第一份工作教會我們的七件事

Entering the workforce for the first time is going to be as instructive as it will be potentially terrifying. Most of us get jobs when were fairly young， and the realization that we will spend most of our lives answering directly to somebody other than ourselves isnt an easy thing to shake.

The thing is， our first jobs， no matter how ridiculous， are going to stay with us； theyre going to teach us things we would never learn elsewhere， and to a certain extent， shape the person well become later in our professional lives.

Here are seven important lessons youll learn from your first job.

初涉職場會在擔驚受怕中受益匪淺。我們大多數人都是在頗為年輕時就參加了工作，我們意識到了這一點：我們要用大半生的時光直接聽命于某人而不是自己，這件差事并不輕松。

最重要的是，我們的第一份工作，無論多么荒謬可笑，都要和我們捆綁在一起；它會教會我們在其他地方永遠都學不會的一些東西，而且在某種程度上，塑造著我們以后在職業生活中會成為怎樣的人。

這里的七個重要技能經驗可供你在第一份工作時學習借鑒。

People Skills are 90 Percent of Any Job

90%的工作是大眾技能（人際交往能力）

The other 10 percent consists of the actual skills you learned at college or otherwise acquired along the way. The problem is， we dont exist in a bubble； well have to deal with other people pretty regularly.

Knowing how to communicate effectively， as well as being personable， is going to be （for some of us） the hardest part of the job. Even if you work from home as an independent contractor， you still answer to （and will have to interact with） real people.

另外10%的技能才是你在大學中或是在工作中慢慢學到的實戰技能。問題在于我們并非活在氣泡中，我們要定期處理好人際關系。

知道該如何與別人進行有效溝通，自己還要很有風度，這會是（我們部分人的）工作中最困難的部分。即使你在家當一名個體承包商，也還是要（也必須要）與真實社會的人們有人際交往。

You Need to Stay Two Steps Ahead

你要提前先邁出兩步

Our success at our jobs—no matter how the job is—is less about any given moment， day or project， and more about the next. Anticipation is a thing well learn early， whether its anticipating what a customer will want before they know how to ask for it， or anticipating the next demand our boss will make.

If our first jobs teach us anything， its that one of the quickest ways to distinguish ourselves in the workplace is to take initiative. Dont wait around to be told what to do； dont make any assumptions， either， but if youre given a chance to jump on the next thing that needs doing， without being instructed to do so， youll probably be rewarded.

無論手頭這份工作怎樣，我們都從這份工作中取得成功，無關乎特定某刻、某天還是某個項目，而關乎于接下來到底怎樣。預期是我們會在很早就學會的東西，不管是在顧客知道如何開口前就預料到他們的需求，還是在老板開口前就預料到他的下一個要求。

如果我們的第一份工作教會了我們什么的話，那就是：想要在工作環境中最快地脫穎而出，我們需要積極主動。不要等著周圍人告訴你該做什么，自己也不要做任何的假設，但是如果你有機會可以直接開始做下一件事的話，不要等人要求你做你才開始去做，這樣很可能你就會有所回報。

Dont Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

別怕犯錯

Conventional wisdom tells us that human beings learn from our mistakes. Science tells us that we may learn better from our triumphs.

When it comes to tackling a job， youre almost guaranteed to slip up once in a while. Thats what the “learning curve” is all about： its an understanding between you and your boss that youre still getting used to how things work. The thing is， learning is a lifelong process. Youre going to make mistakes. Dreading them， or walking on eggshells all day to avoid them is no way to live.

傳統智慧告訴我們：人類從自己犯過的錯誤中學習經驗教訓。科學告訴我們：我們可以從我們的成就中學到更好的東西。

在處理一項工作時，你幾乎時不時地就會出差錯。這就是“學習曲線”：你和你的老板都會諒解，你還處于適應這項工作的過程中。最重要的是，學習是一個終身性的過程。你會犯錯誤。害怕出差錯，為了避免出差錯而整天如履薄冰，這并不是生活的方式。

Get Used to Monotony

習慣千篇一律

With very few exceptions， most jobs out there are almost painfully dull. There may be slight variations along the way， but for the most part， our jobs will largely consist of the same activities and tasks on a daily basis.

Learning to make the most of a predictable life is important； youll have to find your own ways to change things up from time to time and inject a little bit of variety into your working hours.

多數工作幾乎都讓人感覺痛苦枯燥乏味，只有極少數的工作例外。可能過程中會有輕微的變化，但在多數情況下，我們的工作在很大程度上都是由同樣的日常活動和工作任務組成的。

重點在于學會充分利用生活的可預見性，你得時不時用自己的方式來改變一下，給你的工作時間注入一點多樣性。

Youre Going to Work With People You Dont Like

你會和你不喜歡的人一起工作

This might be the most important takeaway from our first jobs. Its tempting to think that after you accept a job， youll find yourself among like-minded individuals who have everything in common with you. In fact， on occasion， you may end up feeling like you should take some animal repellant to work with you.

這可能會是我們第一份工作要面臨的一大最重要的挑戰。你接受一份工作后，你會發現自己與志趣相投的人很容易打交道，這樣的環境想想就挺吸引人的。其實有時候，你可能還感覺你應該與自己排斥的人一起工作。

Accept Any Job That Can Be Risky

接受有風險性的工作

Getting hired is， for most of us， a cause for celebration， and for good reason. Its a culmination of a potentially months-long process of drawn-out interviews and waiting and worrying. Unfortunately， what comes next is anything but certain.

Unless youre the CEOs daughter， your continued employment is far from assured. Neither is your financial stability. Learning not to take anything for granted is one of the most important life lessons youll ever learn.

找到工作，對于我們多數人來說，可謂是件值得慶賀的事情，并且有著充分的理由可以慶祝一番。長達數月的面試、焦急地等待面試結果，讓人很受煎熬。不幸的是，接下來迎接你的只有不確定。

除非你是首席執行官的女兒，否則你的繼續受聘達不到十拿九穩的地步。你的財務狀況也會不穩定。學會對什么都不要想當然，這是你將會學到的最重要的人生課程之一。

Getting Hired is Only the Beginning

找到一份工作只是開了個頭而已

So youve successfully landed a job. Thats great， but youre still far from knowing everything you need to know about performing the job and， more importantly， immersing yourself in the culture of your new workplace.

There are peoples names to learn and organizational procedures to memorize. Just because you work there now doesnt mean youre on even footing with your new co-workers； its going to take time and effort to make yourself a truly valuable piece of the puzzle. Find your strengths in the workplace and what kind of skills you offer that others cant to make yourself truly valuable.

那么，你成功找到一份工作了。真的很棒，但你對自己手頭這份工作的重點的了解還相距甚遠，而這個重點在于把自己沉浸在你的新工作場所的文化氛圍中。

要記住人們的名字和公司的組織架構。只是因為你現在在那里工作，并不代表你跟你的新同事可以平起平坐；讓自己變得真正有價值需要時間和努力。在工作環境中找到自己的優勢，找到你有而別人沒有的某些技能，讓你真正有價值。