Like many other college students, I travel home for the summer and pick up a summer job in order to save a little money for the upcoming year. I have been fortunate to have been offered many jobs each summer during college. Throughout my time in college, I have had many, very different summer jobs. I have worked at a fast food restaurant, at an attorney’s office, at a bank, at a drive-in movie theater, and at a minor league baseball stadium. Even though each job is very different, I have learned many lessons that I will be able to take with me into my future career.
What has my summer job taught me?
Love where you work.
This is so, so, so important. When we finally grow up and graduate college and become real adults with real jobs, we need to love where we are. More importantly, we need to recognize when we don’t love our jobs and have the courage to leave them and find a position better suited for you. I frequently hear my co-workers talk about hating their jobs, and I am baffled at how you can stay in a job you hate for 20-30 years. I would never wish that on anyone. So, my advice is find a job you love and stick with it, no matter how much it pays. Happiness always outweighs money.
Get to know your co-workers.
In some of my positions, I have worked with people that are just so disinterested in creating real relationships with the people around them. I think this definitely leads to more frustration and negativity in the workplace. If you get to know your co-workers personally and professionally, you are more likely to not only work well with them, but to also enjoy yourself while working. Invest yourself in those around you.
Make the most out of every situation.
Even jobs you love can make you frustrated sometimes. Everyone has bad days. Don’t let the bad days create a bad life. Make the most out of every situation you find yourself in. You made a mistake? Forgive yourself, correct it, and move on. There’s no point dwelling on problems beyond your control. Try your hardest at everything you do, but don’t let your mistakes snowball into full-blown problems.
Laugh at least once a day.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to laugh and that I make myself laugh, a lot. You need to laugh frequently. Learn to laugh at your own silly mistakes. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Find a co-worker you can laugh with. Whether you’re telling jokes or sharing funny stories or just enjoying each other’s company, it is very important to take some breaks out of your day to smile and laugh. There is absolutely no way to be angry or sad or frustrated when you’re laughing. So, if you’re having a bad day, force yourself to laugh, and soon you won’t have to force it anymore.
Once we begin our careers, we will have to work in some job or another for many, many, many years to come. Why spend those years miserable? If you remember these couple pieces of advice, you won’t ever hate your job. I don’t know about you, but I don’t aspire to be miserable in my future position, especially if I’m putting in 4 years of work now in order to get a job when I graduate. I intend to live life fully and to have a job where I don’t feel like I need a vacation just to get through the year. I hope you find that job too. If you find yourself in a job where you feel like you need a vacation, I hope you have the courage to change your position in life. So, what did my summer job teach me? It taught me to strive for that dream job and to not settle for anything less than where I’m supposed to be.
