SomaliNet Forums

During the last few weeks I've had a full time job (partly responsible for why this website hasn't been updated much). Here are some of my (skin deep) observations on working life and differences between having a job and being a student.

Less of a distinction between right and wrong.
No obvious measure of success. Work is completed, you don't receive a mark or much feedback on content.
Getting on with the people you work with is paramount to having a good day.
People are much easier to build relationships with than at university. Nobody seems to have any hidden agendas, no continuous gossiping, everybody is far more approachable.
(In the private sector), everything is about selling, even if your job doesn't revolve around sales.
You are expected to really 'put yourself out' and be 100% committed.
Material learned in university is mostly irrelevant (for a lot of white collar jobs), the most valuable course in my education for the last few weeks was GCSE ICT. Businesses don't need people to be able to perform integral calculus and quantum mechanics.
There are no second chances in work. Things have to be done right first time.
There is a big gap between what skills are needed in work and what you learn at university. Everything is about 'soft skills'.
In work, every day is a hard day. In my degree, I have a couple of very busy days a week, then that's it until the following week.
Regardless of how career focused everyone is, people don't define themselves as 'being their job'.

http://www.dashworth.net/home/2010/8/12 ... -life.html