Let me start this off by saying, my college did a wonderful job of preparing me for the "real world," but there were definitely some misconceptions I had about the process of finding a job, interviewing and having a job. My mass communication professors are some of the best around and I wouldn't be where I am without them... That being said...my list of misconceptions about the workforce:
#1 No need to rush:
In college, you get a project/paper and you procrastinate and then you get it done as fast as possible, while giving your best work of course, and turn it in. Following that project in college there was always a new project. In the workplace, it's not always like that. Sometimes it's different of course but that's another number. In a job, you are given a something to do and you do it, I mean you are already there there's no need to procrastinate but there's also no need to rush. If you rush and don't already have another task in line, sometimes there's just nothing there.
#2 There's no re-tests
This somewhat goes along with #1, if you rush and don't catch every mistake, it isn't just a letter grade, your mistakes could cost your company money. You don't catch errors in something being printed and it has to be re-printed, or you order the wrong quantity of something, or you give a customer the wrong information...you will be held accountable, it may cost the company money, you have to take responsibility--there's no retests
#3 There's still Drama
Welcome to your new job, means welcome to your new "high school" when speaking of drama. There are still the same very "clicks" that you were around in high school. There are gossips, tattle-tails, brown-nosers, the bad asses, class clowns, popular kids and the geeks. Honestly, I just thought of specific people or sections of my job when writing that--it's 100% true. Watch out, choose wisely.
#4 No one is completely honest in an interview.
Whether you are the one interviewing or doing the interview, they are awkward. No one is ever completely telling the truth. You may think you are the only one streching the truth in your experience and excitement about the job, while the person interviewing you is doing their best to make you think this is the best job ever and how wonderful the company. Once you get the job, you learn the truth both ways--they learn how qualified you really are and you learn what they really think of the job
#5 Work can be fun
So you didn't end up with your dream job? Who did? In this economy I doubt many have found it, actually in any economy I doubt people have found it. But you can make the best of it. Meet people, walk around your office to talk to people, don't take work seriously all the time. Do your work, but laugh about your frustrations, go out with work people every once in awhile, have fun doing what you're doing...it can happen, I know..
I'll have more of these to come, but for now this is what you get! :)
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