I can tell you a few!!

1. Befriend everybody. Trust nobody. Competition is a bitch!
2. Be herd or be heard. Unless you voice out, nobody will know you exist!
3. Manners are louder than talents, people skills are more instrumental than your degree. If you don't posses the former, the latter might not be able to showcase itself!
4. When you are not working, you are sleeping. When you are working you are not sleeping. Its a vicious cycle. Take good care of your health!
5. Alone you are a spark, together we are fire. But remember rule 1 !
6. You will be in multiple jobs, but only in one life. Don't let the people for whom you earn take a backseat.
7. Taxes suck! A part of your hard earned money will sponsor politicians their "Pan Parag" which they would spit on the streets and only a while later, shamelessly join Mr. Modi on the "swach bharath" campaign!
8. Be task oriented, not result oriented. This attitude will take you to places! Success will follow you like that Vodafone pug!
9. Meetings are practical alternatives to working!:D Eat Donuts, point with a stick, show charts, feel important. That too in company time!
10. If you don't fit, don't force. You will break anyways. Be it work culture, ethics etc.
11. A dime will become a million: Thumb rule: first experience matters more than first salary.
12. Love your job, not your colleague. Almost all of them don't end with a Christmas jingle.
13. Make value out of everything: Add value to whatever you do. This way you will become important and reliable.
14. Life is unfair, so will your performance reviews be: In most organizations your boss' favorite will have the upper hand, unless your performance creates a lot of noise. Make his life easy, he will make yours.
15. Weekends are life savers. Enough said :D

That's all folks!

My first job was at a management consulting firm. Though I did not particularly enjoy these two years,I learned a lot of things that have been helpful as my career has progressed.

1. Early on, attitude matters as much or more than actual output. No one likes working with an a**hole, even if they are good. Sure if you are extraordinary you can get away with it, but most of us aren't THAT good at any one thing. (say like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or Alex Rodriguez)
2. Until you are the CEO, regardless of your job title or job description, your actual job is to make your boss/supervisor's life easier. The sooner you realize it's about them, and not you, the smoother things will be
3. Take performance reviews with a grain of salt, they will never be perfectly accurate - as with all things, there is human bias and irrationality built into the system. You are not as good or as bad as whatever your review explicitly says. Use whatever you get as feedback, that you can process and choose whether or not you want to make those changes.
4. Attention to detail matters a lot, so learn to be detail oriented, even if that's not your normal mode of operation. Because in groups of humans, it's all about building trust. Having checked everything twice, and being really on top of your game is the easiest way to built that trust over time with people you don't know that well.
5. Be a net adder of energy to a room, not a net remover of energy. It almost always pays to be positive, even when disagreeing.
6. No amount of money is worth being bored. If you aren't engaged with what you do, switch it up unless you have some family obligations you can't get out of.
7. When you start off, your work will mostly consist of 100% stuff you don't necessarily want to do. As you get more senior and earn more trust, you earn the right to take on work/jobs that have a higher % stuff you like doing/enjoy and a lower % stuff you don't like doing but have to do
8. Culture fit/match is a big deal, you can be a total stud in one setting and a total dud in another, even while acting exactly the same. Be honest to yourself in looking for a culture in which you would enjoy working - For those of you that are very anti doing thing's anyone else's way, start something yourself!
9. If you don't tell your coworkers or boss what you want, they have no way of knowing. By just accepting all status quo, you are implicitly saying you are ok with the way things are. But be respectful and thoughtful when you do it, not entitled or greedy.
10. You won't figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life from your first job. (some people do, but it's rare). Instead focus on A/B testing in your own life - try to absorb all the things you experience and figure out what you enjoy, what you don't enjoy, what type of people you like working with, etc. Use the first job to get exposed to as many variations as possible, so you can make better choices going forward.

I am writing this from the perspective of a 30+ white collar worker so take it with a grain of salt if you are younger/older or working in a different type of job.

You know absolutely nothing after graduation
The more you try to look smart and try to impress coworkers with all the “definitions” and theories from your college, the more you annoy senior people in your field. You also look terribly naïve and pretentious. For the first couple of months just shut up. Don’t talk; just listen. Evaluate. You are most likely at the bottom of the food chain. It will not last forever.

