7 Lessons From the World of Work
What I wish I knew back then
4 years ago I was a shy, young grad about to enter the world of work with no idea what lay ahead of me. I had no book to read, no website to go to, no idea what I was about to get myself into. These are the habits I wish I cultivated early, the tips I wish someone had shared with me as I unknowingly entered the most testing time of my life.
So these are my gift to you, wherever you are.
I’ll cut to the chase. Work is a scary prospect. You’ve gone from the comfort of university to now being deemed capable enough to add value into the big wide world. It’s a daunting prospect but one full of pretty cool stuff if you get it right.
1. Self-awareness, self-awareness, self-awareness
I feel that the simplicity of life is just being yourself. — Bobby Brown
When you enter the office on day one, it‘s easy to put on a face that fits. To start talking like you think you should be talking, to change your mannerisms and habits to fit in with what you think the status quo is. This is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs. Who you are and what you care about is why they hired you in the first place and if they don’t like who you actually are, then it won’t work in the long run anyway. You might as well cut your losses now.
Don’t start using fancy words because you’ve heard someone else say them and you think that’s what you’re supposed to say. The only thing you are meant to do is be unapologetically yourself. No masks, just you.
If you start your career by pretending you are something you are not you’ll fast become someone you don’t want to be or don’t recognise. You’ll find yourself 10 years down the line in a job you hate with people surrounding you who have no idea who you are.
In a nutshell:
How do you be good at being yourself? Well, do what you’d usually do, say what you’d normally say, ask the questions that are swirling around in your head without fear of what people will think. Forget where you are, forget this idea of being a ‘professional’, be you. It’s the best way to find happiness in work.
