What was your first job like? How did it affect your career?
07.28.2023 | Blog
People say the first job experience is not perfect most of the time. After graduating, you are now free from assignments and late-night study for exams, but you suddenly feel lost as you become a working adult. “What do I want to do in the future?” “How long am I going to work here?” “Is this what I really want to do?” While you are asking yourself these questions, you must keep working to pay your bills. For this article, I interviewed some of my roommates about their first jobs. Let’s see how their experiences differed!
My Friend from Germany, S
What was your role in your first job?
My first job was as an office clerk in legal and risk management at a logistics company in Germany.
Did you like/enjoy it?
I enjoyed it a lot because my co-workers were awesome. They were pretty supportive, and I learned so many new things. My team was quite small. We were just 4 in total and were all women. However, there was never bad blood and always laughter and fun.
Have you thought about quitting while you were working there?
I thought of quitting because the pay was so bad. I could have asked for a higher wage, but I didn’t. If you want to earn more money, it makes sense to search for another job and go to another company. I also felt a sense of being “stuck”, and I wanted to see more of the world.
What made you decide to leave your first job?
I randomly applied for a scholarship program in the US. I never expected to get into the program, but I did. I took the chance, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. I had no stable income anymore, but it was definitely worth it. Because I earned a lot of new experiences, and I also had some jobs in the US as well. Not as well-paid compared to Germany, but at that point, it was not a big issue!
Are you utilizing your first job experience in your current job?
Yes, but I think I can always do better and strive for more. In most cases, your first job is not your only choice. It is always good to learn from every job you get and to not narrow down your options. There are so many more things to learn and so many interesting jobs, tasks and colleagues out there. Especially for growing your personality and skills, it is so important to take the most out from your job.
My American Roommate, T
What was your role in your first job?
I was an intern at the hospital. My main duties were leading projects in quality, analytics, finance and hospital operations; learning and shadowing mentors to have a better understanding of hospital operations, health industry trends, and an understanding of the hospitals organizational structure and mission. I worked alongside administrative leaders as well as physician and clinical leaders to build networking skills as well as improving health outcomes on projects to be more effective manager.
Did you like/enjoy it?
As for whether I enjoyed it, I did enjoy it. It proved to be an incredible learning experience. It helped bridge the gap from the classroom to the workforce with a plethora of opportunities to observe and lead. The lessons learned and relationships built in that job continue to be beneficial in my current job.
Have you thought about quitting while you were working there?
Quitting? No. Some long and tough days at work? Yes.
What made you decide to leave your first job?
I left my first job because my internship was over and I was offered another job that provided me with more money and additional duties and responsibilities for me to do.
Are you utilizing your first job experience in your current job?
Yes, everything I do in my current job is built upon all the knowledge I have gained from all the jobs I previously had done before including my first job.
My American Friend, J
What was your role in your first job?
My first job was as a technology consultant. I had been working for two years for a bank. My task was reporting on a bunch of projects to solve money laundering cases. I built a technical tool to collect the data from the project and put in reports.
Did you like/enjoy it?
It was not the best, but I definitely enjoyed it. People were great. The downside of this job was doing the exact same thing every day. However, my client liked me, and they gave me a big opportunity. They allowed me to suggest the better ideas for their business plan in meetings. I think it was so rare for new employees who do not have a lot of experiences.
Have you thought about quitting while you were working there?
I had never seriously thought of quitting, but I knew that the job was not something I wanted to do continuously for the long term.
What made you decide to leave your first job?
The pay wasn’t good compared to what my friends were earning. They earned more money and I thought I could do better. Also, I wanted to switch job that I can learn deeper about data because I like more challenging tasks.
Are you utilizing your first job experience in your current job?
I am now working as a strategy analysist in the used car industry. My task right now is looking at the data to guide the business. My current duties and first job overlap, but what I like more about this job is that every day has different things. I solve different problems and create new solutions. I felt like my first job was in a more pressure and fast-paced environment. That allowed me to get used to having multiple tasks at the same time, which is a pretty useful skill that I’m currently utilizing.
As you can see from their answers, the first job is challenging for most people. It is because after college, you don’t know what you want to do in the future and don’t have any experience. On the other hand, you feel the pressure from your parents to be financially independent, apply for countless positions on job boards, and attend all the interviews hoping you can get at least one offer letter. I think most people are just desperately seeking a job regardless what they like to do while trying to gain some kind of experience to get a better job. After the first job, you realize what you are capable of, and you have professional work experience and accomplishments to take to your next job. I have noticed while asking those questions to my friends that they picked up something from their first jobs to get to better opportunities. Even though you are not happy with the current job, it is ok. Nothing will be wasted as long as you have a positive attitude to learn something new.
Good luck to all the striving job seekers!