Don’t study for the sake of studying
It is good to be highly educated. It is bad to start working in your 30s with zero real life experience with a PhD in the area that you won’t be using anyways.

Always look for a better job
It is very easy to assume that everyone is your friend at work and you are one big happy family. Until a recession (2008) comes. Maybe your company goes bankrupt. You are bought and merged with another company. Your boss gets “eliminated” and you lose your job with him/her. Your department is closed. Your position is outsourced. Your technology is obsolete.
It is absolutely terrifying to assume that you will be able to work in one company for more than 5 years and not make some serious compromises. You will have to change your title, your department, your boss, your building, your town, etc….
The one and only way to avoid becoming a victim is to actively and always look for a better position, better company, better salary and better coworkers. Don’t trust any company. They don’t care about you at all. At least they care as long as you both “have the same goal” -- this means as long as they can justify your position to investors.
Your earning power is usually S-shaped. In the beginning you are nobody and you have a modest salary and you are learning the ropes. After a while, if you are smart enough, you will realize that there are many other ways of accelerating your earning ability. You will change your job/title, learn new things, become a consultant or have you own company. After you make it big and become Head of department, CEO, CFO, etc… it will become harder to change jobs and find a position on the same level. When you get old(er) you will have most likely to settle for less and make some compromises. You can’t just jump from one company to another that easily.

Always learn new things
This is self-explanatory. No matter how smart you are and how much people appreciate your contribution, no one in this world can afford to stop learning. The easiest way to stand out is to absolutely own your field. Commit actively to become one of the best people in your field.

Office and life politics is real
Learn to early recognize who is pulling the strings and what type of culture your company promotes. Again, don’t be a victim.

Have a plan B, C, D….
Although many highly successful people tell you that you don’t need a plan B, I highly doubt they would be saying the same thing if they weren’t that rich. You see, it is easy to retrospectively say “I succeeded and I didn’t need a plan B”. Well, good for you. What about the millions of others who have chosen their career paths when they were 18 and now they are 38 and hate their jobs. Play it safe, have a plan B. Save money, build contacts, learn new skills etc…

Losers chase job titles
Life is much more than your business card. Again, I am really boring now, but don’t be a victim. Don’t sell your life for a title.

Relationship
It is much better to know 10 good and very honest people than to barely know 1000 of them. People with 1000+ contacts on LinkedIn are poison. They are everything that's wrong in “networking”. A million times zero is still zero.

Don’t be afraid to stand out
Losers will call you “too ambitious”, “competitive” , “no life” etc… Don’t care about them. Good people will always value your knowledge and contribution.

Supply and demand
Don’t believe in “performance reviews” and other corporate BS. The only law that exists is the one of supply and demand. If they desperately need someone with your skills they will bend all of the corporate rules to get you on board. They will throw money at you. If they don’t need you, you can be the best in your field, but you are simply not needed. Just take a look at the IT sector. In the last 20 years almost every multi-millionaire younger than 40 was from IT. All the lawyers and doctors can work 20 hours a day if they want, but their market is over-saturated. If you started in Internet 20 years ago, you could become a millionaire with a very modest IT skill set. The market is faceless.

Avoid Drama
In job and in life, avoid drama. Don’t cheat, don’t steal. Don’t have sex with coworkers. Don’t talk behind peoples' backs. You will lose in the end.

Sell, Sell, Sell

You are always selling. You are selling yourself to your boss, your coworkers and your future coworkers. Master the art of selling.

