After studying at university all year and returning home for the summer, I began working a 9-5 office job. I am stuck in a cubicle, organizing and filing papers while looking out through the nearest window hoping the day flies by. I now have a newfound appreciation for adults working at a classic office every day. While I spend only a few weeks of the summer stapling papers, some spend their entire employed life typing away on a computer. If you've ever worked an office job, then you know the struggles of...
1. Early mornings
As a college student, I could wake up as late as 10 pm on a weekday to get ready for class. For my office job, I rise with the sun and prepare for a long day of work. Unlike high school or college, each day is the same -- there are no late starts or different schedules. After only a few days, I realized my night owl bedtime was not feasible. Early mornings require early nights.
2. Traffic
My office job is in a big city and around an hour away. Traveling from the suburbs to downtown is a major drag. The “stop and go” traffic is inevitable, but especially aggravating early in the morning and after a long day at work. The road is full of people hoping to beat traffic and avoid arriving late to work, which leads to worse traffic and many accidents. Who knew rush hour could be so draining and annoying.
3. Coffee = Fuel
The smallest thing can ruin your day. Coffee becomes your lifeline, and when someone burns the community work coffee, the day only gets worse. I use flavorless creamer and pink or blue sugar packets to attempt to make my standard Starbucks drink in the morning. At the end of the day, coffee is coffee and you drink what you get to stay awake.
4. Paper cuts, staples, and file cabinets
I organize invoices, staple order forms, and file away each matching pair. I repeat the process around one hundred times in a day, and the same work repeats the next day. It is simple work, but mentally draining. Numbers run together and my fingers hurt after a day of typing.
5. Work is important
The work needs to be done, and I am the one to do it. Everyone’s work is important to the company, makes an impact, and keeps the world afloat in some way or another. I make money during the summer to save for college, while others work to make a living.
Whether you work in an office or behind a cash register, each person works to improve their life and living. A job teaches you responsibility, organization, leadership, and commitment. At the end of the day, you deal with the burnt coffee and paper cuts to earn a few dollars.
