When we first get into the work world, there’s a natural tendency to go for the big salaries and the fancy jobs. I definitely see the allure given the contrast to the poor college kid life, but I see the first few years after college a bit differently.

I like making money and I like being proud about the work I’m doing, but these things are secondary for now.

For the short term, my focus is on:

• Learning how organizations work
  • Just about all organizations seem to be pretty similar at the core, especially once you get a feel for a few different industries and company sizes
• Developing a valuable skillset
  • Easily transferable skills such as writing, problem-solving, communicating, coding, accounting, program management, and selling are my primary focus
• Learning about the different career options
  • It’s almost impossible to understand what a field is like until you get to go in the trenches
• Building a network based on mutual trust
  • Obviously cliche, but I’m seeing more and more just how powerful relationships can be
• Finding joy and a level of fulfillment in work
  • I don’t accept that I should dread my time at work, but I think it’s rare that anyone intrinsically loves what they do without making the effort to identify the aspects that help to give them meaning
• Becoming comfortable with increasing responsibility
  • My end goal may or may not be to ascend the ladder with my current company or in my current field, but regardless where I end up, I get the feeling that the experience gained from learning to excel at my job and gain the respect of my coworkers will be invaluable

Sure it’s nice to make money, but I’m betting that knowledge and experience gained now will be more valuable than short-term titles and salaries.

-Brandon