, boundaries and mental health, no job is worth compromising those things

As for applying, it depends on what kind of job you're applying for. If you need a resume, feel free to look at the resume service in my sig; if you just need advice, feel free to strike up a convo with me over Discord or PMs ;P

Thanks so much for this Annie! Defiantly something I was looking for, and I needed to hear this. I can also see why your a writer.

 

[PixelexMC]

Just remember people are ass holes. Especially if you are going to be working in fast food. They don't see you as a person just someone who is supposed to get you your burger and fries.