What Should You Really Look for in Your First Job
It’s not just a job, it’s a new chapter in your life.
In the final year of college, everyone gets obsessed with landing a high-paying job with a bright career path. Truth? Only a handful of people get those jobs and they may not even like it in the end.
While all the posts discussing how you should choose your first job remains insightful and valuable, in this post we’ll discuss specifically how to choose a job that goes well with your new chapter in life — what to do after you leave school?
1. Don’t let your degree defines you. Try out different areas.
An English degree doesn’t mean you have to be a copywriter. If you did a business degree but miss your days writing for the school magazine, try taking up a marketing role. Or better, choose a company that allows you to try out new things, a company that doesn’t judge you by your resume but your personality and your willingness to learn.
Upon graduation I have joined a food & beverages company and have worked at departments like procurement and data analytics. My background? A literature degree. It works out fine as I’m cool with trying out new things. And believe me it’s fun when you get to do something different once in a while.
Besides, school is just 20 years of schooling with a curriculum. There are still decades of learning which don’t appear in the form of books, essays or lectures but in the form of wisdom-sharing and on-the-job training.
2. Time allocated isn’t necessarily proportional to its significance.
How much free time do you get once you start working full-time? Let’s do the math. Supposed you have a 9–6 job (8 hours), have a regular sleeping habit (7 hours), eat 3 meals (2.5 hours), commute (1.5 hours), spend time on getting dressed/brushing teeth/bathing (1.5 hours). That’s 20.5 hours in your 24-hour day already.
8.0 hours — Work
7.0 hours — Sleep
2.5 hours — Eat
1.5 hours — Commute
1.5 hours — Get ready for work/ Get ready for bed
_______________________________________________
20.5 hours in total!
And I haven’t included the chores! How are you going to have sufficient time for your friends and family, your hobby and passion, and your exercising routine? There’s only 3.5 hours of free time everyday?
The trick is, remind yourself that these 3.5 hours are just as important as your 8 hours of work, if not more so. Don’t fall for the thinking that “I have just started my career, I must spend all my time at work and accelerate my career!”
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
You deserve your magical 3.5 hours after a long day. Go watch a movie, have a good meal with your friends, or get started on your pet project! These things keep you alive, keep you energized, and keep you feeling loved.
3. Stop being obsessed with the “dream job”.
Everyone thinks there is a perfect job somewhere — whether it’s working at Google, at an investment bank, or at a consulting firm, but the Best Places to work aren’t necessarily the best place for fresh graduates to start with. If Google is your dream place, read Jessica Powell’s story on how she left her job at Google to have a productive and fruitful year in life.
Besides job prestige and career prospect, take the following into consideration when finding your first job: working hours, stress level, its people, culture and location. The job that keeps you healthy and sustainable in the long run is a good one.
Your first job may not be your only job in life, but it’s the job that supports your transition from studying full-time and being around friends of your age all-the-time, to working full-time and being surrounded by colleagues from all backgrounds. So don’t just think about money and prestige, think of it as a good foundation for years of work and adventure to come.
Happy job hunting and good luck!
