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Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business. After working in corporate communications, freelance writing and reporting, he co-founded 
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New here? Employee Evolution is dedicated to helping the Millennial generation answer the hard-hitting questions that come with the biggest transition of our lives. Be sure to visit our about section for the full story. Since you're here, check out our best articles in the archives. We've also put together a list of some Millennial-friendly employers on our jobs page. Any questions? Feel free to contact us.
Most of us end up hating our entry-level jobs. But I sometimes wonder, is it really the job that we hate or something else?
It was only a year ago when I first stepped into the corporate world. Like any optimistic twentysomething, I walked into my first day and gave my new responsibilities undivided focus and attention, trying to learn the ropes and taking every chance to prove myself.
As the weeks went by, my frustrations grew. I became not such a go-getter. I just got through the days. I came to the only conclusion I could–my job sucked.
But all of my friends were complaining about their jobs, too. It was definitely the job–not just me. So I started searching online for better career options, while plugging away from 9 to 5 every day.
Right before I gave up on finding another job, in came the offer to start Brazen Careerist. After considering my options – either stay at a job I hated or try something new – I decided to take a leap. It’s been a rollercoaster ride that’s taught me the most valuable lesson of all: I never really hated my corporate job. Instead, I now know that I just hated the transition I was making into the real world.
What I’ve learned is that entrepreneurship is hard, more stressful than cubicle life ever was, and a hell of a lot more emotionally trying than anything I’ve ever experienced. So despite layoffs and all the offbeat training sessions, the corporate world is a pretty comfortable place. You get to go to a place every day and get told exactly what it is you need to get done. If you want to do more, you can. But if you don’t, that’s pretty much alright too.
A steady paycheck, paid vacations, health insurance – so easy to take for granted when you don’t know what it’s like to not have them. All the BS you put up with might be worth it when you’re looking at things from the outside in.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d never encourage someone to stay in the corporate world who has always dreamed of something more. And I’m glad I decided to leave. But before you make a decision you might someday regret, decide whether you really hate your current situation or if it might be just the transition that we all go through that’s got you down.
More often than not, I think it’s just the transition that eats at us. So make sure you’re putting the blame exactly where it belongs and don’t make a decision based on the fact that we’re all finally growing up.
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I talked about this exact issue with my 2nd level manager today. I work in Research & Development for a large Aerospace company in Wichita, Kansas. I grew up in Long Island, NY and went to school in upstate New York. Now my first job after school is in the middle of no where. I been having a rough time here and I’ve been complaining at every opportunity. It’s hard to separate the two variables, whether it’s the transition or Wichita. I have no friends, no hobbies, things are sort of bland here. Subconsciously it’s a self fulfilling prophecy. Complain enough, and revolt enough, then inevitably you will be the creator of your on unhappiness.
So, my question is, and feel free to enlighten me, how do you change this or evolve your perspective, and basically come to terms with things?????
Ken:
I can’t imagine that moving from Long Island to Wichita is very easy. I just moved from NJ to Wisconsin last October and the transition wasn’t easy at all.
I think your situation is a little different because (and stop me if I’m wrong) it’s not your job you hate, but its location. My advice is to do your best to immerse yourself in the city. Wichita is no NYC, but I’m sure if you put yourself out there you could meet people and make the best of the situation.
But seriously, nobody can blame you for complaining because new places are never easy. But as long as you love what you’re doing with the aerospace thing, stick it out. I’m sure when the time is right you can get out of Kansas and use your skills in a place that’s way more enjoyable.
Good luck!
Wow. Those are certainly true words, Ryan. Part of me feels like if I rebel enough, complain enough, stand my ground and go against the grain (at least in my mind), then there’s still hope. Hope for a better life, more fulfilled with happiness, challenges, and as you said roller-coasters of emotion. I think it’s a great thing to really put yourself out there. I also think that many of us are in a place right now that, while we’d really like to take the giant leap, we may not know ourselves or this world well enough to know which way to jump or where we’d like to land. For now, my whiney complaints help me hold onto the hope that someday I’ll find something more to use my college-earned skills and undiscovered talents toward.
Ryan, I definitely agree that a corporate/traditional work environment can be a pretty secure, comfy place to hang out. Maybe the thing is that security and comfort aren’t always as satisfying as we think they would be. Maybe getting out there and creating something that we want or implementing some idea we have is ultimately more satisfying, even though it’s not as comfortable. You certainly have a better idea of this than I do though, as I’m still sitting in a cube!
