I graduated college in 2015, and am coming up on my five year anniversary of joining the workforce this summer. I’ve got a long way to go, but below are some of the lessons I’ve learned so far during my time in the workforce.
Don’t be a yes man, but say yes to opportunities
No one likes someone who nods their head to everything and refuses to challenge ideas, but the vast majority of my best workplace experiences have come from random times I responded yes to the question: “Does anyone want to help me do Y?”
I respect leaders who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable with their team
I have had leaders who are rah-rah 100% of the time and leave absolutely no room for realistic reflection on how things are going. Those people never inspire their teams to work hard or to weather difficult situations. The leaders who are willing to sit down, sigh, and tell you they’re having a difficult day, or that they don’t know the right answer, are the ones you’re willing to fight for.
The grass is not greener on the other side
I used to think that so many different companies sounded better than where I was working in that moment. Now, I believe that good roles and leaders exist everywhere. I worry that the majority of people desperate to join a shiny new company will find that there are less resources than promised, that the perks exist to cover up a bad culture, and that the job description is misleading. If you find a company with a good culture, stick with it, and find roles that align with your skills within the confines of that culture.
Work is more fun with friends
I was resistant at first to the idea of making friends at work. I already had friends. At both of my employers, it took at least a year to build strong relationships, and my perspective on each workday improved immeasurably once I had those friends in place. You spend far too much time working to not have personal relationships with your coworkers.
Circumstances change rapidly
In the space of a week I’ve gone from being miserable at work to enjoying it, from doing monotonous tasks to working on interesting projects. Don’t let yourself define your job by how a single week makes you feel. Take stock of your feelings and be patient.
Top performers are easily identifiable
In every group I’ve been a part of, I’ve been able to identify the top performers within the first couple of weeks. This is not because they are the loudest, most confident people on the team, but because they’re the ones everyone else seems to consult for help, advice and answers. The top performers are never the people laser-focused on just their own work.