Let's Talk About Adulting
By Kaitlyn Ender
Let's Talk About...
Work & Career
One of the most important milestones during emerging adulthood is getting a job and establishing a career. While many emerging adults pursue higher education, others may join the workforce straight out of high school. Emerging adults learn a lot from their first jobs; they discover their passions, pick up valuable skills, and begin to earn a living wage. In recent years, it's common for emerging adults to experience later entry into the workforce, with many spending the majority of their 20s figuring out their long-term career. Let's look at what emerging adults have learned about working during this time in their lives.
Orchid, a 20-year-old direct care worker and fan of thriller novels...
I currently work as a direct care worker in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. It’s truly one of the hardest yet most fulfilling things I’ve done yet. Caring for other people gives me a sense of purpose. I actually think working where I do has helped me figure myself out a lot. It’s especially helped me get more of an insight into what I want to do for an actual career. I’m currently in school working on general education stuff, but I think I’d like to work towards a degree in social work. I like this field of work a lot and I think I’d want to stick to it.
Orchid, thank you for doing what you do! I'm glad that your job has helped guide you towards your passions! I am actually pursuing social work, so I share a similar interest as you in that department! I'm sure that the hands-on experience that you're getting at your current job will help make you an even better social worker :)
Snowdrop, a 22-year-old aspiring wildland firefighter and lover of the outdoors…
Work/career, man oh man I have worked so many places in my life. Started I believe when I was early 17 and been working ever sense. Worked at a golf course for 4 seasons, worked for an engineering company for 2 years, worked in retail, work at a park, worked for a fire department. In the time frame, yes many of those jobs have been at the same time. I set a goal on what money I need to make, and I work hard for it. I worked 70ish hours a week one summer. Lessons I learned is don't work harder than you get paid. Enjoy life, take days off and enjoy what you do, don’t slave for a paycheck.
Sunflower, a 20-year-old workout enthusiast majoring in biochemistry…
I have worked a couple jobs, but nothing serious yet since I'm a student. I was a nanny in high school for two years for a family in my neighborhood, and then I went to college and started working in retail during my freshman year (BIG mistake LOL). After that nightmare ended, I began working as a banquet server for almost a year before the pandemic hit, and it was SO fun! I have learned so many life skills with the jobs I have worked, and I'm really looking forward to future part-time jobs during college and internships to further gain more skills and knowledge! I really hope to go into anything in the field of forensic science once I graduate! I've learned that you won't always get along with your boss or your coworkers, but sometimes sacrificing good work-relationships is worth it if you're gaining new skills and knowledge from the job (and if it pays well lol!). But, also that money isn't everything. I know that when I begin my career post-college I absolutely will strive to have a career that I am happy in, because no matter how much money I will make or can make, I will never be fully satisfied or fulfilled if I don't enjoy the career I'm in.
Sunflower, you make such a good point about loving what you do! I totally agree; while money is necessary to live comfortably, it is so important to actually enjoy your job. What I've learned is that if you are truly passionate about you do, you'll be even better at it, which will in turn make you more successful. It's obvious when someone enjoys their work or not, so I highly encourage everyone to follow their passions-the rest will fall into place.
Cosmo, an 18-year-old incoming college student and creator of art and music…
I will be going to college to discover my passions further in explore different career paths. It can be very stressful not knowing exactly what I will be doing for the rest of my life as a career, but it’s also an exciting thing that leaves windows of opportunity open.
Dahlia, a 20-year-old English major working at her college’s writing center…
Everything is online which has changed quite a few things! Thankfully it doesn’t effect how I enjoy my job- I’m a consultant at my university’s writing center. I’ve never loved a job more. In high school, I naturally jumped around in the food industry from being a waitress at a Coney Island, to a pizza place, to another pizza place, and finally to a dining hall at school (which I hated). It fits because in the future I want to be a writer. First though, I will head into publishing so I can establish myself that way first. I’ve learned a lot about working and what constitutes as good work. As a result of that, I tend to be better with the money I make and how I spend it.
Violet, a 17-year-old that loves drawing and is planning to attend community college...
I started working over the summer of 2020 and I absolutely loved it. I love being able to work, because it’s so satisfying to achieve something and see your rewards for doing so. I’m currently waiting for my job to start back up, since it’s seasonal. I put in lots of hours over the summer, and got a pretty nice tax return. I would say it’s hard to get myself going in the morning to get ready, and to keep pushing through during the day until I’m off. I have learned that work is so important to me, since it allows me to really focus on something and do it well. It’s a good distraction from everything else for a little bit. Someday, I want to be an educator. I love learning and I never want to stop. I want to share everything I’ve learned with people, and I’ve been this way my whole life. Learning and teaching are two very important things to me, and it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life.
Daffodil, a 22-year-old aspiring teacher and sports lover…
I want to be a teacher!! I don’t really think I have anything in depth to say about this question. I always had part time jobs in high school and right now I’m working 2 jobs while taking 19 credits in college so it’s been rough but it’s not something that I’ve ever thought of a ton because I can’t afford to not work. Being busy has helped me manage my time better though.
Blossom, a 20-year-old art-lover living at home…
In this area I just want to give a word of advice. It took me a long time to accept who I really was and what I really wanted to do. It's so important to dig deep. If you have dreams, go for them. I'm going for mine. I don't know if I'll make it. In fact, it's more unlikely than it is likely. But that's not going to stop me. I'm sure it sounds over-said, but there's a reason it's been said so many times. Don't ever give up. I believe anything can be done. Lesson: Follow your heart!
Blossom, I totally agree with your advice. You have to go for what you want in life, especially during emerging adulthood. This is the time to try new things, fail a few times, and figure out passions in life. I'm glad you are going for your dreams and not letting anything deter you!
My perspective...
I started my first job when I was a junior in college. I worked as a peer writing consultant at the Sweetland Center for Writing at UofM. I absolutely loved my job. I started training for it as a sophomore; I had to take two classes in preparation for the position. I learned a lot about writing center theory, but most of all I gained a lot of practical experience working with a variety of students on campus.
My work consisted of one-on-one appointments with writers. When I first started I worked in the actual writing center, which was a small room located in the library across from my dorm. I was so nervous during my first few appointments, but eventually I got the hang of it and figured out what worked best for me as a consultant. In the past year, all sessions have been virtual, but I still really enjoyed it.
One of my favorite parts about my job was the satisfaction I gained from helping writers. After a successful session, I felt so accomplished. The writers I worked with expressed so much gratitude for my assistance, so I always felt really appreciated. My job also allowed me to learn a lot about each writer as a person and about their discipline. I read so many papers during my time as a consultant, which allowed me to learn a little bit about a LOT of subjects. I also got to know some of the writers more personally, which was really exciting.
One thing I realized about working is that practice does make perfect (well, perfect isn't realistic, but practice does make you good at what you do.) Over time, I learned how to "turn on" my consultant abilities. When a session began, I knew exactly how to greet the writers and lead the consultation. I got really good at responding to a piece of writing on the spot and I was constantly improving my ability to read quickly and problem solve.
Now that I am newly graduated, I am also leaving my job at the writing center. I will miss it so much. This job made me realize that I do really enjoy interpersonal work and that I want to have a job that allows me to help people.