Definitely dead on with this one. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and you nailed it. Good insight.
Lillian:
Don’t stop being a rebel!
What’s important to realize is that sometimes we make rash decisions based on the fact that we’re unhappy with something that’s not going to change with a career swap. Keep fighting for something better, but be conscious of the fact that the transition is hard and our lives all suck a little right now — good job, bad job or no job.
Amanda:
This is true, getting out there and creating something for yourself can be a lot more rewarding. But the stress level is very high. Still, if you feel that you need a change in your life deep down in your gut, go for it.
Another thing to remember is that there are other places in our lives that we can create things, not just our careers. Create a new hobby, get out and make new friends, get a tattoo, whatever…
Rachel:
Thanks! Glad we’re hovering on the same wavelength.
-RP
Great post Ryan!
For many, working for the man is their best option. If you’ve ever seen ‘The Matrix’ and couldn’t relate to the people walking around downtown in suits looking brain dead, then maybe full-time employment is for you!
Complaining is not the answer. Figure out what is bothering you exactly and take action. You also have to admit mistakes - maybe I moved to the wrong city, took the wrong job, etc. Don’t stay somewhere because you’re afraid to admit a mistake. I did a Master’s degree in Engineering and so it took a few years of work to change course. There are actually many good reasons not to be happy in a cubicle. Many employers abuse their staff in many ways that aren’t always recognizable to the recent grad.
Don’t be afraid to change and try new things. If you discover you’re not an entrepreneur, or running a business is not for you, there are always lots of full-time jobs waiting, just for you! Muhahahaaha o;)
Ryan - Excellent point that the transition stage can be the culprit, causing stress or bored dissatisfaction. You have hit on a characteristic cited by those who study the “emerging adulthood” phase. Maybe it’s not necessary to change employers so quickly. People can learn to be entrepreneurial in many larger, established company environments if they take the initiative and find bosses and mentors who will encourage new ideas and challenges.
What I find interesting, maybe amusing, and perhaps it is because I come from the professional services arena (law, accounting, consulting, financial services, etc.) is the expressed belief of at least some Millennials (stated in your post too) that working for someone else is a 9-5 proposition. I don’t know anyone who works full-time who works such short hours for themselves or someone else! So maybe there is a problem with expectations - that it is possible to work from 9-5 and still have really stimulating work, high pay and good prospects for moving up. Fundamental business principles in today’s global world suggest the need for a reality check.
Having said that, I am not a believer in 24/7 work insanity, and I am an advocate of flexibility. The issue for many people is not so much whether they work in the corporate world or not but whether they have control over their work and life.
this transition is challenging. THe college to work switch is a weird and tough punch in the face.
I also left my corportate job for my own venture. Dreams of $$ rolling in leading my own life - soon showed the tough side. (I love it and it is successful) although I work now with greater passion than ever.
The corporate world is only what you make of it. Keep a solid core of beliefs and stay true to yourself. Surround yourself with people in the organization who are positive (there are some out there) and love your work and relize that where you are is where you are meant to be!
I don’t know Ryan, I think entry level jobs do suck. That’s why they give them to the entry level people. I had the same experience when I was in my early 20s. But once I got through the first three years of my career, I got past the entry level crap and liked my jobs a lot more. I think the challenge new college grads have today is that they have to deal with the suckiness of entry level jobs in addition to dealing with higher-level people who aren’t dealing well with the transition into the 21st Century.
GenerationXpert:
I think entry-level jobs suck too. And higher-level people who don’t realize that times, they are a-changing don’t help either.
But does making an enormous career switch help? That’s the question here.
For some people, it’s great. All frustrations aside, I’m glad I made the switch. But some people do it thinking that it’s going to make their lives easier. In most cases that’s not going to happen.
Like you said, after a few years of entry-level crap you were a lot happier. So maybe some members of my generation just need to persevere.
What do you think?
