Wednesday, December 21, 2011

First month of working

After a little over a month at my new job, things are finally starting to feel a little bit more familiar. The learning curve is still pretty steep, but little by little I can feel the progress. Some of the main differences I've noticed between working and studying: In a reverse of the usual, I'll start with CONS and then move to PROS:  

CONS
  1. It's not okay to "miss class" i.e. just not show up to work one day
  2. "Passing" is not enough, your mistakes have more serious consequences than you not getting a good grade
  3. It can be a little monotonous 

PROS
  1. GETTING PAID (I'm sorry if this sounds a little mercenary, but after 24 years as a student/intern/volunteer getting a real salary feels kind of good) (Aside: I promise to invest in community and worthwhile causes!) 
  2. Being able to leave work at work (yes, there are exceptions to this particularly around deadlines, but it's nice to be able to go home and veg without the ever-looming homework assignment) 
  3. Getting out of theory and into practice Yes, I have stacked the odds so that they are even, and I'm sure everyone has a different experience. Overall, despite any challenges or occasional bouts of boredom, after all the months of job-searching, I'm grateful to have found something that both pays the bills and is intellectually stimulating and rewarding. I wish everyone the best on their job search and career development, and happy holidays!