I'll tell you some beginner stories. Age 15 I got a job cleaning rooms and a Budget Motel. It was hard work. I was trained for a day or two. The third day, I was feeling more confident that I could clean these rooms faster and get off early. But they wanted me to train another girl. My third day on the job. So I was teaching her and she was basically standing there. I would show her how to do something and she would mess it up. It was like cleaning motel rooms and babysitting and I was 15. I decided, I'm doing all the work, I've shown her how to do these rooms. We are going to be here forever, so I suggested we split up. I assigned her some rooms and I took an equal number. By this time I was exhausted. I just wanted out of there. I decided to cut corners. If something looked clean, I wasn't gonna vacuum. I think I may have left some sheets on the bed. When I left my last room, I asked her if she was finished. She looked sheepish and defeated. We went to clock out in the office. The manager looked at us incredulously and confidently said, Let's go check the rooms.
She marched us over to the rooms and went through each one. To my horror, the rooms the other girl did were terrible. Sheets were messy with no square corners, simple things were obviously undone. As we went through the rooms, the manager was growing increasingly more disgusted. Then, the moment I will not forget, one room had used soap and hair in the bathtub. That was when I was hot red with embarrassment. We were instructed to redo the rooms. I never said I quit, I just only went back for my paycheck.
Another job, in fast food. I was so anxious I couldn't think straight, make sense of what I was doing, or remember things. People wanted things done fast, pressure was on, and people were taking this fast food shit serious. On the second day I had such painful menstrual cramps I was dizzy and asked to go home. The manager was kind, I remember that. I grew a bit more comfortable in my job, but I wasn't really respected. You know that when you are assigned to bus tables in fast food. Well, I went on a break and I sat there flirting with a cute coworker. He was telling me my break was over, but I was new to the working world and not accustomed to responsibility. When I returned from my break after 45 minutes, my manager was livid. He scolded me. Again, I was so embarrassed and humiliated I stopped going to work.
I have a professional job now that I'm older and I can give some tips. Breathing deeply and slowly really does help you relax. This is important because it helps you pay attention and learn. If something doesn't work, doesn't make sense, don't be afraid look dumb when you ask about it. You will need to know and you don't want to find out the hard way. Take notes if you can. Create genuine relationships with people. They are more likely to value you and mentor you. If you don't let them get to know you, they will be harsher with you. Convey confidence. If you show insecurity others will doubt your capabilities. You need the respect of others to be trusted to learn more. Relationships are the most important part of the job. When people get under your skin, take the high road. Bite your tongue. You want to stay neutral so that no one goes on the offensive. DO NOT GOSSIP. As the new person, there are all kinds of hidden employee conflicts, friendships, loyalties, and romances. Your words can get you ostracized by those who know the ropes. When others gossip, listen and stay neutral. Pay attention to who the bosses and people in power respect. These are all people you want in your corner. Work hard. Bosses like self managing employees. They don't like to deal with babysitting. This means get to work on time; pay attention to the details; if you cut corners IT WILL BE NOTICED. Pay attention to what is important to your boss, kinda like learning what a teacher in school expects. Different bosses appreciate different things.
Goodnight, I'm super sleepy. Hope you have some ideas.