(Musings of a Working Girl)
In the short time that I have been working, I really don't have much of professional experience to speak of. I graduated 2010, and by now, 2012, I have been to three jobs (or rather I have been in two jobs and is still working on the third, or whatever, po-tay-to, po-tah-to).
During this time, I have realized a few things, which I will be writing down, maybe as a future reference. Maybe when I'm older, I'd see this entry and think, "Boy, was I naive!" or may be I'd say, "Fish!!! I'm still struggling with the same thing!" Maybe I'd write down some things to remind myself to take my own advice and deal with it...but before I go further, I will put up a disclaimer.
Disclaimer: Please don't take this in a general sense, these are things I picked up based on my experiences (which are not much), so no offense is intended to those who think otherwise. Another thing, these are largely based on my opinion (though I seem to state them as a fact, and for that, you will have to forgive me), I'm no expert, and I don't claim to be one. Like I said, maybe I'm just being naive. And lastly, most of these are "advice," which I don't really follow, but I hope to...someday...one day...(unless they are proven to be a sham hahaha!!! XD)
So here I go...
THINGS I LEARNED WHEN I STARTED WORKING
1. No one is indispensable.
Supervisors get replaced, workers get fired, even Golden Boy may be in danger. Fact is, supply is higher than demand. There will always be someone more desperate than you, more willing to do the things you hate, more capable than you, smarter than you, more willing to go the extra mile than you. This much I know to be true. "So don't you ever for a second get to thinking, you're irreplaceabu-hul."
2. Excuses do not exist.
It doesn't matter whether you're sick, you're overloaded with work, you're stressed, you're depressed, you had an emergency, whatever be it, there are only two realities in work: (1) you produce results or (2) you don't. That's it, pansit. I'm not saying, "Never make mistakes" because humans are fallible. But what I find to be the best way to go about it when you do something wrong is this, to admit you did wrong, say you're sorry, and give a solution (which you must absolutely deliver! otherwise, you're apology and head-bowing go to waste.) (And on this matter, really nice bosses make apologies so much easier to do, they are so much more understanding...but then again, not all of us are lucky to have one...*sigh*)
3. The boss is the BOSS.
And this is the hardest pill to swallow especially when you have an ego...Promise! No matter what you think, the boss is an authority above you. Even if you might be smarter than him, more diligent, more skilled, more beautiful/handsome (char!), you're boss is THE BOSS. And even if you count ways to go around it, the final say will always be his, no matter how ridiculous they sound. Sometimes, you might even have to take the fall for them especially when they're the finger-pointing or the don't-care-about-you types.
4. Bad things happen to good people and Good things happen to bad people.
The world is unfair. Go figure! Deal with it. All you can do is work as best as you can, hoping that someday, the world will be on your side, and eventually, it will (by faith! hahaha!!! XD)
5. Entitlement is a dangerous thing.
Aside from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which applies to all people, as an employee, you are entitled to two things from your employer: (1) salary and (2) leaves. Respect, success, acknowledgement, you are not entitled to those. Those you need to earn. ("Just because you want it, does not mean you deserve it") And even if you deserved them, you cannot control how others think. So the least and the best you can do under all circumstances, is to be your own cheerleader, and respect yourself. As for you boss, he is entitled to two things from you as well, (1) you getting the work done and (2) loyalty. And this is where I fail miserably, loyalty. Loyalty in a sense that you don't gossip about your boss, you don't demean or degrade him in front of others. Think about it, if you cannot handle this boss, you can always quit. At the end of the day, you chose that boss for yourself, so while you're still with him, try to keep it in, be as professional as you possibly can in your dealings with him.
Entitlement is a dangerous thing, because then you'd think that the world owes you something when it does not. No one owes you anything. The only person you can blame and answer for, is always yourself.
6. Never compromise your principles.
There will be times when the best answer is a firm, respectful NO. Sure, working hours can be compromised, job descriptions can be compromised, but never your principles. People without principles have no backbone, they rise quickly and they fall quickly. But people with principles if they do fall, they can still bounce back, because they have integrity. So when the time comes, when you are about to compromise your integrity for some quicktime launch, that would be the time to quit, but you won't realize it by then. It's like doing drugs, you still think you're in control but in actuality, you're already hooked.
7. Set Limits.
Going the extra mile is always good in work. Being efficient, hardworking and loving the company is good too. But remember, there is life outside the workplace, and when you die tomorrow, you won't be able to bring your samples with you. So, make sure at all costs, that you actually get a life. Seriously. Also, in the work place where there will be people who will take advantage of you, use you and abuse you, do not hesitate to decline a "request". There will always be stuck-ups, snuck-ups, suck-ups and spickety-spickums (people you'd rather not describe) and they will eat you up if they get the chance to. Make sure you are not juicy enough or foolish enough for them to eat.
8. There will always be nice people.
No matter how dreary the circumstance or how mean and ruthless and malicious your boss might be, there will always be nice people. They could be the professor next door or your crazy lab mates or the security guards downstairs or the uncles/aunties in the canteen or your college advisers. Point is, these people make things easier for you. When you think of them, you'd say, "the world is not so bad after all." These are the people whose names you will be mentioning when you make The Great Speech one day. And these nice P.I.s you've encountered, you'd tell them some day, "When days had been rough, I thought of you guys, and I told myself, one day, if I become a P.I., I'd want to be someone like you." All these people are God's angels sent to you during those times when you would just want to break down. Because of them, you'd think of the world more positively. Make sure you honor and respect them.
9. Guard your heart and guard your dreams.
Guarding your heart does not mean hardening it, it just means deciding which thoughts you let in and which you discard. Many times, circumstances will not go your way, contracts end, salaries don't come, bosses putting you down, results not cooperating, etc. and during these times, thoughts of inadequacy, stupidity, hopelessness enter your head and you'd think of giving up. Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Along with the guarding of your heart, guard your dreams. Dreams don't just happen on their own, they require action and commitment. If your heart sinks, so do your dreams. No matter how demotivating and discouraging circumstances or people are, be on your guard, because at an appointed time, those dreams will come to pass (Habakkuk 2:2-3), what will you do then if you had already given up?
10. You will be fine.
At the end of it all, no matter what happens, no matter who you meet, whether you go up or down or sideways, always remember this, you will be fine. It's like one of those Filipino films, you always know deep inside that the ending will be a happy one except you know the protagonist will have to go through some trials. That's the same with you. You have a definite ending, and that is a happy one. How you get there is the point of the journey, so just enjoy it. Because at the end of the day, no matter how dark the tunnel gets, it is the knowing that there is a light at the end that keeps us going. You will be fine. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Let's see how many of these "advices" I get to keep as I move forward, hahaha!!! =))).
