Women of reddit, how did you fit in your first job and the new lifestyle changes that came with it?

6 comments

1. My first ever job was working at a daycare as soon as I graduated from highschool. It was just supposed to be a summer job so I wasn’t too terribly worried about fitting in. Although it didn’t take long as the kids loved me as soon as I started. I had these little ones coming up to me talking me stories about their mommy’s and daddy’s. Asking me questions about life. Coming to me when they scraped their knee or bonked their head. The thing is that job is what made me realize that I wanted to be a teacher. I have worked many jobs since to get through college but my first job holds a special place in my heart for that reason!

2. My first job was a job that was heavily customer service based so it was definitely harder to get used to. I’m still at that job along with another one but it has definitely gotten easier to talk to customers/not take rude customers to heart. Can’t deny tho the job have help with my customers service skill a lot/making conversation/selling.

3. My first job was a waitress at a mom and pop diner as a teen. It did not go well.

   During the interview, they knew it would be my first job, and they said they preferred people without experience because it meant they could train them how they wanted. I now can look back seeing that for the red flag it was- they liked new because it’s easier to take advantage of inexperienced people.

   They didn’t let us report our tips, and they gave me the worst, slowest shifts, so I often went home with less than $20, and they only paid $4/hr, so I was making less than minimum wage.

   The family that worked there was very cliquey. They didn’t like me. They were the look down their noses at you type.

   Before getting a job, I was taught to always try to be or at least look busy. So I busied myself a lot. Wiping counters, sweeping, cleaning random things like shelves filled with condiments, cleaning windows, etc. I didn’t want to get in trouble if they saw me just standing around, so I just tried my best to always find something to do. But instead, they would see me cleaning something and say “so-and-so already did that” in a condescending tone like I was in trouble for doing it.

   I was so glad to quit that place.

   The liftstyle change I didn’t mind. I was really excited to have a job and earn money.

4. My first job was an editor for a Real Estate company. They paid pretty good money for the job actually but the environment was toxic and I was just a kid. I was always tired and nervous and honestly I didn’t last long there – everyone eas talking behind the others back and my boss eas shitty little nugget who thought he does everything but it was his wife actually that run the place

5. I didn’t. I have no friends at work.

6. My first job out of college was in a TV control room, before digital video. We had huge racks of tapes and soooo many players for them. I often ran the audio board for the local news.

   Anyway the job was very technical. Fast paced at times and timing was absolutely critical. Fitting in with the crew was a matter of learning the job and doing it well. There was no room for mistakes because mistakes were seen by the whole town. Being a good team member made for a positive work experience.

   It was a great job and a lot of fun, but horribly underpaid, but I moved up quickly into the news room. Also horribly underpaid.

   The lifestyle change from school to full time work was not unexpected and I never had trouble with it. We certainly didn’t have the digital lives we have now, so work was work, home was home. It’s what we did.