What are some of the hardest lessons you had to learn during your first few years in the workforce?

to keep your mouth shut and do your job even if what you were told was wrong

You can be super busy or super bored. Learn to deal with both.

Take responsibility, even if it wasn't your fault. Most bosses just want to know the problem will be taken care of, not who caused it.

You don't get what you want, and you have to grind before you make it to the top.

That some places are scary and dangerous and abuse from bosses is not acceptable no matter what kind of income it involves.

There are mean people in the world who try to tramp on anyone and everyone, no matter what. You can be good at your job, but you get sabotaged by this mean person in a way that you look incompetent to your boss. Then, you are the one who gets fired.

Listen to the boss and do it exactly as he asked. I don’t think you know better it doesn’t work that way

Took more like 15 years, but it's not a meritocracy. More employers & managers care if they like you than if you work hard. They might say they want the latter, but they mostly pay attention to the former.

Always someone better than you, learn from them

Everyone is expendable

everything can be outsourced in a world of technology

Team work is as important as being a go-getter trying to always be the one to save the day

Work hard, be reliable and consistent and don't let your emotions get the best of you.

Patience and you have to pay your dues like everyone else.

The biggest is that being entirely honest and looking for the company's best interest many times goes against the management's agendas.