Some thoughts:

1. You can't avoid office politics - Doesn't matter if you are a janitor or a CEO of your own business: There are always office politics.
2. You'll never have a job which you "can't quit" - If you are being mistreated,exploited or under-appreciated...LEAVE. You'll eventually find another job (although it may not be a better one).
3. You learn by listening, not talking - You'll learn by listening rather than talking in almost every job.
4. ALWAYS look for another job - You wouldn't load your weapon as soon as you see an animal while you are hunting; you'd do it before you go into the woods. Why wait until you need to look for a job, to look for a job?
5. Don't tell your co-workers about your personal business - Unless you want (or need) your personal affairs to become fodder for office gossip, leave them off of your job.
6. If you are genuinely sick - DON’T COME TO WORK - Regardless of whatever you hear, stay home and get well. Your co-workers don't want to (or need to) get your illness.
7. Always say "Thank You" and "Please" when it is appropriate to do so - Nobody likes rude or uncouth co-workers, and manners go a long way.
8. Think before you speak - If it doesn't sound "good" in your head, it will sound even worse from your mouth.
9. Avoid people with bad attitudes unless you need their help. - They'll just bring you down or make you cynical.
10. Remember that a job is an inanimate object - Never love it, because it will never love you. If you have to "love" something...love the work that you do; not where you do it.

I am still at my first job as a Software Developer at PayPal. I have made a few mistakes and learnt some valuable lessons here.

1. You are never judged solely on your job skills. I was quite confident to achieve a good rating in my first ever performance review. I had worked for long hours and displayed strong technical skills. But my performance review had a different story to tell. My manager told me that I need to brush up my ability to communicate my ideas. I need to participate a lot more in team discussions and contribute to the success of the team in different ways.I was disappointed but slowly I realized that he was right. Your technical skills are just not enough to take you to the next level. Interpersonal skills like communication and negotiation also matter a lot. From then on I have made it a point to develop my skills in different areas and I am beginning to see the results of the same.
2. Your work is just a part of your life, it is not everything. For the first six months in my job I used to work for crazy hours. I used to stay for 14 hours in the office on some days. That took a huge toll on my health and personal well being. I did not have much time for my family. I was diagnosed with a severe disease and was hospitalised. In my time at the hospital I realized that how I have fucked up my life. From then on I made a decision to consider work as just one of the parts of my life. I began to spend a lot more time with my friends and travelled to some great places. I made health my first priority and made it a point to exercise and meditate regularly. I am a lot happier now and my productivity has also improved.
3. You must be more attached to your skills rather than your company. Remember that you are replaceable and can be removed any time from your position. I had a close friend who worked in my team. He had the right mix of talent and technical skills required for the job, still he was laid off. The news of his layoff disturbed me a lot. My friend was devastated as he did not see any reason in that decision. I tried to convince him but all my efforts were in vain. I realized though a company may care for its employees, there are times when it won't hesitate to remove some of them. So it is better to not get too much attached to your company, rather you must strive to get better at your skills as they will help you through out your life.
4. Your relationships matter more than your work. Try to build good relationships not only with your team members but also with some other people at important positions in the company. You might not realize the importance of the same right at the moment but these relationships will help you at different points in your career. This is especially true in big companies where the decision to promote you depends on a variety of factors. That coffee you had with some important person might take you places you had not imagined.
5. Big companies move slowly, accept it. Every big company I have heard of has some form of office politics. The decisions taken at these companies depend on a lot of internal and external factors and there is not much you can do to change it. I came up with some amazing ideas at my first job and won an important Hackathon. I was quite confident that my idea will go forward but I could not have been more wrong. I did not understand the mechanics of a big company at that time. It is quite difficult for a huge company to constantly make changes to its road map and innovate in a fast manner. The earlier you accept it, the better you will be at your job.

I recently left my job to pursue higher studies. But before leaving I put together all the things that I learned at my job (https://www.facebook.com/notes/gaurav-saxena/12-things-i-learned-at-ti/601922826493508).
Here they are :

1. Choose the Right Job : Don't settle for any sucking job because of any lame excuse including, but not limited to, a better pay. Not every engineer is an engineer. And that's fine. But if you feel there is one inside you, don't give up on it. Cherish it. Commit to it. Believe in it. And trust me, an engineering job would be an infinitely more fulfilling experience for you than having to work an over-paid pseudo-management job profile at a fancy lingo financial borehouse. Don't just take up any work because they are paying you to. Identify something you like doing and then find a company that'd pay you for it. The company alone does not select you. You also need to select the company. Try to make things work but if they don't, respect yourself and leave. Believe in yourself and find a different job. Choose a job which will help your thinking grow. But don’t let it assume the highest importance.

