A job. One of the most competitive aspects of life. Getting one is very difficult. Getting one you like is near impossible. After trying so hard to get accepted, what then?
All jobs are different and similar in their own ways. What you do, who you work with, who you serve. All of this can make or break your experience at work. After working several different jobs over the past few years, here are some tips to make work a lot more bearable.
1. Bonding
When you start a new job, you're not just working. You're joining a culture, and integrating yourself into it is crucial. After all, these are the people you'll be closest too for God knows how long.
It's more than likely that you won't get along with everyone, but all of you share one thing, work! All the employees can easily bond over all the drama, shenanigans, and huge moments that really define your job. Having a good bond with these people makes work enjoyable. Let's be honest, who wouldn't want to be paid to hang out with friends?
2. Attention
Some jobs require a lot more focus than others. Heck, it could mean the difference between life and death. The last thing you want is to cause attention because of a silly mistake. Maintaining focus on the job can be extremely difficult at times for a number of reasons.
Doing so comes down to experience, discipline, and knowing yourself. People have their own tips and tricks to get by through the toughest work days. A good work day really means nothing exciting happening. Be attentive to be boring. Be boring to get it done.
3. Thick Skin
You're going to meet a lot of people while working, and most of those people aren't very nice. No matter what you do regardless if it's right, people are going to disagree, and the customer isn't always right. It's moments like these where you'll have to swallow your pride and take the fallout.
The only way to handle those situations is to be calm and explain to the customer the way you were trained to do. Strength in numbers really does help because having a manager come in and back you up is a great feeling. Speaking of which.
4. Hierarchy
When you're at work, there is a clear sense of hierarchy in the place. Understanding where you are can really make your work experience that much easier. Of course, you always should be polite and respectful to everyone but your tone to your co-workers, especially your superiors, defines the entire shift.
Keeping a positive mental attitude and actually mean it can help you tough it out. Try this next trick if it's hard to do so.
5. Lock the clock
Time goes by quicker when you're not looking at the clock. Being engaging and focused on work makes your shift feel like nothing. Some jobs obviously vary in pace making this trick easier than others.
For slow paced jobs, try to bring something (THAT ISN'T YOUR PHONE) to keep yourself occupied with your managers approval of course. Asking to do more work or taking initiative can get your superiors on their good side.
With a variety of jobs out there, some of these tips may help or may not. All in all, it comes down to knowing yourself and adapting to the situation at hand. Both of which comes with time and practice.
Each job requires a different form of skillset and perhaps a lot of practice to get accustomed to. If there's one takeaway from this article, it's this. If you're hired, then that means someone believes in your ability to do the job.
