I thought I would write a post all about life after university. For me, this time last year I was on my last placement unsure and anxious about what the future held. It can be one of the most unsure periods of time in your life, like you are literally leaping into the unknown. It has to be the scariest time of my life. Not only was I moving two hours back home, but also for the first time ever I was having a full time job which came with a lot of responsibility. I would love to have read a blog post from someone who was simply there to tell me everything will be okay, and this is what this post is for.
I cannot even tell you how fast the last 9 months have flown by, it has been ridiculous. I feel like a lot of things fly by, but being back at university and not living in my hometown feels like a lifetime ago. However, on the other hand I feel as though I have now only been in my job about 4 months if I am totally honest. Everything feels like it has been a whirlwind, but an exciting one. I know it gets to that stage in the year when you are at uni and you just cannot wait to finish. Me and my friends all had countdowns on our calendars as we were just all so ready to finish, and finally be able to earn and not have to attend lectures.
I can in fact tell you that when I received my first pay, it was actually such a refreshing and proud moment. I did not particularly have anything I wanted, but that feeling that you have earned that cash for me is very fulfilling. I still feel like this 9 pay packages on, I hope I never get to the point where I am not proud of what I have earned. Before the pay packages come, the finding a job has to come first. In the industry which I am in there is a lot of competition for jobs, but also a wide range of jobs choices to choose from. I think this was the scariest bit for me, thinking about all of the time and effort which I had put in throughout my time at university but not having any job to go into at the end is a gut wrenching feeling. Having this determination to succeed and secure a job was definitely helpful when not only applying but interviewing for jobs. I found that I was able to passionately talk about why I wanted the job, as that was genuinely how I felt. I received a job offer for the job which I am not in around May last year and finished university in July, but I did not officially start until September. Throughout this period of time I was so excited, but also a bag of nerves.
The pay to me is a bonus, job satisfaction is the reason I get up and go to work. I think within my first few weeks I went to bed every night thinking why on earth have I chosen to work here. I was constantly doubting myself and I had many sleepless night. However, I hope this helps in saying I think you have to go through these tough times. You have to step up, prove yourself and battle on. Winter is the busiest time in hospitals so I was thrown into the deep end, but that definitely did my good. About 3 months into the job, I thought to myself one day you are doing this and your doing okay, and that is what made me dig deeper to prove to my team that I am a valued member. I still go into work thinking what the hell will today hold, and that is what excites me. I will go into my job everyday thinking this, and when that excitement fizzles out I have always told myself that will be when I consider moving out.
The team. Every single person who I have worked with has made me feel totally welcome. I know this is the not the case for some, and I dread to think why someone wishes to not welcome a new work colleague when we have all been there as the newbie. Having someone to confidentially ask questions to is a massive help, because come on we are always going to need to ask questions. I would suggest asking as many as possible when you first start, it shows enthusiasm. Going into a new job, fresh out of university acting as if you know everything is going to turn heads. People feel passionate about standards and have worked hard to build a great team, and also in my case a great department, and they want to continue in that direction. I really enjoy work, I don't particularly love the early starts but you've got to take the good with the bad, and I honestly do not believe that there is a perfect job out there for everyone. What there is though, is jobs which are going to make you feel fulfilled.
Lucy
xoxo
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