Lessons from My First Job Experience: Navigating Work, Money, and Maturity 

The idea of working and earning money is one almost everyone of us had while growing up because of the possibility of being able to afford anything we want without needing to depend on anyone for the funds. Although when we grow up, the story isn't always as we planned, some were lucky to have fate work out the way they wanted. Today I'll write about my first job and everything that revolves around it.

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My first experience of working came at a very early age; I was probably around the age of 13 then, but I had a big stature, so it'll be hard for anyone to easily guess my real age. Yeah, I know you'll be dying to know what led to a young boy working at that tender age and the like, but don't worry, below I shared the full story behind it and lessons learned via the job.

It happened that we moved from Lagos State to Ogun when I was about to do my junior WAEC examination, and by the time I was done with the examination, it wasn't really easy for my gurdian to secure an interstate transfer for me, and when it became late, that meant I'd have to stay at home for a whole year for the transfer to be reprocessed. In order not to just wander around aimlessly, I decided to get something to do, and that's how I got employed by a flower mill company.

Fortunately for me, I was placed in a decent position and was to earn 25 thousand naira per month; that was a huge amount of money for a boy of my age. Just so I can explain how huge it is, there are some adults who still work in the present day and don't earn that much monthly, so it's that big, and while working there and earning that much, the money got into my head till the point where I forgot about my education. _{Image designed here}

At first, my job was to just take note of the amount of goods coming in and out of the factory on a daily basis, but after working there for four months, I got promoted to replace a sacked supervisor, and that was how all I did was monitor the activities of other employees that were far older than me. I also reported whoever wasn't doing their job diligently, and the like.

About seven months into my job there, the school was already in third grade, and I was informed by my guidance that they'd been able to secure the transfer paper, so I should quit my job and come join other students in the last section, so I'll get promoted with them to the next class. I wasn't buying the idea of school any longer because there were many graduates working under my supervision at that factory, so I wasn't seeing the significance of education when I'd most likely not get a good job and still end up in factories like those guys under me.

So I lied about being unable to leave because there are some tasks they can't give to anyone but me since I'm the one who began them. One way or another, my guidance agreed, and I worked till the end of the term. All those who were supposed to be my classmates graduated to the next class, but when I was forced to leave workk and go to school, I couldn't join them, so I had to start afresh with other new students.

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I learned a lot from the situation and the impact it had on me, and some of them are:

• Never to dive into something I'm not yet fit or mature enough for: I was very young when I started working then, and the money got into my head to the point where I had no regard for education, and I know that had I not been forced out of it, I would have lost it one way or another and then reality would come to me, so that lesson has given me the need to think thoroughly and not jump into anything without being certain I'm ready for it.

• I also learned not to joke with my studies or education because it's definitely a pathway to becoming relevant in life, regardless of whether it's formal or informal education. The importance of education can never be overemphasized. Now imagine that had I not gotten carried away by the money, I would have been a step ahead of where I was in my academic career, unlike how I had a delay due to the lust for money over my education.

• One valuable and concrete lesson I learned from that job and what happened thereafter was the importance of saving and inculcating the habit of saving something from whatever we earn. Other than my guidance, I collected most of what I earned there monthly. But I still have enough to squander anyhow on unnecessary items, and by the time I left the job, I could hardly point to anything that I purchased from my earnings there or any amount I saved that could help later on.

Lastly, if there were any opportunity to go back to that job, I'd definitely not be going back, and that's because the job is very far from what I have passion for, and doing it wouldn't really make me as happy as I am in my present job.

That's about all on the story of my first job and lessons learned from it, and it was written in response to the hive learners community features prompt.

Thanks so much for your time, have a wonderful day ahead.