2. Impossibilities are a temporary nuisance : Things that appear to be screamingly impossible in the morning can seem very trivial by evening. You might often face a problem that refuses to yield with a solution that seems distant enough to be given up on. But don't worry, if you stay at it throughout the day, it will come to you. The most impossible things can be broken down and won over. That is the number one thing I learned at TI wherein lies the true spirit of engineering.

3. Be the manager of your manager : Your manager is no God. Like everyone else, he can be right or wrong. You need not shut your own voice out when it speaks differently. Respect him like you would respect anyone else but not more (preferably not less either). There is no real hierarchy. It's all imagination. He is not above you and together you're supposed to function as a team not revive feudalism. Manage your own work as much as possible. Resist bullshit. Making the right decisions requires inputs from both sides. Listen and understand. Then convey your viewpoints. Try to create an environment where your manager says the same things as you do (not the other way around) and both have a clear common vision.

4. Love the people, not the Company : Your company does not exist. It's just a concept. Its people on the other hand are quite real. Help them whenever possible but not because it's a part of your job description but because it will help you be a better human being.

5. Work when you are bored : Try to work when you need a break from what you love doing. Find real passions. Read. Write. Study. Dance. Design. Code. Watch Movies. Or just roam around and think. But do commit to it. Don't wait for weekends. Go crazy whenever you can. Think about your friends. Think about the movie you watched last night. Sneak a peak into the book you carry in your bag or is there on your Kindle. Stay lost in your thoughts and dreams. Right in your cube. Dream. Don't shut them out while you work. Don't bring work home. Never. Take an oath if you have to. But NEVER. BRING. WORK. HOME.

6. Professionalism is over hyped : Be a responsible person. Keep your promises and don't make promises that would make you uncomfortable. Do it because it is the right thing to do, not because some guy with a degree in MBA and a PhD in Powerpoint said so. Don't allow yourself to turn into a well behaved, neatly dressed, cold hearted, hypocrite asshole. If someone is giving you shit, or is being an ass, a sexist, a racist, a hater, show him the finger and raise the appropriate amount of hell. Don't sacrifice an inch of yourself. Be a rebel. But don't become an arrogant snot. Don't be selfish and always try to accommodate people. Not every thing need be opposed.

7. Live the college life : It becomes difficult but it's the only way to live. You need not let it go. Talk crap. Absolute doll shit. Full Bakar. Laugh out Loud till at least two people suspect that there is something wrong with you. Attempt the craziest things. Love your friends. Live your passions. Stay up late. Fool around. Fight for what you believe in. Don't hold back. Always back your position up with reason and thought. Always learn something from an argument. Always learn. That's the most important thing one learns at college. To learn. Ask questions and don't settle easy. Don't rely too much on Google. Talk to the people around you. Learning new things will get difficult with time and people would expect you to know everything soon enough. But try and stay the fool you are. Don't be too proud of what you know and don't feel too bad about what you don't.

8. Save time : Don't give too much time to your office. There are bigger, more important things out there. Talk to your mom instead of pushing two more slides into an already boring PPT. Don't let office timings overlap with the time you like spending either alone or with friends. Come to office early and leave early. Or alternatively, reach office late and leave early. Never leave late. Never.

9. Bamboo Transfer : Understand that people around you are being strangled by deadlines. They deal with gaps in communication and relations and are entangled in a web of uncertain dependencies. They work around the mistakes of others and their own. But they give their best. Not everyone can not give a damn about their job. Frustration will percolate through the organization. Someone might attempt taking it out on you because someone else took it out on them.
'Customer->Manager->Supervisor->Designer->Vendor'.
Don't hate someone for being needlessly upset with you. Be patient with people and see if there is a reason for them to act so demanding. However, don't take shit and never, never ever, pass it further. Break the chain. Do not hate or let hate. Be careful to not judge people based entirely on their work. There is more to them. Don't bully people around and don't expect them to serve you. Request. Do not command. Don't point fingers and try to distribute blame around like people owe you something. Ghanta they do!

