When you graduate college and begin your career journey there is something you should know. Your first job, with exception, is not going to be your final destination. Chances are you will move laterally, vertically and even take a hard stop and move backwards. It’s all good and it will all make sense as you begin to map out your career sequence. Each stop along the way represents accumulated experience and adds layers to your self-value. And, with each stop, you begin to minimize and eventually eliminate the distance in between each of those stops.
Don’t over-think the first job and get stuck in “what’s wrong” with it. On the contrary, center yourself on anything that is meaningful about this job. If you put your head in the, “I really hate this job” place – you will be miserable and make each day feel longer than necessary. As bad as it may appear, sometimes the worst can actually be the best. There is always the net take-away. There are always things to be gained that will add to your EB (Experience Barometer).
Maintain a quality Time Awareness. It’s up to you to determine what your threshold is and when is the right time to challenge yourself, investigate and explore other opportunities. The job you do will always offer a chance to engage with other professionals and get inside the details. Think about the features, the characteristics and look for the information that helps you build your personal and professional story.
When you hit your ‘threshold’, you will have something to take with you and that is what the hiring community is looking for. What can you do for them is what it’s all about. The experience you have is attractive to a hiring manager and makes each stop along the way just that – A STOP and not the end. In fact, it’s only the beginning. It’s a chance for you to continue, advance and introduce yourself to something new.
It’s not a race. Take your time and follow your dreams. It’s more of a chase. You are in pursuit of something. Build your brand. Become your story driver. Try and do what you are most passionate about and map out a worthy course that will get you there. And, when you get there, you can think back about that first job, the second job, the choices you made and just how meaningful it was as you continue to move things forward.
