Happy 1 year anniversary of me officially starting my first ever full-time job! Can you believe it has been 1 full year since I graduated college and actually became a working, productive member of society? I have no idea where the time has gone! In the past year I’ve gone to San Francisco for a work trip, Jamaica for a work retreat, and Cleveland and Boston for two conferences! Thats a lot of traveling for one year of working. In between all of that I have been learning so much about working in an office, what it means to be in the marketing and video industries and life in general! I like to keep details of my job pretty vague on the blog but this is a pretty big milestone for me! So I want to share some of the wisdom I’ve gained over the past year.
So I am a digital content and marketing coordinator for a women-run, woman-owned company in the media production industry. I was an intern for this company for two years in college and then was asked to join the team full-time. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever find a better work environment. We have book clubs, yoga Monday’s, and people bring their dogs in, all while we’re also crushing our goals, hitting numbers and excelling in our industry. I’m currently the youngest at my work (minus our interns that come and go) so I am literally just a sponge soaking in all of knowledge that the fabulous women I work with want to tell me. Every single one of my coworkers inspires me in a different way. And every day I am learning more and more about working full time. Here are just 5 things that I’ve learned so far:
- Attention to detail is everything: At the beginning of my job I made a few typos on things and it was the worst feeling! Typos or grammar errors make a company look unprofessional. Since a lot of what I do is content creation and social media, I will literally proof-read and reread everything I post over and over again. But attention to detail doesn’t just stop at typos. Attention to detail can also include going the extra mile on project to make it better and double checking every little thing is correct before a presentation, conference, etc…
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions: I’ve learned that it’s always better to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. If something doesn’t make sense, I think it’s best to first try to figure it out yourself. But sometimes that doesn’t help and you need to ask for help. There’s no harm in that! If you end up doing something wrong, you could end up messing up a project or wasting a big chunk of your time.
- Own your position and think outside the box: This was the hardest thing for me to grasp in my first year at work. But now I feel like I’m actually starting to do more than just what I’m told. Lately I’ve been trying to get really creative and try new things. I’m also understanding my company more and what my role at the company is, so my thinking on projects is more well-rounded and forward thinking. Sometimes you can get so caught up in just doing your day-to-day tasks that you forget the big picture.
- Sort your priorities everyday: I make lists every single day of what I need to do. It is the best thing to keep me organized and remember any kind of meetings or deadlines I have. Also, make sure deadlines are clear when you have a new project or assignment.
- It’s all about the business: In a work environment where you’re helping to run a business, you should try to remember that personal feelings don’t matter. That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Sometimes you can have disagreements with coworkers or clients and it can really effect you emotionally. Even things in your personal life can effect your work, but its important to try to stay focused and know the business comes first.
My biggest takeaway from the past year is that everything is a learning experience. There have really good days and really bad days but it is especially in those really bad days that I learn the most. Now that one year of my job is down, I really want to step up what I’m doing with my job. I’m no longer a recent college graduate and I have a year of experience under my belt. So I know this is the time to really own what I do with the confidence that I’m more than equipped to handle anything that comes at me. I’m so grateful to work where I do! I know its pretty rare to love and enjoy your first job out of college, but I truly do and I’m excited to see what I learn and accomplish in the next years to come.
Are you celebrating any work anniversaries soon? Comment below!
Thanks for reading! xx