10. Design : Don't work, design. Make your job fun. Think like an engineer but design like an artist. Let it take time when it must, but do it well. Get it right the first time and make it better the next. Learn new things if need be. See your job as an opportunity to create something new. Leave your signature. Play around with it. Protect it, especially from those who complain without attempting to understand your work. Stand by it. Love it.

11. Money is both important and not important : Don't waste it away like a fool. But don't also be a miserly prude. Avoid loans. If any, pay them off as fast as you can. Don't spend with an open hand or save with a closed heart. The best and the only worthy use of money is to spend it for the happiness of others. Buy gifts. Share with others. Donate with an open heart. The world has more pressing needs for your money than you might.

12. Relax : Life does not run on LSF. Breath slowly and live each moment. Don't run around as if your head is on fire. The Earth wont explode if your design is only working at 98% of the target performance. You'll figure the rest out. Just go home and relax. Don't miss a smile. And maybe the solution will come to you in a moment of revelation while you're in the shower. Avoid dumb deadlines. Always choose quality over tempting, ambitious deadlines and stay calm throughout. Moore's law can wait.


All of the things listed above, I learned.. they were not taught and served on a golden PPT. Thanks to everyone who could have such an influence.

I may not have followed all of the above as diligently as I would have liked to but moving forward this looks like what I would want to stick with. Since I might be away for some time, I am putting these together here so that I don't forget. Writing something down and sharing the same is a commitment towards your word. Some of these may not seem practical but then again, I was never a big fan of being practical.

Motivation :-
Wear Sunscreen :
Video -

Text - If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it

"The more you look for happiness in your job, the more you'll miss out on the things that actually matter." - Anex.Stormrider

Be professional. Avoid gossip. Keep your private life private! No crying. If you must cry, do it in the bathroom. Do not poop where you eat I.e don't go out of your way to date a co-worker. Take time in your appearance. Work hard, no screwing around on the computer. Bring ideas to the table. Smile and carry a positive attitude, people respond to kindness. Get small pieces of work done each day, don't wait until the last minute. Confidence! Keep an organized and clean work area, it equals a clean mind. Learn from those who have been there longer. If this job is not your dream believe me when I say that it will give you invaluable experience! Think of it as a stepping stone. I worked at McDonalds as a young teen. People love a smile. It holds true today in my work as a mastered and mentoring teacher for children with profound special needs.

Mleh, all these stereotypical “Amazon” self-help book answers. Work smart, not hard. Be nice, humble, whatever. Come in early, make sure you don't leave as the first. You will become 1 out of millions following the same path.

When I had my first job, I didn't think about any of that. I didn't have time to think about that. For years what I saw in books, in papers, I now saw myself. And boy was it exciting.

When my boss said, do A, B and C, I’d work around the clock and wanted to get it done asap, as I wanted to know what everyone else was doing. I was working in structured finance within a credit rating agency, and desks varied heavily. Once I started doing covered bonds, and heard fellers having issues over at the CMBS desk I wanted in on it. Like I wanted in on it, really bad. So I “walk over”, “ introduce myself”, “heard there were issues”, “I have spare time”, and et voila, you expand and grow. It isn't rocket acience.

So many times I got told off, hey Junior, don't you got other stuff to do? Meh, fuck that, this is far more interesting. Provide what they looking for and you'll be in business. Whether its your first or fifth job, no difference.

If I learned anything, anything at all, it was when some old geezer said; “this is how we do it here.” You know it is time to look at a certain problem from a different perspective. And once more, it's not rocket science.

I have not changed much since my first job. Most people will follow below protocol unfortunately;

I started my career with Capgemini India as a Software Engineer. Here are the key learnings from my journey of 3 years at my first job:

