Welcome to the real world.
Remember when the most important thing you had to do on a Monday was avoid spoilers for that evening’s Game of Thrones’ episode?
Well those days are gone. You’re about to start your first real job and you’re really, really excited. But before you make the leap, you might want to adjust a few of those expectations.
Expectation: I’m going to blow everyone away with everything I learned in college.
Reality: Nobody cares that your dissertation was on ‘the economic revolution of the Cavan man’, nor do they care that you were the president of the ‘Society of Societies’ Presidents’.
College is over, all that matters now is that you can do your job.
Expectation: You’ll be given enjoyable and interesting tasks from the moment you walk through the door.
Reality: You’ll have to gain your employer’s trust before the important and interesting tasks are left on your table. So, it might be time to get used to the most boring word combination in the English language: data entry.
Expectation: You will be given time to settle in, so there won’t be too much work in the first week.
Reality: They’re paying you. So they expect you to work from your first minute on your first day.
So, get to it.
Expectation: It’s time to make the big bucks now.
Reality: HA! Once you do finish your series of internships, prepare for the first part of your professional life to be spent paying back all the people and organisations that financed your journey to get this far.
Expectation: Everyone in the workplace will love you. Everyone always love you.
Reality: You’re younger than everyone else, so you’ve got that against you. You’re also completely unproven and untrained, so your work probably isn’t up to standard just yet… and have we mentioned, you’re younger than everyone else.
So there you have it, your first job and what you can look forward to experiencing. Remember, don’t worry too much, it’s all just a ride. And feck it, there’s always post-work drinks to look forward to.
Sprite, the truth is refreshing.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
