What Advice...

Debi

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WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE STARTING THEIR FIRST FULL TIME JOB?
 
Make sure there's somewhere nice to go at lunchtime. If you're anything like me, you'll need to get out of the building to recharge your batteries and it really helps if there's somewhere nice to go!
 
I agree with Garnet, be on time. 8am means 8am, not 8:04. Also, practice active listening skills, and if you don't understand something, ASK. Be polite and respectful. When writing, whether it be electronically or on paper, write proper, complete words and sentences. DO NOT use text message "short hand". For example, "your," not "ur."
 
I 150% agree with being on time. I could never understand how someone can NOT be at work on time. Ok, things happen, but every single day showing up 5-10 mins late...come on. Wake up a tad earlier. Hell, you might see stuff you wouldn't normally see when rushing around like an idiot to be late anyway lol.
 
Also, don't stay in a job if you're not happy. You may feel trapped, but there are always new opportunities if you go and find them . I stayed in a job for 10 years and hated it so much it was making me ill and affecting my personal life. I genuinely thought it was better to stay and try to be grateful that I had a job at all when so many others didn't, and I thought if I left it could be just as bad somewhere else anyway.

When the pandemic struck, however, I finally broke free and found a new job! I'm still there over 18 months later and I absolutely love it! The people are wonderful and I'm happy again. It just isn't worth putting up with a situation that's making you ill.
 
I 150% agree with being on time. I could never understand how someone can NOT be at work on time. Ok, things happen, but every single day showing up 5-10 mins late...come on. Wake up a tad earlier. Hell, you might see stuff you wouldn't normally see when rushing around like an idiot to be late anyway lol.
Late in my career I had to take a course for senior staff called "The Multi-Generational Workforce." The instructor, a mid thirty-ish woman, spent a great deal of time harping on how older workers/baby boomers placed entirely too much emphasis on being on time. She explained those younger than us didn't have that time hang up, technology had done away with worrying about the clock. They had lived their entire lives with 24 hour gas stations/convenience stores, DVRs, shopping on line, electronic banking, etc., and weren't programmed/constrained to see time as an issue.

In the class was a USAF colonel who sat straight faced during her spiel, then politely raised his hand. When called upon, he asked her if she'd every served in the military. She seemed bemused by the question, and replied with a smirky, smart ass, "Nope." He simply said, "I didn't think so. I don't have time to waste listening to this horseshit." With that he walked out.
 
Late in my career I had to take a course for senior staff called "The Multi-Generational Workforce." The instructor, a mid thirty-ish woman, spent a great deal of time harping on how older workers/baby boomers placed entirely too much emphasis on being on time. She explained those younger than us didn't have that time hang up, technology had done away with worrying about the clock. They had lived their entire lives with 24 hour gas stations/convenience stores, DVRs, shopping on line, electronic banking, etc., and weren't programmed/constrained to see time as an issue.

In the class was a USAF colonel who sat straight faced during her spiel, then politely raised his hand. When called upon, he asked her if she'd every served in the military. She seemed bemused by the question, and replied with a smirky, smart ass, "Nope." He simply said, "I didn't think so. I don't have time to waste listening to this horseshit." With that he walked out.
15 minutes prior to 15 minutes prior
 
Duke, that woman sounded like an idiot.
In fairness, the woman gave a lot of good information as to the hows and whys different generations looked at the world around them as a function of their life experiences. Where most of us took issue with her was telling us "different" meant "wrong" and we needed to change to be correct.