Take a second and imagine the layout of Seal Court. Does the collection of offices and stores (is the Motley a “store”…?) seem kind of random to anyone else? I always thought it did, until now. Think about it. From the second you enter Scripps, two things become more important than anything else: 1. Caffeine and 2. The CP&R Career Services Guide. No joke. When I found out that the new 2015-16 Career Services Guides were in, I ran to CP&R and grabbed one for dear life. And maybe I stopped by the Motley to get a tea. Maybe.

There’s no doubt that a good resume is your best friend. During the hiring process, your experience (in addition to all of your amazing personalities!) is what probably will determine your fit for a company. I completely believe in resumes and in the importance of experience (this is not a CP&R ad, I promise), but Rose, an English major who graduated in 1999, brought to my attention the importance of being inexperienced.

“You have to let yourself be inexperienced when you start a job. You can’t be the expert. Be in that learning stage,” she told me as my brain called into question everything I had ever heard before on the topic. Isn’t the reason a company hired you because they think you have good experience/potential for the position? Why do I even bother working at all if they want someone inexperienced!

But the more I thought on her comment, the more I realized she was right. She wasn’t critiquing an extensive resume, rather how you approach a new position. I think many people go into new jobs feeling like they have to be perfect at everything—they believe they were hired because they were “ready” to fulfill endless amounts of tasks. And this may very well be true. But it’s also true that you won’t know the routines of the office when you first enter. You won’t know where the kitchen is, you won’t know if your boss likes his coffee with one or two sugars, you won’t know the best way to address the incredibly successful woman who works two doors down. And those are just the social aspects. Rose is right: you can’t be afraid to ask questions, to find out information, and to absorb the culture that you are entering for the first time. “The willingness to learn and the willingness to apply yourself to learn” is all you can give your boss at the start. Your 100% dedication to learning the ropes will go a long way. You will not only understand the nature of the space better, but you will also maintain potential to grow. You will learn how to fully contribute in the way that will best reflect yourself in the office’s light.

When I walked into my internship this summer, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Yes, I worked from home, so I didn’t technically have to deal with many of the social aspects, but I honestly thought I could predict how these interviews were going to go. I was so afraid to come across as naïve during these interviews. I spent days planning questions and bullet points on how to get from different possible answers to a new question, planning for the absolute worst. I was shocked when I walked away from my first interview. Not only did my paper not help me, but also I didn’t have to worry about naïveté. My inexperience prompted me to ask the necessary questions. After all, the seminar series is for humanities students just like me. These interviews are so we can hear stories of what life after Scripps is like.

Rose’s advice may have been shocking at first, but I really do believe the capability to let yourself be inexperienced is very important. You will find yourself asking questions that are pertinent for your success in the workplace, questions that your boss will probably be delighted to know intrigue you. And, of course, with time, your inexperience will fade away, but hopefully your desire to improve and willingness to learn will stay, because you can always keep improving.