• Be fearless in your approach: In IT industry, there is an acute shortage of opinionated people who do not shy away from speaking their mind. Practice doing that. As a fresher, you have nothing to loose but everything to learn. If you do not approve of certain processes or practices, highlight it! Chances are you might end up improving something. The last thing to fear is- what if I am let go off from the project/firm. Organizations are in dire need of confident, fearless employees who have the audacity to question authority. Trust me- you will never be let go for speaking your mind!
• Remember that you are an asset to the company and not vice versa: It is seven times more expensive to hire a new employee than to train an existing one. With the salary that a fresher is paid in IT companies and the amount of work they do, it is downright foolish to doubt yourself. The company owes you nothing but a higher salary and better perks. Never shy away from asking for a raise where you think it is due.
• Observe various leadership styles and decide what sort of a leader do you want to become: In the initial few years of your career in IT, you will witness working under a mixed breed of leaders.. QA lead, Tech lead, Scrum Master, Manager, Senior Manager etc.. it is important you observe what makes certain leaders more influential than others. Also it is important to start picking up traits in your personal leadership style that you highly value. I had the opportunity to work under some of the best and also some of the worst leaders. It is equally important to learn- what not to do as a leader!
• Know the powerful and be known by them: Your growth in IT is determined by either of the two- 1) slogging long hours week after week for project work.. or 2) doing optimum amount of project work and focusing on ORGANIZATION LEVEL work to come in notice of the right people. By ORGANIZATION LEVEL work, I mean focusing on doing things which are more valuable to the firm in long run.. for eg- working on building an accelerator, or helping automate work, or other could be offering to help with training new team members. The next part would be highlighting these.. never shy away from looping in people higher in the hierarchy.. do not limit the audience to your team lead.. make sure it reaches your manager and senior manager. You have to blow your trumpet! Seek small opportunities like hosting a team building event or organizing a team lunch. Be it IT or any other field- you have to be in the eyes of media constantly to make an impact.

• Never underestimate the power of a good network: Network, network and network. Keep 30 minutes of your day to grow your network. Just stop by at a colleagues desk and talk about his/her work life, or go for evening snacks with someone outside of your regular friend circle at work. Send an invite for a coffee chat or a 15 mins calendar session to just get to know what the person is working on. These small things go a long way in building a satisfying career. One of the ways to bond with people is to make them feel intelligent. Just ask a colleague for help with a certain topic and let them know how you appreciate their expertise in that field and you will notice you made an instantaneous friend :)
• Promotions, under no circumstance define your worth: If possible, just chuck promotions for initial 2 years of your career. Do not spend even 5 minutes of your first 2 years thinking about a promotion. Focus on your individual progress and growth and you will be fine! And understand that promotions are not a way to motivate employees, but on the contrary a method to induce fear/competitiveness in the minds of 80% of those who did not get promoted. Do not buy in for the initial few years. It is important to understand the difference between chasing something that you actually want and chasing something you have been conditioned to believe that you want!
• Find leaders who inspire you and let them know your willingness to work under them: If your immediate team lead to the person whom you report to does not inspire you, it is time to find someone who does. Good leadership does wonders to your career, if you are not an internally motivated person. I am not.. I always seek motivation from external situations.. and if my leaders do not motivate me, it is trouble! Figure out various project teams and what the teammates say about their leader. This will again be a result of being fearless and having a good network. It is crucial that you work under someone you look up to. When you find one, let him/her know how much you respect them and would love for any opportunity to work under them. It helps to let people know that you admire them.
• Schedule 1:1 meetings frequently with your leaders: This is something I learnt relatively late in my first job. It is important to schedule a 1:1 meeting with your your immediate lead and managers once a month.. or better bi-weekly. It helps you get feedback and at the same time empowers them to help you achieve your goals. Prepare a brief agenda for the meeting where you discuss the progress you have made in the last few weeks and what your short term and long term goals are. It not only fosters a healthy work relation but also gets you in the notice of your leaders as not many freshers do this.
• Be patient with the learning curve: This is crucial.. do not jump to conclusions like-software is not my thing, it is not working out, I should start looking for opportunities at other companies! Every learning process is challenging and takes time. Go slow and absorb as much as you can. Remember- during your initial few months at a job, you are paid for learning. Make the most of this opportunity.

First job is always exciting. You make a lot of mistakes and learn a great deal. It is important that you take the learnings in positive stride and use your next job to actually demonstrate your mettle.

