5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College

5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College Before landing your dream job, you may have to pay your dues. Statistafound that 14 percent of U.S. workers are underemployed , or working in a position theyre overqualified for.New grads especially have to be patient when it comes to starting a career. Many of us need to start at the bottom and work our way up.Its easy to get impatient if youre an art history major spending your days as a dog walker. But even the most entry-level position can help you learn important life lessons.To find out more, I spoke with college graduates about their post-graduation jobs. Here are five lessons these grads learned from their first job out of college that helped them become the people they are today.As a student, your path is pretty clear each year. Your school and professors let you know whats expected of you. Although youre responsible for choosing a major , you mostly have a clear structure to guide your actions.But when you enter the workforce, you might bedrngnis have much guidance for career development. Instead of looking to an authority for answers, you have to put yourself in charge of your professional destiny.My first job out of college welches with a defense contractor, and I learned how I am now in complete control of my career, said Jim Wang, now a personal finance blogger at Wallet Hacks . I had to not only be my No. 1 advocate, but I had to find my own projects and plan my next move in the company.When you start working after college, you must be proactive about your career . So ask questions, seek a mentor, and take deliberate steps in the direction of your goals. In the real world, you have to decide everything, said Wang.After graduating with her bachelors in English Writing, Sarah Donawerth took a job as a cashier at Michaels, an arts and crafts store. I welches preparing for grad school, I needed a steady sou rce of income, and I couldnt find anything else, said Donawerth.But even though she was underemployed, she realized it was important to keep a positive attitude about her job.It was hard to summon the enthusiasm to help someone stock shelves, but I made sure that every day I went to my job with the attitude that I would do my best, said Donawerth. While others were grumbling that it was a stupid job and they were miserable, my mood stayed remarkably high.In the end, her optimism and hard work paid off. I have happily hung up my red vest and am now the social media accounts manager at an arts and crafts magazine publisher, said Donawerth. My experience at Michaels was one of the reasons they hired me. I had knowledge of their industry and the proven track record of hard work.Donawerth was able to leverage her experience into a position that better fit her skills and qualifications. Plus, her outlook made her experience a positive one.Vincent Nerois now the VP general managerof Succ essories ,but he had no job lined up after graduation. In the midst of the recession with no job lined up, I got a call from my summer internship boss who was moving a business down to South Florida, said Nero.Despite his hesitation about moving, Nero accepted the position. Was Florida on my radar? Did I want to move across country? Did I want to work for this company? said Nero. The answer to all those was no, but I said yes. Its important to be open to new opportunities.Even though he wasnt sure about the outcome, Nero decided every opportunity that came his way was a learning experience. And this openness paid off. Eight years later, Ive worked my way up to running a multi-mio dollar company, said Nero. All because I said yes.Even if you cant see it right away, there are lessons to be learned from your first job out of college . And by staying open, you could discover your next great role.Not everyone lands a job in their target field right after graduation. David Batchelor, co- founder of DialMyCalls , learned this the hard way. My first job was working at the movie theater for $4 an hour, Batchelor said.Despite the measly pay, Batchelor learned important business lessonsfrom this role. There are a million companies who sell a million widgets and services, said Batchelor.But most of them fundamentally run the same way. So the earlier you start to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together, the better off youll be.Batchelor has since used the business lessons he learned to co-found his own company . Id recommend everyone to learn all the ins and outs of the company youre working at, said Batchelor. The pay itself was nothing great but the experience I got at that job was priceless.Even if youre not interested in business, your organization can teach you about how people come together to work toward a common goal. And this is a lesson you can carry with you into all future roles.Unless youre extremely lucky, youll have to put in a lot of hard work before achieving your professional goals. Although it might not be easy, encountering obstacles is totally normal.When I graduated, I worked as a waiter to pay my bills, said Zachary Painter, hiring manager at Resume Genius . It was fun for a time, but I wasnt really happy. It helped me realize that I wanted something long-term and professional thats when I buckled down and began freelance writing.Painter didnt find immediate success as a writer. To support himself along the way, he picked up different side gigs . I had a brief stint repairing leaks in pools I worked as a shoe salesman I worked in the kitchen of a country club, said Painter. But I made sure to keep writing.He now works as a writer, career adviser, and hiring manager. It wasnt easy getting here, Painter said. As for the lessons he learned from this first job? Success is granted to those who persevere.The transition from college to the workforce isnt always an easy one. You have to adapt to new environments, expectations, a nd colleagues. As a new grad, you probably have to start at the bottom of the totem pole.But even the most sub-par job can teach you things. Almost everyone has parts of their job that they love and parts they wish they never had to do again, said Martha Schmitz, a senior adviserat Mentat .By identifying which aspects of a job you love - and which ones you hate - you can clarify your career goals . Even if your first job out of college isnt exactly what you imagined for your career, its important to make the most out of the experience, said Schmitz.As you develop work experience, youll learn about your career decisions and how to reach them. Plus, youll learn how to market your skills for post-college jobs .This article was originally published on Student Loan Hero .