Take up that first ‘boring’ job!

Your first job search has finally come to an end. You have signed your contract and the reporting date has been confirmed.

You walk back home and all is not okay.  You are not excited as expected and something at the back of your mind keeps telling you that it is not your dream job. What do you do?

A high percentage of people don’t get their first employment in their ‘dream jobs’. Majority start with jobs that they never thought they would do or in fields that are unrelated to what they studied.

These are mostly sales, clerical, customer service, marketing, sales, data entry, manual and errand jobs among others. Some would call them “boring jobs.”

So, is it necessary to do these jobs or one should just wait until the RIGHT job with the RIGHT pay comes along?

I would like to encourage you that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. You may not be in control of where your first step will be but you will have control over your subsequent steps if you take this first one.

These kinds of jobs are very important in your career and should never be taken for granted. They develop and mould your career journey. They expose you to the workplace environment with people who work together to achieve a purpose at personal and organizational levels.

As you work, you realize that you have interacted with so many people, products and services, and you begin to build life skills such as; how to relate with colleagues, teamwork, timekeeping, customer service, negotiation as well as interpersonal, analytical, social, and communication skills.

These skills are a necessity as they build your professional career.

Whether you studied, law, economics, political science or business, you will require the soft skills to propel your technical skills into a better and more fulfilling career.

If you do not excel in the soft skills in this first job, it is unlikely that you will excel in your professional career as fast as others who can demonstrate strength in the soft skills ceteris paribus.

These soft skills may look very simple and obvious, but they are very key as you grow in your career. Always appreciate such exposure. Every day you will gain experience, and as days go by you gain more confidence that will help you in your next job.

That said, never despise your first job. Know your end goal. This is your first step into the professional ladder. Work hard, if possible take up new roles and start developing your networks.

While at it, be on the lookout for jobs that are aligned with your career but not at the expense of what you have.

The writer, Winnie Rono, is an HR professional.