Here are some lessons that I learned in my first job as a Graduate Engineer:

1. You will apply your knowledge in the real world, this gives you meaning
2. You will work with people from diverse backgrounds, this makes life interesting
3. You will have people who like you and dislike you, but show respect to them all
4. You will have a good boss or a bad boss, but they are equally important to learn from
5. You will do work that is ‘beneath you’ at times, treat it as character building
6. You will do work that is ‘above you’ at times, take on the challenge without fear
7. You will make mistakes and let people down, learn from it and realize it’s part of the process
8. You will do great work and make people happy, reflect on it then go and achieve more
9. You will be given responsibility, prove that you can handle it and you will be given more
10. You will get stuck and not know what to do, be brave and ask others for help
11. You will have to make some tricky decisions, stay within your morals and values
12. You will hear office rumors, but don’t get involved in them
13. You will start dressing professionally, but don’t let this inflate your ego
14. You will find a colleague attractive, but remain professional at work
15. You will get to attend company events, have fun but stay in control
16. You will get your first proper pay, enjoy it but make sure you start investing some of it
17. You will sacrifice your time for work, so spend your free time wisely
18. You will build skills and become more valuable, but remember where you started from
19. You will get job offers from other companies, but don’t leave just to chase money
20. You will learn about yourself, and become a more interesting person.

I wasn't always able to follow these lessons, and many were worked out by trial and error during my first few years.

But they serve as a good guide for me today.

To conclude…

Your first job is scary, exciting, and what you make of it.

“First job is like your first love: unforgettable, even if its awkward “

Things I have realised which are very important when you start your new job or internships:

• Do speak up - Say something that’s very important and impressive too, You have the job; now you must show why you deserve it. I understand that it can be intimidating to present your ideas, especially if you're a new employee or intern. But this is why you are there, Taking the initiative and offering helpful, original suggestions demonstrates your professionalism and commitment.
• Don’t be hard to work with - be open to give suggestions, help others and be an active listener. Do interact positively with your colleagues.
• Curiosity and Active learning- show curiosity to learn, ask questions, seek answers and explore different perspectives, whether they are your juniors or senior.
• Don’t dress inappropriately - The way you dress up in the workplace shows your level of professionalism. Even if your company doesn’t have any strict rule for the dress code but still you should keep yourself up to date.
• Don’t engage in office politics and gossips - avoid participating in negative conversations about your colleagues or spreading rumours.
• Do maintain professionalism- whether your colleagues is your good friend but still you have to maintain the professionalism in the office. Treat everyone with respect and courtesy.
• Be a team player
• Try being friends with those person who is closest to your boss (assistant, vice president). That’ll make things easier for you in the future!
• Do communicate effectively
• Be punctual
• Don’t miss deadlines continuously

Comment down your experience and add a point if I missed something.

Here

are

the top 10 things that people can learn from the first job:

1. Work ethic: First jobs teach the importance of hard work, punctuality, and responsibility. They provide an opportunity to develop a strong work ethic that can benefit individuals throughout their careers.
2. Time management: Balancing work responsibilities with other commitments, such as school or personal life, requires effective time management. First jobs often teach individuals how to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage their time efficiently.
3. Professionalism: Interacting with colleagues, supervisors, and customers in a professional manner is a critical skill. First jobs teach individuals about workplace etiquette, communication skills, and the importance of maintaining a positive and respectful attitude.
4. Adaptability: First jobs may involve new and unfamiliar tasks or environments, requiring individuals to quickly adapt and learn on the job. Adapting to changes and being flexible is a valuable skill in any career.
5. Teamwork and collaboration: Many first jobs involve working as part of a team, teaching individuals how to collaborate, communicate, and contribute to a common goal. Learning to work well with others is an essential skill that can be transferred to future professional settings.
6. Customer service skills: Jobs in retail, hospitality, or service industries often involve direct interactions with customers. Developing customer service skills, such as effective communication, problem-solving, and patience, is valuable for any career that involves interacting with people.
7. Financial literacy: Earning a paycheck from a first job introduces individuals to financial responsibilities. Managing personal finances, budgeting, and understanding the value of money are important lessons that can benefit individuals throughout their lives.
8. Self-confidence: Successfully performing tasks and receiving positive feedback in a first job can boost self-confidence. Overcoming challenges and achieving goals at work can provide a sense of accomplishment and belief in one's abilities.
9. Identifying strengths and weaknesses: First jobs expose individuals to different types of tasks and responsibilities, helping them identify their strengths and weaknesses. This self-awareness is crucial for career planning and personal growth.
10. Work-life balance: Balancing work commitments with personal life is a skill that many individuals struggle with. First jobs often teach individuals the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, setting boundaries, and prioritizing self-care.

