Tetyana Kasima

How did I get my first job

 How did I get my first job?


This essay is like a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces are collected from my every day life. The aim of
this essay is to tell my story. Writing it I felt like it can be helpful for someone as a token of my
experience. The highest honour for my humble writing can be advice and support for those who need
and seek for some.

Alongside with this aim this thinking on paper helped me to understand my current life and vivid
events in it. Not to mention that for me this essay is like highlights of the year.
The reason for choosing this particular theme is that I just want to tell about my experience, for other
people to judge it and to draw their own conclusions. It is such a pleasure when someone follows
your footsteps and succeeds.

If to regard this essay as an advice that it should be said that if you want to achieve something new it
motivates you a lot which means that no one can motivate you better than yourself. Every person can
keep his/herself motivated by rewarding themselves for some achievements.
If to regard this essay as a story than it is a heart-to-heart talk with the best friend or a mother in the
kitchen.
If to regard this essay as a fairy - tail than it is a fairy -tale for those who dare to dream and who are
not afraid of their wishes.
If to regard this story as a diary then it is another day, month, and the whole year that passed and left
a note in my life and in lives of other people.

Whatever you make out of it I hope that you will still find something valuable.
I hope that by this short abstract I could spark your interest and I appreciate you for your
consideration.

Working people who have it want less of it while people who don’t have enough want more of it.
Your first day at work will not be as bad as your first day at school. In fact, it will be worse. You
will be the only person wearing a brad new suit with the price tag still hanging form the back.
Nobody will tell you how to use the office computers systems. You will use the wrong paper in
photocopier. You will be taken around the office and introduced to at least 500 people. You will
instantly forget the names of all 500 people but, without exception, they will remember yours.
On your first day, you will not have any friends but you will not have any enemies either. Just
remember that the first lesson you have to learn is to work hard and to be the part of the team. Show
concern for everyone from the managing director to the tea lady and you will be all right.
It's a strange thing, but if you wear a suit and carry a business card people will take you seriously.
Your company's clients will want to shake your hand and take you to expensive restaurants. Be nice
to people who treat you as an adult by smiling sweetly and acting responsibly. Then return home and
be a teenager again.

I have read this article in the bus just on my way to the place which I wanted to call work or even
further my work, the place where I work. "Sounds great! "- I thought… feeling confident enough and
being in the best of spirit.

I was full of hope and desire to achieve something because for me personally a job is
not just earning money it is self-improvement, development, step further - quite a long step in fact.
For some people it seems too long, far too long. Just on the other page of the magazine where I have
read the article I have mentioned a joke. It said :" Be unemployed. 5 million people can't be wrong.
Why all of the information is connected with jobs, I wonder? May be because it is the end of
summer, all people are making plans for the coming year, the streets are full of sun burnt men and
women who are hurrying and the streets are bustling again. Really the streets were filled with
people. I spotted different groups of people who were busy with their own matters. I lost myself in a
crowd and felt happy for a while being the part of this hectic city again after the holidays. No need
to lie it is a wonderful life.

That how it was one year ago. Today I work at the British Council in Donetsk, English club
'Unique" and a big steel company "Leman Ukraine". But first things first. The story in fact is quite
long. It is usually like this, the story is long and the outcome is easy enough to understand. Although
we can not argue that the processes is far more exciting that the result and as a rule we remember the
process and that is how the stories appear people just tell how the have achieved something and
hare you are a new story, another person, different life. For me personally my own experience began
with a story as well.

It has been my dream to work at the British Council. During the whole year I participated in all
projects there and by the end of the year I discovered that there is an opportunity to work there. What
you have to do it to show up for the annual session for trainers in August and to take an active part to
be selected. The main point I would like to mention here is that British Council is the place for
creative ideas and it is quite obvious that ideas do not appear just out of the blue so I must put
creative people on the first place of course. Frankly, I can talk about creative and friendly
atmosphere of the British Council for ages but that is not the right time yet. British Council was the
place where I met Irina. Here my story will become more dynamic (definitely it will) and you will
see why and mainly what I mean by dynamic.

Irina has her own English club for people of all ages who want to study English, who seek for
friendly atmosphere to study in and who need a helping hand to make there way through the amazing
world of English language. It was a great surprise to me, (truly it was) that she invited me to be a
guide through this amazing land in other words to work in her club and to teach English. It came as a
surprise to me if to take into account that I am currently studying International Relations at the
historical department. Anyway, I accepted because it was a new interesting challenge, something I
have never practiced before and that was quite clear that I got interested.

