Your First Job Isn't as Exciting as You Imagined it Would Be - 5 Ways to Make the Most of It

Landing your very first "real" job is exciting and what a milestone you've reached! Sure, you may have had a childhood paper route or babysat for the bratty kids next door, but reaching adulthood and walking through the door to that first major job is a true step towards the rest of your career.

While your expectations may be high, your adrenaline is pumping, and you're full of hope and promise, not all first jobs are a dream come true. Sometimes the realistic levels of excitement and interest level are pretty low. It's just part of the process of climbing the ladder to the next (and hopefully more interesting) point in your career.

But there's no need to get down in the dumps because of a lackluster first job. There's potential to turn that frown upside down and make the most of this experience. You can take the reins and control your own destiny… or at least prevent yourself from staring at the clock 'till it strikes 5pm. Here are 5 tips to making the most of your first job when it's not exactly making the most of you.

Hone in On the Positive

Looking on the bright side can have positive psychological effects. Not everything is terrible about your job, so it's up to you to bring out the aspects of it that are interesting and exciting to you. Perhaps it's those brainstorming meetings on Monday morning where you can hear what the company is planning and what the other departments are up to. Your boss may be a great mentor. Or maybe it's the fact that your office is close to home so you have a quick commute. If your paycheck is decent, then that's nothing to turn up your nose too either.

Similarly, get rid of negative thoughts and constant complaining. This will only reinforce the not-so-great parts of the job and take time away from its better aspects. As per Life Hacker, "Complaining about your job can be fun because it seems cathartic, but venting your frustration will only make your anger worse. Instead of complaining, consider solutions. If you can't change the way things work in the office, consider ways to help you cope with those problems. Being more proactive and less negative may not fix everything, but it can improve your situation."

Don't forget that a first job is a learning experience. Learn to finish the tasks that may not be your favorite, but lend to your overall success. And for the things you truly enjoy? Go at them with gusto to show your manager you're enthusiastic and eager to tackle similar tasks in the future.

Branch Out

Sitting alone in your cubicle all day and never co-mingling with your co-workers can make a dull job even more dreadful. It's time to step out of your shell and learn more about your company and the people who work for it alongside you. You'll become more knowledgeable as well as better-rounded. Plus, your boredom will fade as you get more involved.

As Forbes notes, "Your brain needs stimulus. Try doing your humdrum tasks in a different way, at a different time, in a different seat or with different people." In addition, "Ask your boss if you can alter your workload or the kind of work you currently do." This will allow you to participate in different departments and zero in on what it is you enjoy doing the most.

Talk to your co-workers, learn about new innovations and marketing plans, and stay in the loop of what's happening in every department. This will help you realize that the role you have is an important part of the machine and you'll be able to see its value. Even if you wind up back in your initial job area, you can offer aid when needed and consider a different department when it's time for a review or promotion.

Make Lunchtime Special

When you're not all too enthralled with your job, break time can be a blessing to help recharge you to make the most of the remainder of the day. Take the free time you have to eat a healthy and energizing meal, read a book or the newspaper, chit chat with co-workers, or take a brisk walk around the block.

With some time to clear your mind, you can get back to work with a sense of purpose and stamina. Think about why you took the job in the first place and get back to that mentality after a little time to yourself. Use the break time to think about new ways to approach your job with positivity and ambition. Mind over matter is a useful tool.

Then again, if you get back to your desk and still find yourself in a blasé mood, at least you had an hour off to do something enjoyable!

Put Things in Context

Sometimes, it's all about perspective to make what could be tedious something that intrigues you. This is your first job, so while it may not be your dream scenario, if you place this moment in the context of your life to date and where it's headed, things could suddenly seem pretty darn OK.

As Tiny Budda puts it, "Things may be far from ideal, but they could also be much worse. Throughout the world, there are millions and millions of people who would be confused if you told them that you were miserable in your current job. They're making a lot less money, while working longer hours, and often in far worse conditions."

Think of what you are doing now as a small checkpoint on the list of your entire life. Use what you are doing and learning as ways to better yourself and figure out where you fit into the scheme of things both in the workforce and the universe. While organizing an Excel spreadsheet may not seem Earth-shattering, making a contribution towards the bigger picture is what makes the world go 'round.

