One year of employment

Time surely passes fast. Last week marked one calendar year of formal employment. It's been an interesting period, marked with lots of learning about the corporate world. For a guy who'd just finished his undergraduate studies, these are some of the highlights of the employment world that I've encountered:

1. The 'reply to all' and 'cc' buttons: Two obscure yet dangerous elements of the email world. So much drama when the wrong mail ends up in the wrong hands or a jamaa intentionally cc's the management to get you on the firing line... The interesting one is usually the rookie employees (I'm already a pro after 1 year) who send mails to a whole department asking obscure questions LOL!

2. Making your boss look good: This is an unwritten law that serves the interests of all parties. Any attempt to undercut one's boss results in serious repercussions. It's the same guy who'll sign your performance audit so you'd rather play safe and only shine when they get the gloss and not the shame. Apparently management is 90% political and 10% technical, so getting to grips with culture is a prerequisite. I got the experience of working a couple of weeks under a female boss who's rule is her way or no way...

3. This isn't home: The work place has a way of making itself entrenched into your entire life's being. However, the reality is that this place is temporal. Guys get fired, departments get 'right sized' and blunders, 'domes' or missed targets end up messing people's careers. Playing it safe doesn't work in this setting and it's better for one to invest in diverse sources so that the salo doesn't end up being the only bread winner month in month out.

4. The sky is as high as you set it: Opportunity exists everywhere, the most important thing is to be keen enough to smell it out. Someone said something like "Opportunity doesn't knock on the door, it stands silently outside. The key is knowing and opening the door at the right time!" I've seen guys who figured out that contractors were being paid outrageous sums of cash for work they could do in their sleep, so they quit and became contractors themselves. Others were offered international opportunities by colleagues they befriended while working on joint projects. Others got opportunities by virtue of volunteering in CSR activities. The list is endless, it's just the eyes and the mind to see...
5. Lose yourself: It's hard to maintain integrity especially when colleagues all around look for every opportunity to fleece the organization. Choices are tough to make plus lifestyles are so diverse, especially when guys are out of the office mould. I guess it's all about identity, who you are, whether or not guys are watching. I still haven't found a reason to drop the faith though.

All in all, it's been fun and enjoying every moment of it. How long will I be here, the contract says 3 more years, guess better make the most of every day. At least I get something to blog about...