What They Don't Teach You in School

You spend most of your childhood in school preparing yourself for the real world. By the time you finish high school, you are officially an adult and expected to make adult-like decisions. Those that make the decision to go to college to prepare themselves for a career come out of college feeling just as lost and confused as they were going in.

It’s not easy deciding what you want to be when you grow up. Some people never decide, and some people just never grow up. Not everyone is going to be an astronaut, doctor, lawyer or teacher. These were the only jobs that really came into mind when I was in high school. Business was too much sales, politics was too boring, science was too much work, and law was boring and a lot of work.

It’s no wonder that by the time I reached college, I had no idea what I wanted to do because those were the only “valid” options that were presented to me. Anything else meant that I would not get a job or it wouldn’t be practical. Another option was to stay in school as long as possible so you never have to face the fact that you need to get out into the real world.

I lost interest in school early on, and I was eager to get out. I didn’t know what I’d do if I was out. With the many things that had changed my life around when I first started college, I found myself in a sales related position that required a business degree which I didn’t have. Even so, I managed to excel at my work and learn a lot of things I never cared to learn.

I never knew that the corner window cubicle was the most sought after piece of real estate, and when you’re senior enough to land it, everyone else hates you.

People aren’t kidding when they’re using football terms and other phrases such as “low hanging fruit” in meetings and expect you to know exactly what they’re talking about. Golf is the one thing everyone has in common, which is why some business schools are teaching students how to play.

Loitering by the water cooler or the mailroom grants you access to the company’s darkest secrets. Just like in class, people arrive late to meetings and are surprised when they are given a dirty look. The longer your job title is, the less qualified you are at your job.

Even if you’re working in the software industry, selling software products, there will be people who still refuse to use software applications to do their work. I also noticed that professionalism was really hard to find.

You will meet difficult people throughout your life. Even though you may hate group projects in class now, at least in the workplace, your teammates have the pressure of getting fired. That doesn’t stop them from being a backstabber and pretending that everything is great.

I learned so much working for corporate America. The most important thing I took away was that you need to network. As much as I hate to admit it, because I was always against relying on others to get what I want, it’s much easier if you network. Your chances are much higher, especially when two thirds of the workforce is based on referrals. If you get really lucky you may get noticed and find what you’re looking for and be recognized for your talent. Sadly, the real world doesn’t operate on luck all the time so I’m trying to enjoy school life as much as possible before I jump back into it.

Sophia is a communications major who wished politics stayed out of the non-political workplace.