010317.
1 year. Started work on 1st March 2016, all excited.
It was meant to be 6 months stint, before I return to the Education path again.
As life would have it, that clearly didn't happen.
Who knew I would go on to stay for a year?
I didn't apply for SIM, and look where that took me.
I always believe that everything happens for a reason, and I suppose this is the reason.
Every single choice/step I made along the way, from deciding to go OSIP, poly graduation, missing the SIM's application date... eventually brought me here.
I think I said it a couple of times already but I really think I came a long way. From my 4 months internship to my first 3 months here to where I am now - holy smokes, I'm proud of my own growth (I'll self-praise on this cause if I don't believe in myself, who will :D?) I thought I was good as an intern, or at least decent, but no, it was just that everybody else was more lax.
The 1 year was not all bed of roses, that's for sure. I made many mistakes along the way, and said things I regret saying till this day. The first 3 months weren't the prettiest. There were days I dreaded coming to work, cause I just felt like I knew nothing. I was thrown into a whole new cycle and I didn't know how to start running. Heck is marketing!? I don't have the right creative juices for this!!! I was never exposed to it at all!! (Silly as it was I didn't know what was my job scope until I came in btw - that was how much of a 'ok lo just do it, I'll see what comes, no questions asked' type of person I /was/. Thought it would be similar to what I did as an intern but nah)
With mistakes came learnings, with learnings came growing, with growing came opportunities.
I had chances to expand my knowledge on what I /thought/ I knew, and I got to pick up many things along the way that I never thought I would dabble in. I'm lucky to have the right boss/colleagues who are willing to help me grow in their own process of self-growth. I really feel so thankful.
I was a fairly different person now as I was compared to the past - if you knew me before say. June/July? From people wishing I would speak up more to wishing I would now stop talking, how things have changed. I'm more confident of myself and my work, more assertive, and more vocal. Of course, there's some parts of me I'll wish to kill off e.g. FOMO (but I think that stemmed from my younger days) and thinking before i speak (even though I think I currently do, but it's clearly not enough)
You might think - you're just 1 year into this whole working thing. You're possibly not even fully immersed into the full-blown working experience thing. You're happy because...? You don't know what's going to come for you in the future man.
Yes, you may be right - those people in the higher ranks seem to have to deal with problems I won't know how to handle if thrown to me. But that's as far as I'll agree.
I always have the thinking that milestones should be acknowledged/celebrated. No, I don't mean go out and party for every single project you complete, but rather a simple 'you made it' is good enough. It's (re)assuring yourself that you're doing good. It helps you set goals too.
And it's my 1st year! First official 365 days taste of the working adult life.
You will never experience another 'first year' again.
It's scary how long I have been here though, I was here Jul - Nov 2015, and then came back in Mar 2016 all the way till now. I seen so much changes, from the people to the way things are done. I spent my last of teenage years here, really.
By no means this is an end of my learning route, but the path I'm on is something I feel good about.
In no way do I think I'm perfect. Quoting my boss, "we're all a work-in-progress."
Cheers.
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