July 29, 2019 


  
Garth Brooks Concert Ticket Winners!

We asked you for advice you would give a younger you before your first job and you all did not disappoint!

We got some great answers and amazing insight, so much so that we will share a few of the best ones below. 

Now the purpose of all that was to enter to win and two lucky people did win. Congratulations to Leanne Ulmer at Richardson Pioneer in Melville and Nick Anderson at Viterra in Raymore. You both won 2 tickets to see Garth Brooks in Regina on August 9!

Thanks to everyone for the entries and keep a look out for more ticket draws to concerts and other events throughout the year. 


Need advice? No problem is too small.

 

Identifying problems as soon as they arise benefits everyone. It's easier to solve problems when they are small, and sometimes a brief comment, email or meeting is all that's needed to address a situation.

 

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Call us when you think there is a problem to be fixed.

 

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What advice would you give a younger you the day before you started your first job?
  • My advice to the "younger me", would be not to take it too seriously. Be your true-self no matter what, and always remember not to bring work home to your family life. When you hear "you need a work/life balance", take the advice
  • To have more confidence and be ready for all challenges.
  • I would tell my younger self that hard work and dedication truly pay off, and to never give up on pushing yourself to be something better that what you set yourself out for. I would tell my younger self to never feel like you're going to fail, keep your thoughts positive and take the high road, there's less traffic up there.
  • Advice to my younger self.... accept and use constructive criticism and ignore petty comments that are not constructive
  • I would tell myself to be patient and enjoy the opportunities that are given to me. There is plenty of time to figure out what career path to take as an adult so take your time finding what you love.
  • My advice to my younger self would be to wear the most conformable shoes possible and dress in layers because the office is always cold!
  • Never stop learning and taking advice.
  • My advice to new employees just entering the work force is; Don't get in a rush to perforce your tasks, take the time to do it safely and ask questions when you have concerns or doubts. Also don't get yourself into to thinking you need to do crazy long hours in your career to get ahead, you need to take time for yourself, family and friends!
  • The first day of your first job is a very exciting and nerve racking day.  Listening is the most important thing to do during those first few days.  Always be willing to do what is asked of you and never think you are above any task.  This job may be a life long career or it may open your eyes to something else you might like to do.  Never burn any bridges, always think of your boss, manager or co-workers as future references.  Working hard and being loyal and honest will take you far in life!
  • My younger self before starting a new job!   I would say.... Have self confidence   No one starts out knowing everything! 
  • Work hard and be fair to others.  Don't make other peoples problem yours.
  • I would of said to myself " Try harder in school and go to school for an education".
  • Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in
  • Don't be afraid of challenges, and getting outside of your comfort zone.  Some of the greatest learning opportunities and getting to know yourself better happen by daring to do what you haven't done before.  You are capable of more than you realize.
  • With everything you know now and what you have learnt through your years of life and working what advice would you give a younger you on the day before you started your first job? I would definitely tell me to start planning right there and then for retirement!! Start saving from your first paycheck! Invest, budget, be smart! Freedom 55 would have been a lot better option than "maybe, not quite sure, possibly Freedom 67...69...75...work til the day of my funeral retirement" option!
  • One thing I would tell my younger self at my first job is to work hard and people will notice and you'll go far. Save money and go to school.
  • I would say be yourself, positive attitude, be grateful, kind and most importantly do what you love to do.
  • What I would tell myself , honestly just worry about you and do your best and always keep positive. Everyone takes time to learn and everyone learns at their own pace. Find the job you find passion in and all will go great. I've been at my job for 25 years this spring and I love it �� and its even my Birthday Week �� . Hope you have a great day also whoever reads this message.
  • I would give myself the advice never give up on your dream, when one door closes there is always another door that opens. Just because you don't hit your goals when you think it's right for you doesn't mean you won't later on  
  • I would tell my younger self to start apprenticeship for electrical, stick with it, ask questions, and work hard. 
  • With everything you know now and what you have learnt through your years of life and working what advice would you give a younger you on the day before you started your first job? Work hard, be safe, respect your elders
  • I would tell myself to calm down, everything will be fine.
  • Be active in looking for solutions.  It can go a long way being a problem solver and helps out everyone in the location
  • My advice to my younger self on my first job would be to really think about working for family and the effects it could have on relationships.
  • Work hard and don't get involved in the politics 
  • Learn how to play guitar and become a country music superstar.
  • What would I say to my younger self well let's see be careful who you say things to at work don't give too much free information  show up 10 min early stay late if you are asked to work late say yes because if you want something one day they will give it to you  work hard safe you money and most of all be honest doesn't matter what u do be proud of your job show pride in your work be proud of what you do do the best job that you can do learn from your job and learn from the people around you always be cheerful courteous polite and respectful even if u are having the worst day of your life be cheerful courteous polite respectful and if you can have fun at work enjoy work enjoy life work and life go hand in hand now go out there and take the world as your own and have fun doing it
  • As I have said to my own kids. My first job was not my career job, but you need to start somewhere. This was a starting point to where I entered the work force (the world outside of my comfort zone of my mom and dad's house). I would begin to learn leadership, teambuilding, dealing with different people. Only to find out that not everyone has the same moral values, but as long as I kept true to myself everything would work out, as it did. I have had a couple of careers on different journey's in my life and now I am at The Western Producer in Saskatoon as an Advertising Clerk, which I love this job.
  • My advice to the younger me, would be to work hard and you will be rewarded and don't be afraid to try new adventures.  Make sure you love what you are doing.
  • Your job is such a huge part of your life, it's never worth staying at a job that makes you miserable, no matter what!
  • Listen more talk less and treat people with respect no matter there walk of life!!
  • Everyone learns their job in different ways, so communicate to your trainer how you best learn.  Take notes at first until you understand your responsibilities by instinct.  If your employer is not invested in you as a worker, then why should you be invested in them.  Show respect for those above you, but never put up with abuse.  Never belittle someone else who may be struggling alongside you.  Instead, step in and help if you see someone struggling(It could be you one day).  Not only will you make a friend, but you exhibit qualities that could benefit you later and draw others to look to you for insight, advise and leadership. The hardest thing to communicate to an employer is that leaders will bring you alongside them and carry you with them to incredible success.  Fools push from behind and then jump to the front when it comes time to take credit for the limited successes they will achieve.  Above all, don't accept the status quo and don't let your job define you.  Don't be employed to just collect a paycheck.  If you cannot see a better future for yourself then move on.  I have many friends who are new Canadians.  I have learned from them that if you always look for a better opportunity, it will come to you.  They understand that the rewards of their life come later but with greater reward.  They invest in themselves up front and avoid the entrapment's of credit.  They sacrifice now, but have a much better future because of it.
  • I would tell a younger version of me to start saving money when you first start working. Not all jobs have pensions or benefits. When you get older and want to go on a vacation or buy a new fridge, you might not have the money. Save some from every pay check and you will have a little cushion for things you may want or need!!