These are some of the things I learnt in my first job

Note: Not to discourage anyone here who is willing to put in too much effort in their first job, but these are true to the best of my knowledge

• Never ask for more work in the start to impress your manager/mentor
• Always remember, more the work you do, the more the work you'll be given
• Also, don't fool yourself saying you're doing extra work out of interest. Trust me, this is an idea that is being put into your mind by your mentor/manager mostly (You just joined, so you're naive and fall into the trap)
• Make sure you finish your work earlier allowing like a day or two so you can make changes if there any (just in case, you got it wrong or requirements changed a day before deadline)
• Quit if you don't really like the work or culture or anything in that matter which is giving you discomfort. You're replaceable, so is the company
• Don't aim for money very early in your career. Interesting/indulging work is more important than anything else

You can achieve a lot with minimal resources!

Sorry for being so vague in describing the work here - but this simple rule can be applicable to many areas; converting a client, creating marketing assests or designing e-learning content.

My first job was in a Healthcare startup. While we were doing significantly well amongst our peers, we had to be midful of utilizing our resources, including the manpower, their time or the money.

And beyond that, I feel it had eventually became a part of the culture as well. Even if we had more resources to survive, we would still been very careful about how we are using it. Let me give you a few examples of how we used to implement this approach:

1. We used to collaborate with clients to recruit the right talent for their vacancies. Now, getting the hospitals onboard required BD efforts. We would all assume, partnering with a Fortis, or many big brands, would need at least a few physical meetings. But to my surprise, it was all happening over a call, using a few mails. My CEO always said, a message, specifically customized keeping the prospect's need in mind will always get you positive response.
2. We were able to create good educational content, highly popular amongst medicos, only by using one good DSLR camera and one good mic. Not only that, the entire production was handled by only one person (our star teammmeber).
3. All our marketing creatives were designed in Canva free account. But all the work looked extremely professional and used to receive great traction. The content was the key, we used to make sure everything was useful and relevant for our audience.

This is not me praising my work by the way. I have rather written this as an employee who was in awe of how efficiently the organization used to work, and how good my teammates were. It was certainly a great learning experience in my professional journey. And I hope you find it useful, too. :)

P.S. Here's behind the scenes from one of our office calls :D

“Do you think X will appreciate this slide?”, one of the new associates who joined BCG asked me. (X being our immediate manager 😊)

“Despite two years in this firm, I still can’t read minds :P” I took a soft jibe at him. He gave me a piteous look. “Just kidding”

I wanted to answer this question for once and all.

“What do you think X will focus on, when he will look at this slide?” I asked him

“The key message – right? He’ll look at what we are trying to say”

“Yes and how will he decide if the key message is good enough?”

“Ummm, by his experience? Basically, he’ll think if this is a good enough message for the client”

“Exactly, so just like you’re trying to think what X will appreciate, he will try to think what the client will appreciate. So why don’t you also start focusing on what the client wants instead of X when you are making the slide.

That way you can debate with X later if your point of view is different from his. Just trust your instinct on what your answer would look like for the client. It’ll be a more fun conversation with X then”

If I may extrapolate a bit, I think it holds true for all the jobs. Whenever you’re assigned a new task, don’t just put the lens of your own manager, but go 2-3 layers above him. This means a mindset shift. The output will be so much better than you can imagine &, with that discordant point of view, your manager will value you even more.

McDonald's - 1989

• Keep your f**king hand outside the bun-toaster (got really burned)
• Don't take your eyes off the burger cooker, they get overdone really quickly
• Teenagers are assholes and slobs
• If you sneak into the basement (mine had one) you can scarf down all the cheese Danishes you want without your jerk of a manager noticing (Micky D's sold them back then)
• Fast food work sucks.