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Email ThisI’ve worked three days in the “real world,” and I can already see a couple of differences between this job and the one in college.
In college, every job that you have had previous to the one you have in college, matters. I was a waitress at Bob Evans for two years, and a nanny one day a week. All of this was looked on as valuable discussion and experience for my job as our school’s newspaper editor.
In the real world, nothing you ever did before holds any bearing—except for in the interview. When I was interviewing for my current job as a reporter, they couldn’t get enough of the stories I had of meeting outrageous deadlines and writing controversial articles. Any time I mention my previous job as a lame-o editor of a school paper now, the room tends to suspiciously silence.
In college, your personal life is all over the job. School employee: “You guys, I’m sorry, I just can’t work. [Sips coffee.] I am having the worst day ever.”
In the real world, your personal life is all over the job. Employee: “You guys, I’m sorry, I just can’t work. [Sips coffee] I am having the worst day ever.”
In college, you have no flippin’ clue how you’ll work 40 hours a week. This is because we take a little thing called a full load of classes and work 30 hours a week.
In the real world, you can just work 40 hours a week. Can you say “angels singing?”
In college, there is no end to the work. Did you ever get to the point while studying for an exam, where you said, “That’s it. I know it all. I can get a wonderful night’s sleep, or go hang out with friends. But, hakuna matata, I have no worries about the exam.” No, you don’t ever do that.
In the real world, you get to leave. There’s an end. A time clock. A shutting off of computers. Sure, you can bring your Blackberry with you and be “one of those,” but you could also not be. “It means no worries, for the rest of your days…”
In college, work is conveniently shortened by school starting or school ending. This means I never have to face my problems. If I don’t like the job, just hold out for long enough and, darn, the school year ended.
In the real world, you have to face your problems. I love my new job, but it’s strange to think I’ll most likely still be working there in September. And October. And November. And March. Shoot.
In college, your work friends are usually your real friends. We wouldn’t just tear our hair out putting together a newspaper every week, we detoxed with a good movie and cried about boyfriends and families together.
In the real world, your work friends are…older than you. I don’t know what to do with myself. Though I am looking forward to getting to know moms, dads, and just older professionals in general, I don’t know if I can watch a chick flick with them.
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Haha. It’s really interesting to see how new graduates view “the real world,” and hard to believe I was there just two years ago.
I remember when I graduated college, I thought, “40 hours a week? This is a breeze compared to what I’ve been doing the last four years!”
A few months later I got more responsibility at my job, and realized that I was never going to work 40 hours a week again. At some point, you work when you have to so you can keep your boss happy and get the job done. It gets just as stressful as school, if not more so because the stakes are a little higher than what your GPA is.
Anyway, interesting read, and good luck with your first professional job!
I had to reread this b/c I wasn’t sure if you were serious. But first of all - congrats on the new job post-college! It is interesting the point you made about knowing that there isn’t an end in sight. In college you knew that in May it was over for a few months. It’s a weird feeling. Also the part about going to a chick flick with coworkers who are older than you - totally can be done. Just because someone is a mom and 20 years older than you doesn’t mean they’re not any fun! It’s actually really cool to get the different perspective on things.
Try going back to being an intern …
First day on the job, you get lots of stares and sympathetic smiles, as if they’re all thinking, “We remember those days, and we’re so glad they’re over!”