The Little Joys of the 'First Job'

After years of thinking to myself and telling the world that I would never have a job or work for someone else, the past week saw me getting on board a corporate media house as an employee. As hard as it is for me to accept the fact and the sudden change in my routine, there is no denying that there sure are little joys that one gets sans anticipation from one’s first job. It is a time when you are exposed to something completely new. It is a time when you have actually no clue of what to expect and of how things work. A new phase of life begins and getting to know the nitty-gritty of it is actually fun.

From the day I forwarded my CV in lieu of the opening to the day I got my offer letter, an entire month passed. Out of the 30, the last 5 days were the most difficult- the wait for the offer letter on mail after everything has been finalised verbally. Early one morning, I finally received the HR’s call asking me for a revert on the Offer letter that now waited in my inbox. There was no way I was going to sit quiet and facebook saw my excitement clearly. Of course I was shouting it out. My family members reminded me of things like 'There was a day when you couldn't even hold a cold drink bottle', 'I used to scare you with the speakers', and so on. Why did everyone feel that I had suddenly grown up?

That's probably the second post, in all the time I have used facebook, that has crossed 200 likes.
The first was last September when my film won its first award at a festival.
I never thought that I would have a ‘regularly paying’ job and so, I hadn’t given any thought to things like the DA, HRA, blah, blah and blah when I had heard them from friends who are already working. The salary breakdown, for instance, showed something called a ‘PF’ that would be deducted from my package. I had to call my father to understand exactly what it meant and how the system of provident fund works and why exactly I would be paying something from my salary that is NOT the tax!

Once I joined (and it’s been just 3 working days), it took me a while to register the fact that this time it is not an internship or anything that I am doing. I am an integral part of the organisation. I have to do certain duties because I have been hired for that. I am being depended on for work and I can’t be taking things lightly (Not that I did during any of my internships). It’s weird. And it’s still going to take some time for me to accept this- it’s actually happening, I am a full time employee, a fresher with no work experience, but at the same time an employee with a big media house of this country.

I got access to my corporate email id on the third day, along with a short welcome message from the HR Team. So it is no longer just a Gmail id that I shall be using. Now I have a MyName@ThisIsWhereIWork.in email id to boast of! And that’s where all the official emails are going to land in. And look at the new opportunity- finally I am going to make use of the never-used-before Outlook app. In my quest to move towards Apple, a Microsoft feature just got a new user. Haha!

And then there are other little things that are happening. I was called in to meet the representative of the bank the other day for the opening of my salary account. ‘Salary account’? Yes! So the first day of every month will actually see the account being credited with more money that won’t be coming from my father. Someone is actually going to pay me in return for the time I spend working for them growing my skills. Can you actually comprehend the gravity of this statement and the fact that I said it? (I can’t, yet!)

Probably the habit that Jamia inculcated in me for the last two years- of waking up and commuting in a crowded bus to reach before the 9.30 class to not miss the strict timing of the attendance- is the reason why I am okay with waking up early and commuting in the local train to work 20 kilometres away while having vadapao for breakfast. (And of course, trains are any day better than buses!)

Right now my entry and exit timings get hand-written in a register at the reception as my digital punch-card is yet to arrive. The most exciting part is probably this card which is going to have ‘MEDIA’ written in block letters on top of it. Which Mass Communication student hasn’t had the dream of getting the media/press card in hand and using it for all the privileges it entails? Hahaha!

It’s a Saturday today and I woke up well past mid-day and a very amusing thought presented itself to me- It’s a holiday and I am sleeping at home, and I am being paid for it. How wonderful is that? Hahaha…


It’s been just three days into my ‘professional life’ and it’s actually been fun including this happening. I am sure the coming days are going to present themselves to me with a lot more things to learn. I am definitely excited. How about you? Remember the anxiety, nervousness and excitement of those initial days when YOU started working?

Comments

  1. Congrats Antarik :) and for the moment I thought it was your actual email id. ^_^

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  2. And the circle of life starts again..well again its me with you! Welcome bro and All the very best :) we ll meet soon now ;)

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    1. When you wake up one morning and find Ankit Goyla's comment on the blog, you actually wonder if you have seen the right thing! Hahaha... Yes, again we are together. And Thanks Mr.Colleague! :D

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  3. Hi and many Congrats Antarik! It does feel that you have suddenly grown up :p Just kidding! But seriously, I have been following your blogs from quite a long time. I have seen your dilemma in selecting courses after 12th grade, your "What Next?" thoughts few weeks before completing Masters, your endeavors with directing short movies, and now this post!!! Seeing all this transition i feel you have correctly taken your next big step :) Wish you luck for future. Btw have you got used to Mumbai locals?? It's not a big deal, is it? Getting off at lower parel(Google search gave this as an address of RED FM) is easy peeasy after all (no pun intended) :p
    PS : What's the probability of meeting you in Mumbai locals? Do you travel in first class bogies of Fast locals?

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    1. Hey Neel, thanks. That's quite a detailed research you have done there! And yeah, I travel a lot by the locals. You should check out the posts relating to love for trains. ;)

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  4. Oh yes! Can totally relate how it feels to start with the first job. All the best... keep rocking.

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  5. Wishing you lots more success. First job is always special

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