Get Creative

You can make your job more appealing by changing things up to make it more exciting for you. You can suggest a new way of holding team meetings or volunteer to work with the interns as they integrate into their respective departments. Think about new ways of managing your time to get the dull items out of the way first so you can look forward to the things that keep you on your toes. Maybe you can get approval to work from home a few days a week or change up your hours so you can do other non-work activities that keep you motivated. Ask to attend seminars or conferences in your field so you can be on top of the most current trends and meet like-minded individuals who can help you get to the next stage of your career.

If your job seems boring, it doesn't mean that you have to be too. Use your inner creativity to turn a ho-hum job into something to wake up looking forward to.

Your new job seems a little more exciting now, doesn't it!?

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Can We Afford To Return To The Office?

Over two years into the most momentous event in our lives the world has changed forever … Some of us have PTSD from being locked up at home, some are living like everything’s going to end tomorrow, and the rest of us are merely trying to get by. When the pandemic hit we entered a perpetual state of vulnerability, but now we’re supposed to return to normal and just get on with our lives.

What does that mean? Packed bars, concerts, and grocery shopping without a mask feel totally strange. We got used to having more rules over our everyday life, considering if we really had to go out or keeping Zooming from our living rooms in threadbare pajama bottoms.

The work-from-home culture changed it all. Initially, companies were skeptical about letting employees work remotely, automatically assuming work output would fall and so would the quality. To the contrary, since March of 2020 productivity has risen by 47%, which says it all. Employees can work from home and still deliver results.

There are a number of reasons why everyone loves the work from home culture. We gained hours weekly that were wasted on public transport, people saved a ton of money, and could work from anywhere in the world. Then there were the obvious reasons like wearing sweats or loungewear all week long and having your pets close by. Come on, whose cat hasn’t done a tap dance on your keyboard in the middle of that All Hands Call!

Working from home grants the freedom to decorate your ‘office’ any way you want. But then people needed a change of environment. Companies began requesting their employees' RTO, thus generating the Hybrid Work Model — a blend of in-person and virtual work arrangements. Prior to 2020, about 20% of employees worked from home, but in the midst of the pandemic, it exploded to around 70%.

Although the number of people working from home increased and people enjoyed their flexibility, politicians started calling for a harder RTW policy. President Joe Biden urges us with, “It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again.”

While Boris Johnson said, “Mother Nature does not like working from home.'' It wasn’t surprising that politicians wanted people back at their desks due to the financial impact of working from the office. According to a report in the BBC, US workers spent between $2,000 - $5,000 each year on transport to work before the pandemic.

That’s where the problem lies. The majority of us stopped planning for public transport, takeaway coffee, and fresh work-appropriate outfits. We must reconsider these things now, and our wallets are paying

the price. Gas costs are at an all-time high, making public transport increase their fees; food and clothes are all on a steep incline. A simple iced latte from Dunkin’ went from $3.70 to $3.99 (which doesn’t seem like much but 2-3 coffees a day with the extra flavors and shots add up to a lot), while sandwiches soared by 14% and salads by 11%.

This contributes to the pressure employees feel about heading into the office. Remote work may have begun as a safety measure, but it’s now a savings measure for employees around the world.

Bloomberg are offering its US staff a $75 daily commuting stipend that they can spend however they want. And other companies are doing the best they can. This still lends credence to ‘the great resignation.’ Initially starting with the retail, food service, and hospitality sectors which were hard hit during the pandemic, it has since spread to other industries. By September 2021, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4.4 million resignations.

That’s where the most critical question lies…work from home, work from the office or stick to this new hybrid world culture?

Borris Johnson thinks, “We need to get back into the habit of getting into the office.” Because his experience of working from home “is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing.”

While New York City Mayor Eric Adams says you “can't stay home in your pajamas all day."

In the end, does it really matter where we work if efficiency and productivity are great? We’ve proven that companies can trust us to achieve the same results — or better! — and on time with this hybrid model. Employees can be more flexible, which boosts satisfaction, improves both productivity and retention, and improves diversity in the workplace because corporations can hire through the US and indeed all over the world.

We’ve seen companies make this work in many ways, through virtual lunches, breakout rooms, paint and prosecco parties, and — the most popular — trivia nights.

As much as we strive for normalcy, the last two years cannot simply be erased. So instead of wiping out this era, it's time to embrace the change and find the right world culture for you.

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