The first day on the job is usually hard. Everyone is trying so hard not to mess up; after all we all want to make a good first impression. In order to recount my beginnings on my current job, I should start with a bit of background information. I attended 4 years of college in Alexandria University, Faculty of Arts, English Department, and graduated top of my class, if I may add. However, I have lived my entire life in Saudi Arabia so my first real paid job was in no other place but Jeddah. I have always had a passion for writing, and being the grammar enthusiast that I am, the world of journalism was a perfect fit. Luckily, I got accepted as an editor/writer in Destination Magazine in Jeddah.
My first day was not a walk in the park, as a fresh graduate and someone who has never ventured into the magazine business, I was definitely baffled. It took me a while to know exactly what is required of me and how to handle it. I think it’s worth mentioning that I had to work on an Apple computer and that was a bit confusing too. Don’t laugh! But above all, I think getting to know my peers was a bit tricky. It took them some time to open up to me, and I did feel like an outsider for a while. With the hustle and bustle around the place, I hardly had time to introduce myself and none seemed to really care about the new kid on the block. When I say kid, I mean it; I was/still is the youngest person in the office.
However, as days went by, things started looking up. I realized that they were indeed nice people, it wasn’t some cosmic conspiracy to get me to quit on the first day; I just needed to get to know them more. One by one, we started talking and, as time flew by, I became part of “a crew”. We are all of different nationalities, so we bring our various cultures to the table. But, what really helped me grow roots at work is the fact that I love my job. Hard as it may be sometimes, I truly enjoy writing, editing and conducting interviews. Seeing my work published in the magazine; that is definitely on a whole different level of joy. I truly do wish I develop this further.
So if you happen to have just started a new job and can somehow relate to the agony of being the “new kid”, don’t despair because things get better.
Sohila Ayman