After working my first “real” summer job, I’m finding that the sheltered, idealistic atmosphere I’ve grown accustomed to throughout school is not a reality in the “real world.” I’ve realized some alarming truths while working this summer regarding how people handle situations, how to handle people, and how people will treat you. To give some context about where I’m coming from, I am working at a marina with about a dozen other college-age adults for a young business owner. The work is split up between the “dockhands” and the “office girls” which, our titles are not misleading, limits the guys to the hands-on boat work and the girls to indoor office work. As an incoming summer employee, I applied for this job because of I wanted to put my prior experience with boating and watersports to some good use. However, I quickly realized that sexism is not a myth and that, in the end, there is not much that you can control besides yourself in a workplace.
In any circumstance, it can be frustrating to be fully qualified for a task that you aren’t allowed to do especially watching someone else struggle to handle that task. I have found myself in that position pretty often this summer and it’s difficult to know how to handle it the right way. After my experience this summer, I’ve realized that there isn’t much I can do besides the work that is asked of me and the work I do is a reflection of myself. If my employer decides not to use his assets to their full potential, that is a reflection of him and his business not of me. Thus far, I have seen that a business’s downfalls begin to show. Aside from not using assets, every ungranted promise and white lie adds up. Perhaps the most valuable thing to take away from this type of experience is that, as a worker, don’t be discouraged by someone else’s shortcomings, expect to be held accountable for your own work. And one day, if you’re the boss of someone else, take accountability for how you handle others.
Although life doesn’t seem to always work out fairly, the best you can do is keep your good name in tact. The rest is out of your hands.
