It’s been two weeks since I
started to have a “real” work for an international company that manufactures
engineering and technology products. But it’s actually been more than two
months since I got accepted in the company because I had to undergo through
this so called “new-hire” employee training for 2 months before I get to handle
my job functions. In that duration, I had to make huge adjustments to cope up
with the huge changes that I faced. The following things are the ones I learned
and am still trying to change.
1. 1. School
Mindset – College is full of theoretical stuff especially in engineering that
is why I was often told by my mentors at work to think in terms of applications
and not in ideal conditions. In the real
world (yes you are said to be in the real world once you work), there is no
ideal system and everything affects everything. The company I work for manufactures
engineering materials and provides solutions to customers who are mostly
industrial. My job is to make sure I give the customers the right product for
their applications. And in my case, I can’t just give what is the ideal
solution for the customer. There are many things to consider aside from the
applications of the customer. The economics also plays a huge role because as
expected, the customer always wants to cut cost and the same time to have the best
product and because it is still the customer who decides. I cannot also give
products to any customer. For example, I cannot give products to places which
we are “red flagged” especially those countries who are at war because the
products might be used for weapons of destruction.
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| Work is not just about intelligence. |
2. 2. Dealing
with colleagues. – In college, you can definitely choose who to go with during
lunch or during a lakwatsa. But at
work, you cannot actually choose who your workmates would be. It’s hard for me
at first because I don’t really like to mingle with people whom I am not really
close to. But I understood that good relationship with my workmates is really
important since we would be working as a team. And even people who are not
directly on my team are also good to befriend because of the great leverage
that their connections can give in the future. So instead of being resistant to
make new friends, I had to change to a more approachable and friendlier person.
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| Knowing how to be a team player is more important. |
3. 3. Communicating
with others – In the office, I noticed that all people who are on the top are
good communicators. But being good in communicating is not just important for presentation
purposes but also for establishing camaraderie and networking with people which are great
leverage in climbing the corporate ladder. Well, that is what most people want
but I don’t really like to climb the corporate ladder if I don’t like the job
function of my boss. I believe stress can kill any motivation I have in going
to work so stress is something I am really careful to deal with. Many people
are sick just because of stress.
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| Enjoying being with your workmates reduces great stress at work. |
Being out of school does not mean having to stop learning. Being at work means continuous learning. In terms of learning, nothing really change after graduation, the only difference is that you get a paycheck and your actions affect not only you but your team and company as well.
