Nobody’s first job is impressive. It’s where you learn to show up when you’d rather not.

A first job is not there to look good on anything. It is the place where you find out how to be somewhere at a set time, do a task you did not choose, and keep your face in order while a customer is rude to you. Every later job quietly assumes you already picked those up somewhere.

Set one standard for yourself at work this week: five minutes early, or never needing to be told twice. Hold it for the full week, because that is the skill actually being trained.