In March of this year, after sending out numerous cover letters and various versions of my CV, going in for several interviews and worrying every day about whether I would become part of that dreaded statistic – the unemployed graduate – I finally got offered a job. I was so happy that one of my interviews had worked out, especially because this was the company that I was most interested in working for.
In my short time here, I have realised that the working world is wildly different from and also exactly the same as varsity. The same cliques, the same difficult seniors, the same questionable canteen food and the inescapable group politics. One vital difference is that at work, you get paid to put up with other people’s nonsense, so at least you can buy data and ice cream to get over all the stress you are put through.
Here are a few other things that will happen to you at your new job:
You will be added to the shady group chat
WhatsApp is where co-workers go to share their gripes about the tediousness of daily tasks and meetings, pesky bosses and the lives of other people in the office. The day I was added to the WhatsApp group, I felt like I had finally been welcomed into the fold. I’ve been watching the gossip from the side lines and adding the appropriate memes ever since. But I have been warned about office talk: “don’t get sucked in.”
You will gain an intimate understanding of Twitter’s air-conditioning memes
In my first week, my desk mate told me: “it gets very cold in here. You can use my blanket if you want.” I thought maybe she was exaggerating, but I soon found out for myself how cold a room can get, even when none of the windows are open. I have never seen anyone adjusting the air-conditioning, but I can confirm that whoever does it only has their own interests at heart.
You will start to take the idea of work/life balance more seriously
I realised early on, when my sleep pattern was thrown into chaos, that a job can quickly consume your life. I have to be vigilant about maintaining a life outside of the office. In a day, I have to go to work, do what is required of me, be a social person over lunch, get home and cook, find time to clean and then maybe get around to reading before I sleep. I often wish I had a whole other day to do what I want to do after work. I need to figure out how to make the most of my time without feeling like I’m going non-stop.
There have been some other little things that I have learned. For example, it is super important to eat throughout the day. It sounds trivial, but if I don’t have a snack between breakfast, lunch and home time, I get really grumpy.
Also, workwear is a concept that has taken on new meaning. I can’t dress like I’m still on campus when I’ll be attending meetings with people from different departments, and expect to be taken seriously.
It’s been a short while, and I still have a long way to go in building a foundation for my career, but these few months have shown me what I am capable of. Look at me, I’m a real adult with a real job! (Let’s see if that enthusiasm can carry me through dealing with debit orders and other scary grown-up financial responsibilities in the near future…)
But what I do know is this: I don’t ever want to go back to being unemployed.
Nkhensani Manabe 