This is the first post of I-don’t-know-how-many-more-to-go. Please bear with me. I am writing this series because I want to share what I’ve learned and what I will be learning in my first job. Plus, I’m naturally a story-teller you know. Haha~

In one of my earlier posts, I shouted out my happiness that I’ve finally completed my 14+ years of being a student (elementary school, high school, and college). It’s been more than four months since my college graduation and more than four months of being an employee. Yes, I am now part of my country’s workforce.

I am fortunate that I got hired right after I graduated. Though I kind of wished I enjoyed my summer vacation.. I would’ve at least prepared myself to be an employee. You know, like some sort of preparatory training. Anyhow, I immediately jumped into the “working girl” life and boy was it hard to adjust! :p

So now, I’m listing down some things that I experienced in my first months as an employee. Don’t ask what my job is because I will not tell you.

1.) A fire incident happened near my workplace.

I think of this as some sort of initiation for me. Barely two weeks into work, a fire incident happened at the back of our company building and scared the hell out of me. It was my first ever close encounter with a fire incident. Of course I panicked! (Yeah I know, I failed right? Haha) Who wouldn’t? Everybody in the building is running back and forth while screaming which items to save. Plus you would hear the siren of fire trucks coming one after the other. Also, there were several blasts from the fire site! And because I panicked, I couldn’t think properly on which items to save. Should I go bring the file folders with me or my sketches/drawings? Or better yet, should I just run out to save myself? That time, I did not have any back-up of my files in my computer, so I ended up carrying my iMac.. from our office in the 4th floor down to the 1st floor and then out to the open area across the street. And no elevator at that! Hahaha~ That was when I realized I’m pretty strong in times of emergency!  :p

More photos here..

2.) I was told, “you have to speak with confidence”.

I heard this line from my boss one month into work and it shook me. I was still adjusting to the whole “working girl” lifestyle. I am not really confident of myself, of my skills set, and of my capabilities. I think I am pretty conscious with age and authority levels. So being told of this line meant that I should look at myself and try doing it. If I have to say something and I know it’s correct, I should say it with certainty. Especially when dealing with people outside our office, I should know how to say things straight or when and when not to exert authority. More than 6 months into work, I think I’m learning the ropes! *wink

3.) They call me “Ma’am Kai”.. but I prefer being called “Miss Kai”.. wait, there’s difference between the two, right?  I mean, aside from the spelling?  Kidding aside, I think that Miss Kai is more appropriate for my face/personality.. :p On a serious note, I kinda like being called either of the two because I really feel that I am a working girl, and I am at least a somebody. Now people don’t underestimate me just because I look younger than my age and that I have a small built. Read: you are a nobody. But when office hours are over, I ask my colleagues to scratch the “miss” and just call me “Kai” instead. They’re older than me anyway!

4.) Resist drinking or going out at night.

Not that I drink now, okay? I’m still within the water-iced tea-fruit juice (and now, coffee) boundary! But you see, when your office mates are in the mood to unwind, you cannot easily escape. You got to go with the flow, regardless of where they want to chill out and relax. So when I reached my first month into work, my office mates invited me to join them on a saturday night gig. We went to MO2 Restobar for dinner and a little karaoke session for the night. They cannot believe that at my age, I don’t drink alcoholic drinks and that it was my first time on that place, and on that kind of chilling out in general.

Well, in my current situation, I cannot tolerate this (going out late at night). Primarily because my house is very far from where I am working so I need to be home on of before 8pm for of safety reasons. You know, I gotta be careful with the society’s  bad elements. Secondly, I don’t really like going out to eat/drink because my heart breaks when I burn my hard-earned cash I prefer going to bed and sleep! :p In my world, curling up in my bed with a book and some good music is better than going to restaurants and eating the night away. Also, I’m a little allergic to socializing in general. HEHE~

5.) Overtime and going home late at night

This ought to be on top of my least-favorite part of being a working girl! Really! I know that having overtime at work cannot be avoided at times, but I hate staying up too late and having to wake up so early the following day. Like I have mentioned earlier, I hate (like super super hate!) going home late because I’m scared of the society’s bad elements. Read: snatchers, hold-uuppers, rapists, gangsters, and the likes. Also, when I go home late, I pay quadruple the price of my regular fare. Why? Because I have to hire a private vehicle (our local tricycle) to take me directly to my house. Much like a cab but a little lower in price. I don’t take cabs because they’re way too pricey for me and safety is not guaranteed either. (you know, all the news about cabs taking advantage of their passengers in the form of kidnapping, and what-have-yous). Paying quadruple the amount of my regular fare is so much of a burden for me because my cashflow gets ruined! Well I just hope this won’t become a regular routine as I continue to do my job.

Alrighty, that’ll be all for this post! I’ll be adding up 5 more items on the next! Toss your thoughts below!

Read Part 2 here.

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