Sejal Mehta tells you how to face new-job jitters.
You are the ‘new girl’, the ‘rookie’ and the topic of much speculation. And it’s the week from hell. You are unsure of people, unsure of your movements and desperately trying to fit in. Yes, even the most confident of the lot face the heat and experience the uncertainty.
THE NEW KID If you have had no prior working experience, we are not going to lie to you; the beginning will be rough. “I felt like I was under a magnifying glass for the first month,” says Shruti, a trainee in a computer company. “All my errors were magnified and attributed to my inexperience,” she remembers.
For Shaheen, her good looks worked against her for quite a while. Not a confident person, she made a few mistakes in the beginning. “Well, who doesn’t?” she exclaims. “But they labelled me an air-headed bimbo with a good body and no brains.”
BOSS Vs TEAM Kavita, on the other hand, has a very different issue and is seriously considering leaving her new job. “My boss and the staff have had serious tension between them for quite a while now.”
When Kavita entered the war zone, the squads put their weapons on hold to wait and watch which side she would join. Her dilemma has further increased as the boss for some reason, is quite fond of her. As a result, the staff has slowly alienated from her, making it very difficult for her to work in such a hostile environment.
GENDER CLUB Vibha doesn’t have it any better. She’s barged into a work place that’s more of a men’s-club than an ad agency. “If an employee has a new idea, he will approach another male employee but not me. There comes a point when you are not aware of what is happening in your team,” she rues.
You’d think that opposed to the male chauvinistic attitudes, it would be a cakewalk working in an all-women environment, right? Wrong! Jyoti, who began as an intern for a fashion designer, came in for a lot of catfights and ‘no holds barred’ back-stabbing.
“I was new and thought the other intern was trying to help me. Later, I found that she was insecure and wanted to sabotage my designs,” she says. “With women, you have to watch what you say to whom.
I am being a traitor to my sex, but women cannot resist a good gossip session. As a newcomer, watch yourself and refrain from saying too much,” suggests Shivani, who works at a beauty saloon. “I have fallen prey to some serious two-faced talk. I have taken a solemn vow to mind my own business.”
GET ON WITH IT It’s not all that bad though. There are ways to deal with these situations. Here comes the good part. Does it get better? Yes. There is no greater feeling than when you play against all these odds and come out the winner. So here are a few things from us to help you do just that.
The first thing that one needs to do in any new environment is put out your feelers and explore. Don’t rush yourself into ‘fitting in’ and stick on to the first person that is nice to you. Accept help graciously. Talk less, listen more. Don’t overdo it; you don’t want to be the new ‘office ice queen’.
Smile at people, especially when you are turning down an offer to help or turning down an unreasonable request. It is a fantastic way to take the sting out of your words. You can get away with a ‘Get lost’ or ‘No way am I doing that for you’ if you laugh as you say it. Again, don’t overdo it, people will think you are just being mean and enjoy saying this stuff to people while laughing in their faces.
ONE BATTLE AT A TIME Finally, there is no getting around the fact that you are being judged. Every assignment and move is being watched and discussed. Will they gossip about you behind your back? They might. But not forever. All you can do is just do your job and do it well.
If you stumble and they sneer, ignore it, learn from each fall and develop a desire to do better. Slowly, you will be able to judge for yourself who your friends are. Once you are at that stage, you can loosen up a bit. By then, work will be just a little more familiar, the office just a little more yours and the people, just a little more friendly. Half the battle is won. Just half though, as life goes on and the battle is never really over. Ah well, you live, you learn!
Does it get better? Yes. There is no greater feeling than when you play against all these odds and come out the winner.