If you had asked me this question four years ago, I would have said:
"Your first job isn't that important. It's just about trying things out. It doesn't matter if you do something you're interested in."
But now, I'll tell you: "Your first job really IS important!"
Why is it important?
Think back to your first job—what factors did you think were important?
If you haven't entered the workforce yet or switched jobs, what was your "imagination" of your first job back then?
For me personally, looking back, I believe your first job will reshape your personal values, establish your perspective on the workplace environment, influence how you interact with others, and shape your work behavior and habits. In such a subtle atmospheric influence, salary is absolutely not the key.
Rather, it's the people, matters, communication styles, overall atmosphere, and organizational size within the company that are interconnected factors. The importance of these factors will affect how you view things, your trust in certain people, and can even leave lasting emotional scars.
This first part of the article centers on the insights my first job gave me. The second part will summarize why it's important.
For me, my first job helped me "see the truth"
1. The workplace is not a school
This concept may seem straightforward, but what exactly are the differences? First, there's a change in identity. When you're a student, you have no conflicting interests with your classmates. But once you enter the workplace, everyone has interests at stake. These interests might be hierarchical—senior versus junior—or involve different departments with completely opposing positions.
The workplace is not like school, where people constantly teach you.
When you first join a company, there's a probationary period. During this time, if you meet good seniors who teach and guide you step by step, you should feel grateful.
Because no one is obligated to train a newcomer. If a senior proactively pays attention to your situation, that's a good thing. But most of the time, seniors don't have time and aren't aware of your problems. If you naively think people will teach you simply because you're new, that's the wrong mindset.
(Further reading: Asking seniors for advice—sometimes it's not about "not understanding" but about "showing the right attitude"—analyzing 5 types of newcomer attitudes)
2. Don't treat coworkers as friends
You might think that compatible people at work can be treated as friends, but that's not actually the case.
Building on the previous point, there are "conflicting interests" between company coworkers. Although not everyone may care about these interests, if even one such coworker appears, they could seriously harm you.
I've encountered coworkers who are very concerned about "salary," "performance," "bonuses," and other forms of self-promotion. They get envious if others don't receive equal rewards for their efforts. They may not say it out loud, but they will "fake kindness."
For example, they might approach you with concern, help guide you through mistakes, and after you've opened your heart to them, they "exchange salary slips" with you, pretending to be generous and willing to share, saying things like "I'm treating you as a friend," or "I'm only telling this to you." Once you've shared your secrets with them, they turn around and "leak it privately," letting you experience what betrayal really feels like.
When you haven't figured out someone's true character, never tell coworkers your innermost thoughts. You won't know who they're actually friends with or whether they use the same "caring routines" to manipulate every new employee.
(Further reading: Workplace rhetoric: does "just for reference" really mean just for reference?)
Insight Two: Company culture influences your perception of the workplace
1. Coworker communication patterns establish work habits
The communication styles I'm referring to here consist of surface and deeper levels.
On the surface, there's "face-to-face communication," "written communication," "instant messaging," "phone calls." On a deeper level, there's whether coworkers can **"speak truthfully," **embrace "diversity and openness," or have "free inter-department interaction." All of these affect your work behavior and habits.
For example, when you first join a company, you might not have figured out everyone's consistent communication style. If you join a company where everyone uses "instant messaging," but you love getting up and walking over to communicate "face-to-face," you'll easily give everyone a "weird" first impression.
You might think there's nothing wrong with it, but "the environment is like a dye vat," leaving you disoriented. Maybe to make yourself more comfortable at work, you gradually change and are forced to change. So how you communicate in your first job becomes very important, because once you get used to a certain method, when you move to another company, you might already be set in your ways and unable to adapt.
Especially with your first job—if everyone uses instant messaging and you move to the next place, you might get used to being silent at work and replying by message, but new coworkers might all prefer face-to-face communication. That wouldn't be good. Therefore, every job change requires adjusting your mindset and habits, and that's very important.
2. Coworker communication atmosphere affects your personality
This might sound like an exaggeration, but continuing from the previous point, the communication style among coworkers consists of whether they **"can speak truthfully," **embrace "diversity and openness," and have "free inter-department interaction."
If your workplace environment allows coworkers to "critique the matter, not the person"—to give direct, honest suggestions, be stern without being insulting, and help each other improve—that's a good thing.
Conversely, if everything is always "softened," with the belief that speaking up will hurt others, or worse, "attack the person, not the matter," bringing up unrelated issues, the overall environment might gradually develop into mutual criticism and suspicion in a vicious cycle. You'll inevitably get hurt in the process and harbor resentment.
You should also observe whether the overall company culture is diverse and open—whether it accepts suggestions from newcomers without seeing it as overstepping; whether it handles business matters through "discussion"; whether different departments are equal and don't think hierarchy matters; and whether interaction is very free with few unspoken rules. All of these indicate a healthier workplace environment.
Working in such a company will gradually help you develop a healthy mindset, allowing you to pursue excellence at work rather than getting caught up in interpersonal power struggles, which over time can make you mentally ill and crush you under stress.
【Work Insights Series—Five Articles in Part 2】
First Job Insights (Part 2-1): Not Only Choose a Good Company, But Also Choose a Good Manager
First Job Insights (Part 2-2): Separate the Issue from the Person, Don't Let Emotions Guide You
First Job Insights (Part 2-3): Doing the Work Well is Basic; Being a Good Person is More Important
First Job Insights (Part 2-4): You're Not Omnipotent, Don't Take Everything On
First Job Insights (Part 2-5): Cultivate a Mature Work Attitude: Learn to Express Your Position
