There comes a time in your life when the phrase “This will be a great resume builder!” starts to creep into the corner of your mind regarding everything you do. Waiting on tables during the summer no longer cuts it, and the time inevitably comes when you have to throw on a blazer and rock that 9-to-5 job’s socks off. For just a short time, you get a taste of the real world (the good, the bad and the horrifically early), but it’s an all-important learning experience. Plus, it looks fantastic on a resume.
1. You
appreciate college 100 times more.
One class a day? Going out on a weeknight and staying out till 3 a.m.? Sleeping in? Naps??? Those things are all a myth in the real world and don't actually exist when you work a full-time job. Sorry.
2. Fridays
are (almost) as exciting as Christmas.
All week, you’ve been trucking along, busting out your standard 40-hour work week and dealing with all the dull jobs that no one else wants to be bothered with — all while rocking the business casual “I have my life together” look even though you most certainly don’t (but hey, no one has to know that). Then Friday rolls around, and suddenly, it’s 10 times more exciting than it’s ever been before. No 6 a.m. wake up the following morning, and you can kiss your bedtime goodbye (well, until Sunday night that is) because it's time to kick back and relax.
3. You become a morning person.
If you weren’t a morning person before, you certainly are now. Or you’ve had enough coffee to caffeinate a small nation and are wired out of your mind. Either way, you’re wide awake and ready to take whatever underwhelming task comes your way with a smile.
4. Pay your dues without complaint.
Speaking of underwhelming tasks, you learn to pay your dues and work your butt off. Everyone started from the very same place you did, so chin up and keep working! Plus, no one likes a complainer, so be sure to put a cork in it any time you want to whine about how bored you are.
5. Speaking up for yourself is crucial.
The only way to learn anything is to ask. Despite the fact that they might seem moderately intimidating, your bosses won’t bite. Don’t be shy, and feel free to fire away and ask as many questions as you please.
6. Coffee is king.
If you could pump it into your body through an IV, you would. Five days in a row of early mornings, long commutes and eight-hour workdays leave you feeling like extra on "The Walking Dead," and your options are limited to chugging coffee like it's water or collapsing from pure exhaustion on top of the photocopier. Personally, I’d pick the coffee.
7. You finally understand the importance of bedtimes.
The whole “bedtimes are for babies” mentality you had when you were 12 is long gone, and you would give up both your thumbs and a leg or two just to crawl into bed at 8:00 p.m.
8. You’re constantly asking yourself why nap time isn’t a thing.
Irony is a cruel, cruel thing, isn’t it? Back in the day when nap time was enforced by your parents, you fought it with every fiber of your being. Now, you would fall asleep on top of your keyboard if you got the chance. But of course that would be “unprofessional” and “frowned upon,” so that’s clearly not an option. More coffee it is then!
9. Even though it was tough, it was completely worth it.
There were days when you wanted to hang up your blazer, trade your dress pants for jeans and call it quits. And there were days when you loved every second of it and never wanted your internship to end. You met amazing people, learned more about what you wanted to do with the rest of your life and racked up some killer references. Plus, for all your hard work, you got to add another line to the all important resume. Talk about a successful summer!