Should You Fix Weaknesses or Focus on Strengths? Here's How to Decide


Most people will argue that you should focus on your strengths. With books like Strengths Based Leadership and  Now, Discover Your Strengths, authors have made a living out of arguing that we should give up trying to fix our flaws and double down on what makes us great.

There's just one problem with this advice: it often doesn't work!

This isn't just because life is complicated and every situation calls for a unique response. Instead, I think the dividing line between whether something is a weakness you should work on or ignore is actually fairly clear and simple.


When You Should Focus on Your Strengths
  
The logic behind focusing on your strengths is one of specialization and increasing returns to mastery.

Albert Einstein didn't need to be a good painter, baker or tailor. He could enjoy art, eat cookies and wear suits all made by somebody else. Spending more time trying to improve his pastry-making skills would have robbed him of precious hours to develop general relativity.

Similarly, the value of Einstein's science came from breakthrougths at the edge of human knowledge. Had he only gotten halfway to the frontier of his day, that wouldn't be useful. Either you develop new science, or you don't.



This illustrates the central case for focusing on strengths:
  1. Specialization is possible. Einstein's muffin baking can be safely ignored.
  2. Mastery matters. Einstein's success depended on being the best physicist, not merely a mediocre one.
To learn more on when to focus on your strengths and when to focus on your weaknesses check out the whole article here:  Should You Fix Weaknesses or Focus on Strengths? Here's How to Decide 


This article has been printed for entertainment purposes. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of GSU, its members, officers, or staff.



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