Work is either a physical or mental exertion of efforts geared toward the production or accomplishment of something. Work is a job, an employment, a trade, a profession, a livelihood. Most of our lives would be spent doing some form of work. It could be directed to academics and knowledge or it could be for the purpose of gaining income. You see, everybody works for something but not everybody works for the same reasons.
As a fresh graduate right out of college and coming from a middle class family, I'm not exactly hurting for money and as a personal view money is not everything for me. My primary goal for work is to gain some experience; dip my toes into the workforce, so to speak. It was important for me to find a job where I would be able to grow, not only as a worker, but as a person as well. I shied away from jobs that seemed robotic in a sense. I didn't want to end up a worker bee with nothing to live for but the endless cycle of droning tasks. I am grateful for the work that I do now, but at the time I was on the job hunt, getting this my dream job seemed like a long-shot and grudgingly I set out to apply for other companies but they all seemed uninspiring and I knew that there would be no drive to work or at least do stellar work. That and the fact that I felt like my soul would be sucked out of me if I took a job from any of the companies I was potentially applying for. I had no qualms for taking my time in finding work. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a job I would enjoy and enliven me, physically and mentally. I wanted to be sure of the career path I was taking because that's not something you can just pick out then discard easily just because you don't like it anymore or it gets too hard for you to deal with. A job takes on several responsibilities and doing your job well creates a lot of impact, which was why I chose to trod on the path of job hunting carefully and pensively, however tedious it was.
Successfully, I found the right fit for me jobwise. I am elated and I am often stimulated creatively in my work and this further re-enforces that I had made the right decisions. But getting a job you like is not all there is. You have to work to keep your job interesting. Your work must always challenge you otherwise there will be no growth. Your brain becomes stagnant. Give justice to the neurons that sacrifice themselves for the sake of cognitive function and use them properly.
Treat your first like it is your last and your last like it is your first - an apropos mindset when it comes to work. Some people tend to fall into monotony with their work; generic and nothing special. Sadly these people also tend to be blinded by the concept that their work is enough, that the outcome of their efforts is up to par when their work is sub-par. Never settle for just "enough." I believe that your work is directly proportional to your worth as an employee, so aim for quality work in lieu of "okay" work. This isn't just about impressing your employers or getting paid; personal growth is at stake here. If you tackle one aspect in your life with such tenacity it would reflect that you do the same in others. Wouldn't it be better to live up to that rather than be the second rate worker?
You will meet different people in the span of your working career, make connections and impressions. It is up to you put your best foot forward and make every action count. You may think that some people that you encounter at work do not matter but keep in mind that people talk and news travels fast in the grapevine. If you think copy machine guy’s opinion is irrelevant, think again. Gossip can be damaging and it does not have to be true. It could be that someone could be out for you. These things can and will affect your job and your future in it. Always bear in mind that you should always act accordingly. Be polite. If you have to, keep the façade of poise and calm. Employ your “work face.” It will help you much in dealing with the demons at the office.
Griping never gets you anywhere. You can complain all you want and it still won’t make a difference. So your boss wants you to redo a layout or he demands that you find a way to make nothing out of anything to become something; my advice is you do it. Sure you can whine, but do what I do, in your head. Keep it to yourself. Even if you are asked to do something over and over and so many overs you feel like bashing your head in, YOU DO IT. These things will make you better. You’ll learn from this and next time around you’ll come up with better work that will impress the crap out of your superiors.
In the end, you learn the ropes and you come up with your own way of doing things, an operation that satisfies your bosses and makes sure that you get something out of it too. Being a fledgling employee won’t be forever but you have to work hard, then all the good come, however don’t be fooled. Good always comes hand in hand with the bad. What is important is how you deal with adversity and coming out on top, in spite of it. Also remember that you can’t please everyone, at least not completely, but you’ll manage to find that balance of work and fun. If you can’t, to put it bluntly, find another job, and if you’re still unhappy then you must be doing something wrong.
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