Things To Know About Your First Real Job

So I have been working with this advertising company for exactly 10 days now and the information I have come to know, realize, read about is immeasurable. Its just a new world altogether so everything you do is on another take on things, So take it from someone who is experiencing it first hand, whatever they tell you about the work life is a Lie till you have experienced it yourself first hand. SO many people, so many thoughts, realizations, everything. So what are the list on things to know about your first real job?

Here we go:

• You are going to get fat if you dont get in some routine exercise daily.

Though I dont think much of this applies if your job entitles you to walk around a lot, or go to places and get your butt off a chair. But in my job? Yeah. I sit at a desk from 10 to 6. With the occasional trip to the lunch area or the bathroom or my boss’s desk. This bothers me because I have been a victim of chubbiness when I was younger, but… Due to an (unfortunate) obsession with my weight back in the 9th grade, I lost most of my unwanted fat, lost a good amount of weight, and slowly… My love for food overcame my weight obsession and my days of calorie counting were over! And since then I maintained a fluctuating healthy weight with no compromise on food whatsoever. And being (nearly) 6 foot tall helps the metabolism bit too. Heh.

But thats not the point. The point is… I need some exercise soon.

• You NEED to have other plans/events/activities to do.

Sitting in a 4 x 4 cubicle, literally spells monotony. If you aren’t careful, you will slowly slip into the shades of grey, fifty or how many ever in number (book is awful) yourself. Which you NEED to avoid at all cost. Notice me Capitalizing the ‘NEED’. Because you have to, have to, have to, have something to look forward to, or to do or experience. It is vital you do your job alongside the a side project to keep your inner vitality and creativity safe from the monotony monsters.

Me? Here is a glorious mini list I made in my head to keep me occupied:

1. Finish all the damn video games I wanted to play. Currently playing Kingdoms of Amalur, then Portal, Skyrim, AC, and so on. I get an hour or two of gameplay every day if I can.
2. I’m planning to read a lot. Especially my commute time to work. I load my dear dear 10 year old PPC with ebooks and read away! Currently I’m reading Silver linings playbook by Mathew Quick.
3. Start up this blog!
4. Surf Stumbleupon.com like never before! That is another way to keep me occupied for Hours and Hours.
5. Plan things out. Like a weekend schedule or a Late Night Movie with my younger kid brother.
6. Research. Ever wondered why the hair around your crown is so fragile? What your body shape is and what suites you? I always wanted to know, but never had the time to google it. So now I am. Alongside working of course!

• Talk to more people at work. It helps in many ways.

Networking  is not always using people to make contacts and get ahead of them. I like to think of networking at work as actually talking to people and getting to know them better. You will be working with them after all, so why not acquaint yourself more? It took me 2 days to talk to the girl who sits in the next cubicle as me. I really dont know why. For a week I used to eat lunch alone, thinking the people here have already formulated groups and I’d be just getting in the way, but as a matter of fact I didnt make enough effort. And they welcomed me with hardly any effort on my end. Now (well, for the past 2 days anyway) I sit with them during lunch. They may be a few years older but they are really friendly. Look what I was missing out on, so… you really need to put yourself out there.

•  Be so SO humbled.

Soo…. I really hope I didnt give out the ‘Spoiled NRI’ vibe. These people are so nice, from humble beginnings and here I go flashing my Micheal Kors bag around for a week. Oh god. I am very humbled from what I have seen and the entire snob facade I had to deal with a majority of my life does apply here! Well… this one is a subjective truth because I know in most work places you dress to impress and get that promotion or whatever. So… I’m lucky that way. Its pretty chilled out here. And I So like it that way.

•  Its a loooong way to go.

You just started your career! Depending on your priority in life you would considering facing the fact that you have just started and you have a looong way to go. Take my career profile for example. I want to be a creative directory in advertising. And for that I need to go through the levels of: Trainee, Junior copy writer, copy writer, senior copy writer and copy supervisor and then…. CD! Taking 6 months for each, or a year for that matter, it would take me anywhere from 3-6 years. 3 on the really optimistic end. And six on the practical end.

SO dont be disheartened.

•  Dont count how many restaurants you are going to visit before your first paycheck.

Save. Save like the world is running out of money and your meager salary will be worth millions soon.

That being said, be practical about you money. Initially we idealize what we are going to buy before we even get our salary. The feeling of financial (part) independence is very overwhelming. Dont let it get to you. Try to save at least 50-60% of your pay, it going to come in hand sooner or later. As for me? That reference was made because i do this thing with a friend where I go to new places and try out new cuisines, but back then, I was happily funded but my dear parents. Now…. its a new whole ball game.

• Perk up your desk!

Trust me it helps you get through the day. I dont have much on my table right now except an evil eye charm a friend had given to me. But I already have major ideas the moment I get full time. Cant wait!

• Breathe and STREEEEETCH

God, one week and my back is Killing me. And being tall really doesnt help. You sit at your desk, hunched over a computer screen and soon enough your back feels like crap. You have to take breaks and stretch. I know I need to, considering I get really weird looks from everyone while I do so, but I really dont care. I’m all neck stretch, arms stretch, back stretch, and aaaah. Temporarily. I started googling how to sit at work =| which level your computer screen needs to be and everything. I need a workout too.

• Keep calm and well… keep calm.

Thats like a mantra in itself. I’m just sittting here, ready to finish week 2, looking forward to the weekend, reminding me I have a loving family and an eccentric set of friends to meet and make plans with and discuss everything there is to talk about work life and a new phase altogether doesnt really make much of a difference. But more of an adventure.

So here is to a new life, a start of one anyway, and I really hope my boss approves my concepts in the next ten minutes.

Back to work!