Whether it’s to simply pay the bills, or a foot in the door into an industry you love, a real life 9-5 gig definitely comes with more up and downs than a 5 year old on a sugar high.

Here are just a few…

CON: GOODBYE FREE TIME

Pretty soon you’ll realise that a weekend is nowhere near long enough to do all the things you didn’t have time to do throughout the working week, let alone keep an active social life. Plus, of course there’s your Netflix downtime to catch up on. Duh! Soon you’ll see how fast a Friday evening can transform into a Sunday night, and before you know it, you’re reaching for the snooze button early on a Monday morning.

PRO: MAKE IT RAIN

Yes you’ll have less time, but the good news is you’ll have more money. One of the best feelings in life is opening your first paycheck and realising you may just have play money at the end of the month. Now you can finally fund your own haircuts, nights out and shopping addiction.

CON: GOODBYE SPONTANEITY

You wake up, exercise, go to work, eat, sleep and repeat. There’s no surprise that this can get sour quickly.

PRO: HELLO PIECE OF MIND

Sure doing the same thing almost every day can become dull, but there’s a satisfying calmness that comes with that. You’ll be amazed how much clarity you will find when you have a clear-cut routine every week.

CON: GOODBYE USUAL CLIQUE

The hardest thing about starting your first real job can often be the daunting phase of being labeled as ‘the new girl/guy’. No more hanging with your usual clique on the daily, you’re about to spend a lot of time with scary new strangers.

PRO: HELLO WORK FRIENDS

But in the end, those scary strangers can perhaps turn into the greatest thing that comes out of your job. You may form great friendships, someone to have lunch dates with and vent to over secret emails during a particularly crappy working day. Need I say more?

CON: GOODBYE COMFORT ZONE

Prepare for everything to be scary at first. Scary colleagues, scary boss and scary meetings. Sayonara comfort zone!

PRO: HELLO PATS ON THE BACK

But don’t worry, they say great things never came from comfort zones anyways. So soak up all the new skills you’re learning a remember to give yourself a pat on the back from time to time. Heck, your boss just might do that for you.

WHAT ARE SOME PROS AND CONS YOU’VE EXPERIENCED FROM YOUR FIRST REAL JOB?

Published on Love & List / August 9, 2015