I feel as though when I first started my job, I was literally just thrown out there to the wolves. I had no idea what to expect. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way either. I feel as though high school and even college does not prepare you for the real world. They do not prepare you for what really goes on behind those business doors. I am hoping this article will help many realize what they need to expect before starting their first job.

You honestly get what you ask for. What do I mean by this exactly? Well, I mean just this, if you go into your first job, intimated and scared, people are going to pick up on this, and they will literally feed off of it. In contrast, if you go into your first job confident and sure of yourself, then people will look to you for leadership.  

 When I started my very first job, I was intimated because the people I was working with had either been there for a while or knew the people coming in because it was in a small town. I did a lot of crying when I would go home. What made it worse was I was also going to school full time. So, as you can imagine, I had a full schedule.  

 I pushed through, and within 3 years, I moved up into management, and that is when things got even worse. I would get calls in the middle of the night just because they could not get a hold of the correct manager, someone even scratched my car with a key because she was so upset that she did not get the position, and people were just down-right nasty.  

 Nevertheless, I stayed in management for one year. Then I demoted myself, so I could finish school faster; I was pregnant and did not need the added stress, my grandparents were in a horrible car accident and needed extra help, and I was planning my wedding. Shortly after I demoted myself, I also put in my resignation letter.  

 This was not what I had anticipated as my first job. I had imagined my first job being one that I could quickly move up, and people would have respect for me. Instead, it was the total opposite, and I had enough of it.  

 I then finished school, and my husband finished the semester after me. Meaning we were free to go anywhere. So, we applied nationwide, and wherever we got a job, that is where we moved to no matter what, and yes, we had a baby at the time, and no, we were in no way, shape, or form rich. We just needed a job and needed one quick to support our family.  

 I was the lucky or unlucky one, however, you want to look at it, to get a job. It was 8 hours away from everything I knew but 8 hours away from everything my husband knew. It was where he grew up. For me, it was a fresh start.  

 Since it was a fresh start in a huge city, I went in with the attitude as I am worth respect, and people respected me. I knew what I was doing, and I was good at what I was doing. In less than 8 months, we were able to transfer with my job to the area we wanted to be in, which was 8 hours away from everything either of us knew.  

 I took a promotion when I moved, but it was not the same promotion I would have had if I would have stayed where I was at. Nevertheless, it was a promotion, and we were moving to where we wanted to be.  

 Basically, I have had the first job twice, and each time I went in with 2 different attitudes. Do not be me. Do not go into your first job with the attitude of just blend in. Go into it with the attitude to impress. You will get further if you do. You will get to where you want to be if you go in with the, I can, attitude.  

 My first job ever was a great learning start for me, and it helped me get through college and pay off my car. It also showed me what type of manager I should be as well as what type of employee I should be.  

 With my second first job, I went in confident. Within 3 months, I was promoted the first time. Within 8 months, I was promoted a second time and was able to transfer to where we wanted to be. I would have easily made it to management had I stayed, but after having our second child, my husband and I switched roles. He goes to work, and I get the privilege of staying home with our children.  

 If I can give you any advice about starting your first job, no matter how scared or how worried you are, do not let fear show on your face. Be confident in yourself and demand respect. Put aside everything anyone has told you about making a good impression and just be you. If you do your job and you do it right, and you stay confident in yourself, then you will not have any problem with being promoted quickly. Also, always admit when you make mistakes.  

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