Think back to the first job you ever had. There are plenty of options for young workers, and the feeling of earning your own money is great, especially for teenagers. Money tends to go a little further since your parents cover all major expenses. The most important parts of landing your first job are the lessons you ultimately learn from the experience, and they can help guide you through the latter parts of your career whether or not you realize it. Just remember to be and stay smart with your money from a young age. Your old, rich, retired self will thank young you later.
Top 5 Lessons Learned From a First Job
1.) Value of a Dollar
Simply put, most teenagers don’t understand the value of a dollar. But it’s understandable why this happens, especially in America. They don’t understand how hard a family needs to work to pay the bills, and that there are no weeks off. Once a kid starts a first job, they learn how much time and effort go into earning money. They will soon realize how hard parents need to work to keep a roof over their head and food on the table.
2.) Responsibility
Every job involves handling responsibility. Workers are assigned a role, and they need to accomplish whatever the job duties entail. The lessons in responsibility you learn in the workplace can also apply to other areas of life. It doesn’t matter what the actual job responsibilities are, because it’s the lesson that’s important. If a kid doesn’t learn how to be responsible, life will be hard, and it won’t just apply to the workplace.
3.) Passion
If you didn’t enjoy your first job, this probably doesn’t apply. But a growing majority of workers have great experiences with their first role, and experience their first taste of passion in the workplace. When you finally decide which career you’d like to pursue, it needs to be something you are passionate about. The majority of your week will be spent working, but if you are dedicated to what you do, it won’t seem like work. People who enjoy their jobs and love coming into work every day are amongst the most successful.
4.) New Skills
First jobs involve a candidate who has never worked a day in his/her life. As a result, the list of available workplace skills is essentially blank. They haven’t had the time to develop any relevant skills. Taking on a first job will change this. It’s not about on-the-job skills, either. It can be related to work ethic, personality, and other related factors. Any new skills need to be added to a resume and expanded upon. They will certainly help you later.
5.) Money Management
When teens land jobs at a young age, they learn about finances faster. It makes sense, considering they bring home a paycheck and are responsible for budgeting their money. However, the smart kids are the ones who invest at an early age. Once you learn the power of compound interest and the value of investing your money as early as possible, making regular contributions to retirement will become automatic. It’s not out of the question for kids who start investing early to have hundreds of thousands in retirement in their 30’s – 40’s. Being able to manage your money effectively is a powerful tool, especially at a young age. Next time you get a change, get out a financial calculator and do the math for yourself.
Matthew Welch
Latest posts by Matthew Welch (see all)
- Great Jobs with No Degree - July 21, 2015
- Medical Coder Jobs - July 17, 2015
- High Paying Jobs that Didn’t Exist in the Past - July 16, 2015
