A Newcomer's Experience.

 

In my last few blogs, I shared my experiences of being with kids and teaching them. As a part of that series, today I would like to share my experience of working with seniors.

As an intern, or when it is your first job, one of the hesitations would be how the seniors are going to be. How do you really mingle with them, learn from them, work with them, and still be on good terms with them?

I'm not an exception.

On my first day, when I went there, most of the people were in their late 20s and early 30s. More than their age, their experience spoke louder. I was really able to sense that through their teaching and the way they handled both professional and personal spaces. 

On the first day, I did feel a little isolated. I wasn't really offered much work. But later, I realised that it was actually time for me to observe and learn.

Really, I learnt a lot from them.

To list a few:

1) Be kind and be patient

As we know, being kind and being human is important. I saw that in a very pure sense in them. No matter how tense they were, they never let it affect those small kids.

2) Work - professionalism

They do have their fun time and their ME time. Still, when it comes to work, they stick to deadlines, put themselves fully into their work, and complete it, sometimes even before the deadline.

Basically, what I mean to say is that there was a clear distinction between fun time and workplace decorum and duties.

3) Including newcomers

This is a very big quality. I'm glad that I got to work with such people.

Giving work to me without reducing me to just an intern or a college student.

Appointing duties and responsibilities.

Taking our suggestions during discussions and helping improve them.

And the great thing is that they made sure that:

I'm seen.

I'm valued.

I'm acknowledged.

This is really the best quality I learnt from everyone there, especially one particular ma'am with whom I worked throughout my internship.

And a lot more. I can write a number of blogs if I'm asked to list their best qualities and what I learnt from them.

One particular incident I want to share is when we were working on the Mother's Day decorations.

It was getting late.

I was asked to work on the photo booth. Since it was only my second day, I felt a little pressured. Still, I tried my best to make it look the best I could.

My senior colleagues had their own work, and after some time they finished theirs. They could have actually gone home.

But they stayed with me and helped me complete the remaining decorations. They literally sat till 5 PM, and together we completed it.

When I looked at that photo booth, I felt like it wasn't my work alone. Each and every one of us had contributed to it.

Though it might seem like a very small action, for a newcomer, at that moment, it was exactly what I needed. That too, coming from seniors, felt really warm.

Since then, I have had a great experience working with all the staff there.

I'm always grateful for the experiences and learning I got from this internship.

Thank you, each and every one of you.