When I started what I call my first ‘real’ job, I was barely 18 years old. Now, at 25, minus the few years I’ve spent in university, I have always been employed. I have hardly spent my summer vacations lying about and opted to timelessly fill the slots in my resume by devoting my time to the corporate sector.

Throughout my limited (albeit slightly inexperienced) time span, I’ve learnt a few important lessons in order to survive.

 

 

 

1. Corporations do not necessary love you.

No matter how much they elaborate on employee satisfaction prominently displaying it on the corporate mission statement, it is not entirely true. Corporations, particularly MNC’s strive for nothing short of excellence, they’re constantly hungry for money and are almost never satisfied. Typically, and like any entity sprawling by nature, they are selfish. That is the inevitable truth. No matter how flexible your working hours or satisfactory your bonus may be, they can knock you down and drain you out with so much ease and carelessness. A healthy fact to remember for all you workaholics!

 

2. Do NOT ‘date’ colleagues.

By date, I’m implying casual, simple harmless ‘dinners’ to fully fledged relationships. Getting emotionally involved with someone whom you work with would be an invitation to stir up unwanted drama. I’ve encountered a few lucky escapees who managed to successfully deviate from explosive relationships and are quite happily married. But those who prevail does not triumph the number of those who have succumbed to this nightmare. In my mind, letting your personal life get entangled with your work life, is a recipe for disaster.

 

 

3. Patience always pays off.

Like most things in life, patience is medicine on a tough day at work. However much we secretly yearn to be more patient, we long for a day where we can be shoved aside and let the world run on its own. Unkind days are a part and parcel of life. And with practice, hopefully we will perfect the art of patience and resist the urge to punch certain people on the face.

 

4. Never, ever pass on a chance to LEARN.

Some of us are lucky enough to absolutely love what we do. Some of us choose to remain at pay-the-bills jobs and some of us, are just too afraid of change. Nevertheless, being caught up in either scenario does not limit your ability to learn. Take part in things, don’t dismiss workshops, conventions and organizing office events for chances are that you will learn and discover things you never knew about yourself. Read. Continuously learn more about your job role (despite your love-hate relationship with it) and expand your knowledge about things outside of your little cubicle. Have intelligent conversations with colleagues who will add value to your life, instead of feasting on office gossip.

 

 

5. Colleague does not equel Friend

An error most of us subconsciously seem to make! No matter how friendly your colleague is, do not gleefully categorize them under your ‘best-buddies’ list. If you’re lucky, you will meet a few genuine people within your work environment, and if you’re extremely lucky, you will make an honest friend or two out of them. Sharing your innermost fun-facts with colleagues is quite dangerous knowing how beautifully brutal the corporate culture can be.

 

6. Choose your path to success.

The choice is yours.

 

 

 

 

By Heshani Jayawickrama