Returning to the British Council though. I haven not mentioned yet that we were telling stories and the
whole session was devoted to the special methods of using stories during the lesson, why people are
interested in listening to other people's stories and how to make a story sound attractive. Probably
the people or the atmosphere or both made me feel very inspired and it was extremely easy to
express my point of view, tell stories, improvise and just communicate in a very pleasant and easy
way. At some point you realize what to say, how to react but then you just set your emotions free and
achieve what you want. Sounds easy but how does it work on practice? People are writing and
reading a lot of books about applying for a job, going to the interview, writing an essay and what
not. The only thing all people understand is that the only way to know how to work is to work but
still keep on reading and writing all the essential recommendations. In any case when you are
looking for a job all ideas, ways and any help can come in handy and are more than welcome.
Nothing is useless, everything is useful. And the shadows are as important as light because whatever
people say mistakes help and every mistake shows that you are on to something.

That reminded me of a story about a cracked pot. A water bearer in India had two large pots, one
hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and
while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long
walk from the stream to the master's house. The cracked pot arriver only half full. For a full two
years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his
master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for
which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable
that it was able to accomplish only half of what is had been made to. After two years of what it
perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. I am ashamed of
myself, and I want to apologize to you.

"Why" - asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
-"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side
causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to
do all of this work, and you do not  get full value from your efforts."
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion ha said." As we return to
the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up to the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful
wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again he
apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot." Do you notice that there were
flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That's because I have always
known your flow, and took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every
day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them. There is a lot of good in us. Each
of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots.

I have been working in the British Council preparing different seminars and assisting international
exams and had a group in the English club "Unique" at first when Irina offered me another job. That
was quite a challenge again because I agreed (quite quickly I would say) to work for the Siemens
company and then for Leman-Ukraine steel company as a teacher for the personnel of these
companies. On one hand I understand that every new step in the world brings with it not only
opportunity but also risks. On the other hand I always remember that the biggest risk in life is not
taking one. Being a risky person I tried and everything was really successful but what I have learned
is that you have to put an effort in everything you do.

The more I worked the more I understood how valuable experience is and day by day it became
easier not only to work but to study. I must admit that work is a great school of time management
and you obtain a lot of skills. The main value of these skills is that you can apply them in all spheres
 at the university, you every day life simply. That is probably a key to success - personal key to
success which is very unique for everyone. May be I found my own "Unique" success?
Some people said "hard-working", some people said " workaholic", some said nothing. I was happy. I
am happy because I am able to find a place to express, to share my knowledge and skills.
It is worth pointing out as well that you should not forget about hardships along the way. Work is
difficult (any work is) you need iron self-control and a lot of patience but it also can be leisure and
may be it sounds crazy but it is so. A short explanation should be given here. Love your work! I love
my work and it feels so great to communicate with interesting knowledgeable people and to get
valuable experience at the same time plus to feel you are able to bring more knowledge to people's
lives and to master you skills as well. That is quite important for I am a second year old student
myself and teaching students of my own age or adults one can feel more confident at some point and
even more worried from time to time. I should mention that you can not really get rid of butterflies
in your stomach and it happens to all people young and old, experienced and beginners.
The only thing that is clear is that you can not go backwards - you can not stand still.
You must go forward. Forwards! Forwards! That is the law of life!
Another story came to my mind.

There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to
speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to
speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head
monk. It has been ten years, said the head monk. What are the two words you would like to
speak?
"Bed.... hard...." - said the monk.
"I see" -  replied the head monk.
Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years" - , said the
head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"
"Food ....stinks..." -  said the monk.
"I see" - replied the head monk.
Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met the head monk who asked,"  What are
your two words now, after these ten years?"
"I ....quit!" - said the monk.
"Well, I can see why, " - replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complaining."

What to do next? We all like to fantasize about our future. What will the world be like in several
years? Where will we be? These are the questions people ask all the time. I always keep in mind the
fact that there are so many unpredictable things that happen but moreover every person is preparing
his or her own filed for the crops. The longer you prepare the filed the better? Which means you
have to graduate from the university and then find your way in life. May be it is better to plant your
seeds now, at the very moment when the sun is shunning, you are young, full of energy, when you
think that impossible is nothing and you consider yourself to be multitalented, trying to be broadminded
and flexible, accepting and caring. May be it is necessary to act now, to be brave enough to
meet a new challenge being a creative problem solver, not to be afraid to help and to ask for help, to
be pro-active and to find your way in life being a leader for yourself.

I never thought about it before. I always keep in mind the question : "How far would I go for my
dream?"  To be honest I haven not found the answer yet.
It is just now as the year has passed (quite quickly) I admit how important it is to analyse all events
that happened, feeling so happy that everything is all right and you are open for new horizons.

All rights belong to its author. It was published on e-Stories.org by demand of Tetyana Kasima.
Published on e-Stories.org on 01/12/2011.

 
 

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