For me, it never got better. I jumped around to different companies and gained more experience. But it boiled down to these things
-I didn’t like commuting for hours to and from work
-I didn’t like working in a cubicle
-I didn’t like doing work I wasn’t passionate about
-I didn’t like the money or all the paycheck deductions
-I didn’t like most of my coworkers
etc
Nowadays I still don’t really like the work, but I make a lot more money and do it on my terms (eg. right now I’m working remotely from home, I get paid by the hour including overtime, I pay low business taxes, etc).
If you decide to stay where you are, at least create a plan so you don’t end up being there for the rest of your life.
interesting post, ryan.
“…the corporate world is a pretty comfortable place. You get to go to a place every day and get told exactly what it is you need to get done.”
i have to disagree on this one - sometimes managers don’t tell you exactly what you need to get done because they have no idea what to do themselves! x_x
seriously though, i think 99% of the population is content with this; go to the office, finish your work, get paid, go home. but it’s the 1% who are coming up with new ideas, building new businesses - much like yourself!
one more thing…
i’ve noticed that a lot of recent grads fall completely devoted to their jobs for the first year or so. they hide in their cubicles for 60 hours a week or more without seeing their friends for weeks on end. this is a huge shock to many of their minds and bodies which are usually so used to juggling half a dozen extracurricular activities from college, things that they once found fulfilling. i suggest checking out some volunteer work or picking up a sport again, and don’t say you don’t have enough time; just fit it in somehow. the transition to work life doesn’t have to mean completely resigning yourself to an entry-level job you don’t like. i think it’s healthier to see it as just a small part of your daily life…that is, until you can find your absolute dream job, which you will love to work on 24/7.
Ryan:
I think it’s okay to jump jobs when you are getting started. That’s what I did. It took two jumps to at least get to a place where the people were cool - even if my salary was really bad. However, I just may be more sensitive than other people. If I’m working with people who I like and respect and who respect me and my intelligence, then I am willing to do whatever (however, I did go to college before online registration and developed a high tolerance for drollness while waiting in line for hours to pick up my classes). If I’m working with people I can’t stand I - 1) bring home a miserable attitude and 2) tend to get really lippy with people which also gets me in trouble.
So I guess my point is that it is just hard getting your career started, the entry level jobs do suck (that’s not all in your mind), and the only way to prevail is to keep truckin’. If that means switching jobs, that’s alright. If that means sticking it out because you work with good people and there is advancement potential or somthing to learn, that’s alright, too. What you shouldn’t do is give up. That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned in my career. No matter how bad things were, I always knew somehow that I was smart and I could do anything I wanted, I just need to figure out how to get that done.
Where I feel bad for young professionals is when they first are getting started. If you were like me, you were told your whole life to go to college and you’ll get a good job, etc. But I didn’t realize that the degree just puts you at the starting line. It just gives you enough to APPLY for the job, not necessarily get it. Seriously, you may have a friend who went to beauty school and is making more than you right now. But it doesn’t stay like that. By the time you hit 30, all that “go to college and get a good job” rhetoric becomes reality.
Entry level jobs were lousy in the past and are lousy now. The expectations that a college degree will give you an interesting and challenging job immediately after you graduate is unrealistic. The reality is that everyone has to go through a “start up” time. Sometimes it takes more than a few jobs to find something you like and sometimes you find a job where you really like one part of it, but the rest of it is just ok or dull. As for sitting in cublicles, the new offices will have everyone up to senior officers out in cubicles next to you. In two companies I know the newer you are, the closer to the window you are.
Make your job something. Ask for more work. Stay late and talk to your supervisor or supervisor’s boss after hours. You can only make it better.
As for Wichita, I had to spend a week there, it is the only place in the U.S. where I refuse to return, but there is always something to do no matter where you are, You just have to be open and find it. Use your internet skills and find something you want to volunteer to do. In about 2 seconds I found a place where you can volunteer for the festival in May.
Great point Ryan. I never knew entrepreneurship was so difficult and stressful until I tried it. Now I know why most people stick to corporate America. That said, it’s well worth the ride to give it a shot.
Even though entry level jobs usually aren’t all that interesting or challenging, they provide 20 somethings with the opportunity to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in the workplace and learn what motivates them. I wouldn’t trade the expereince that I had for anything…even thought I was underpaid, given less than challenging work and under appreciated (at least initially). I leaned alot about communicating and working with people and doing a great job even on the stuff that doesn’t matter that much. In the end, it paved the way for a very successful, rewarding career because I learned what was important to me and followed that path.