The idea of taking on life lessons probably sounds like something a yoga teacher might encourage you to take on whilst breathing out slowly, with your bum in the air, in a hot room full of sweaty people.
In reality, life lessons are something you’ve been teaching yourself as you’re grown up. You now know it’s polite to always hold the door open for the person behind you, no matter how slow they are at reaching it and you know that you shouldn’t ring anyone before 9am and after 9pm, unless it’s an emergency.
Life is always teaching us lessons, usually through our mistakes, and navigating our way through our career is no different. Whether you find your next job searching Jobstoday or are introduced to the boss by a friend, take these five life lessons with you on that first day:
- Learn from others
Steve Jobs, the genius behind the now multi-billion-dollar company Apple, took this life lesson on board in his working life. Jobs had previously worked at HP and Atari, all before the age of 21, and had seen what they were doing behind the scenes. He started Apple and decided to do things at the company – and in the world of technology itself – differently. His ideas obviously worked.
- No task is beneath you
‘That’s not my job’, you’ve probably been told that in a few different circumstances, heard it from colleagues or you may have even said it yourself. It’s not true. No task should ever be beneath you.
Whether you’re a CEO of a major company or a checkout assistant, the bin still needs taking out, the paper drawer on the printer has to be filled and the sugar jar in the communal kitchen needs topping up. Never think that you are better than any job you are asked to do – it implies you think that those, who are employed to do the task, are beneath you.
- Ask for what you want
Don’t ask, don’t get. You’ve probably heard that phrase a few times in your life and it’s an important life lesson to take on in the work environment when it comes to pay rises, holidays, or extra time on a deadline. If you want something, ask for it and always have a reason why you should have it.
- None of us know what we are doing all the time
You might think Joe in Account Management looks like he knows what he’s doing; he’s smooth talking, on time, smartly dressed, in all the meetings and never has to make a cup of tea because every one around him offers to make one.
But one day you walk into the kitchen, it’s late and you’ve been working after hours on a project that needs to be handed in early next morning. You’re stressed, tired and in need of sugar. There’s someone else in there, it’s Joe and he’s resting his elbows on the counter, with his head in his hands. The one person you thought had it all in control is floundering just like you. In life, no one really knows what they are doing; we’re all bumping into things blindly and taking detours to get to where we want to be. You’re not alone, keep going.
- Take time for yourself
You might love your job or hate it, but whatever the case it’s important that you remember to make time outside of work. Never take work home unless it’s a life or death/loss of lots of money situation. Always take your lunch break and try to stop for a quick chat at the coffee machine or in the kitchen with a co-worker. You’ll thank yourself and so will your friends and family in the long run.
These great tips also work well in starting a career online. As there are now lots of ways to work online, don’t just limit yourself to working for others though. This great post from Careful Cents is a great starting point if you are looking to work from home.
This is a guest post