From Your Big Sister, With Love.

 

Hey. I need you to hear this with love:

If you’re hesitating to apply for jobs because the reviews say people “hated” working there, or you're afraid you might not like it, please, take a deep breath and humble yourself. Seriously. You need to start somewhere. Everyone does. No one skips the “starting out” part.

Unless you've got a secret trust fund or some magical stream of income I don’t know about (and yes, you DO need to tell me 😄, or suffer nuggies), the truth is, you need work.

And let’s talk about those reviews. Amazon (or insert any big-name employer here) gets a bad rap from a lot of people, sure. But think about it, who writes those reviews? Usually folks who are having a bad time and want the world to know. It’s a lot of “sour grapes” energy. You don’t know what kind of Karen wrote that rant, or what part they played in making it a terrible experience.

Also, numbers matter. Big company = thousands of employees = a louder minority of squeaky wheels. The ones who are having a decent, even great, experience? They’re probably not running to Glassdoor to shout about it. Because that’s not how real life works. No one’s out here posting, “I had a solid day folding shirts and clocked out on time, woo!”

It’s just work. And you need work. Adulting is hard.

It might not be the dream job. It might kind of suck. But it’s still a paycheck, and a chance to learn something. Even a “bad” job gives you more than sitting around stressing about your bank account or wondering what to do next.

A crummy job still teaches you about teamwork, communication, time management, customer service, or just the discipline of showing up. Those are not small things. That’s how you build the muscle that leads to better opportunities. And raises. And respect.

So please, don’t wait for the “perfect” job. Take a job. You’ll learn what you like, what you don’t, what you’re good at, and what you can improve. All of that makes you stronger.

Also, when you’re feeling stuck or bored or burnt out, here’s a fun rabbit hole: Google “what fun jobs are there for someone with no experience?" I’ve done that more times than I can count, and it’s given me some great ideas for side gigs and new directions.

You’re not behind. You’re just at the beginning. 

And I believe in you.

~Love, your big sis 💛