Saturday, May 14, 2011

First day jitters

I probably thought this post will be different from the others because I would be explaining how my first day at work was. But, it turned out to be dramatic and unexpectedly, sad. So, Here I go....
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I do not know if I had expected too much  on the very first day ( I mean work at office), but it was disastrous. I was asked to join around 11 a.m. But, because of my mom's superstitions or beliefs or whatever you call it (I don't blame her for it), she had advised me to join after 11 a.m. because of "auspicious time." And, expecting the "auspicious" time to be auspicious, I reached office by 11.20 a.m. and was asked by one of the assistants to finish the formalities of joining.

I had to meet the head of the personnel department and fill some form, which had questions almost like I was joining another institute. I finished the formalities and was about to meet the Resident Editor and then, then an incident happened. Probably the auspicious time was gone, I was stuck in the elevator for 20 minutes. It was quite funny. It was stuck in between two floors and the auspicious time was so "auspicious" that I couldn't escape at all. I cursed my luck for it. Whatever! I got out of it once the assistant saw me - expressionless, speechless and motionless. The trick was to switch off the main power and switch it on. I felt like the elevator was diseased. Finally, I met the resident editor and he smiled and asked me to come to office at 5.30 p.m.

To add to my misery, I had to go back home in the scorching sun and come back in the evening. I nodded my head cursing the resident editor and walked out. It was 5 p.m and my dad was sick of driving me to the office in the morning and had asked me to take a bus. I got to the office at around 5.45 p.m. I did not know anyone and therefore, one of my classmates from IIJNM came to my rescue, because she is also working in the same office.

I felt like I was in a land of aliens,. May be I was too nervous, scared and what not. I was shown my desk and a computer and then, the News Bureau Chief came and asked me to edit a story to check my editing skills.  It was worse that a moffusil copy because the language was not understandable. I had to understand what the reporter meant and  re-structure it well until the whole story made sense. I did it. But, another tragedy happened. After I finished, I refreshed the page assuming it was the "SAVE" option. Everything got deleted.
And then, I had to re-type everything and it took me an hour. I was tensed because I was taking a lot of time and then, the tragedy made my life worse. At that very moment, the News bureau chief walked up to me and asked why I was taking so long. He was not-so-humble or not-so-rude, but I was petrified at his arrival and somehow, took it negatively. (which I shouldn't have).

I spoilt my mood and my day. I was feeling scared, unworthy and flushed out completely. Probably, because I never expected this to happen on the first day. But , it did and I had to accept it. In that mood, I drank three cups of coffee, which ruined my night's sleep. I was drooped back home by a kind but irksome cab driver. I was not happy. My first day at work wasn't good at all. I was thinking about the same thing again and again and therefore, couldn't sleep too. My best friend came to my rescue and brought me out of it, just by texting. And I thank him for bringing me out of it because, if it were not him, my disaster management skills would be worse.

Today is my second day at work. Few faces look familiar because I met them yesterday. Still, a few look at me as if I'm standing NAKED in front of them. Anyways, hope to start loving this place and get to know a few more people.


7 comments:

Srinidhi said...

Awww. Ul do great. It must be a big change for you. But im sure ul be wonderful. Ul make tons of new friends and soon enough ul be the reporter you want to be.

hang in there re. :)

Big hug.

Tejaswini Pagadala said...

How I wish that happens very soon nids... :) Thanks.

Dee said...

Bottomline: You survived.

Cheers to that!

My madness begins tomorrow...oh and my office doesn't have a lift. So no chance of THAT fiasco happening ;)

Unknown said...

The elevator seems like an adventurous one :). Sounds like a good first day to me. To be frank, I think you are complaining a little. But may be, anyone would have felt the same through it for the first time. The stares are really irritating though. But then you got something to blog about something atleast, right? ;)

Alexina said...

good read.. and now you have quite a tale to tell your grand kids :)

good luck girl!

Anonymous said...

Oops! That is actually disastrous: getting stuck in elevator, being victimised by a psuedo-English copy on an incompetent software and being questioned for that... It's alrite, welcome to TNIE :P
And just hold on, IIJNM grads are a class apart from others. I'm sure you'll prove it (to them as well as to yourself) sooner rather than later. Best wishes...

shweta-meo voto said...

:) Take it all in with a pinch of lemon and salt. Make us proud.