Step Back: The Power of Perspective In Your First Job

Editor’s Note: This post is part of our Welcome To The Workforce series, which focuses on sharing advice, experience, and guidance for upcoming and recent graduates entering the workforce. Today we hear from Jonathan Jackson, a recent Washington University graduate working as a GSO University Associate within the Global Sales Organization.

Learning how to ride a bike is hard. You have to balance your weight, learn how to steer, and pedal away from sidewalks, bushes, and people. I struggled immensely with all three. Entering a new job can be similar, and crashing sometimes has higher stakes than just a scraped knee and a bruised ego. You’re learning to navigate complex organizations, create leverage, and establish your own brand in the process. At LinkedIn, that “bike” is a motorcycle with jet turbines strapped to either side. Things move fast around here, so learning how to adapt quickly is what makes things fun and exciting. During my short tenure at LinkedIn, one crucial trait has helped me see my job in a different light. That trait is perspective, and here are several ways it has already helped me excel.

Zoom out to 30,000 feet

Your career is a marathon, not a sprint. Along the way, you can sometimes get caught up in the everyday tasks, and not see the importance of where you are at the moment. As a Recruiting Associate, my day-to-day activities involve sending emails, communicating on the phone, and interacting with active and passive candidates. My job, however, is about evangelizing LinkedIn’s vision of creating economic opportunity for every professional in the world, in order to attract the best talent on the planet. When what you are doing aligns with a larger purpose, no task is ever too small.

Remember your “why”

Not every day of your career will be great. But you can definitely find the right perspective even during bad days. Thinking about why you are doing your job, and what that means for your future, can be the difference between simply going through the motions and continuously pursuing excellence. My "why" is about impact and opportunity: I want to touch people’s pulse and show them what’s possible. With that in mind, nothing I do is meaningless. It all trends towards my career goals.

Practice gratitude

Gratitude is a currency that never loses value. It is not subject to market fluctuations. You never have to ask to use it, and it never runs out. People actually want to know you care, before they want to learn from you. In college there was a dean who endeavored to “know every person by name and story.” I use that ideal daily to not just interact with the people I work with, but learn what motivates them, who they are, and what they eventually want to be. Saying thank you is great, but living gratefully can change your life, and have a real impact on the business.

There are no shortcuts to success in life or your career. The journey will take time, but the right perspective can make all the difference.