The First Day on My New Job

work as a design assistant in a real estate company

I got the new job as a design assistant in a real estate company 3 years ago. The first day on my new job, which was my 20th day in the new city, surely was a nerve-racking day for me. Standing in front of the tall buildings, I was full of anxiety. What kind of people would I meet? How could I handle things well around the new place while I had no similar experience? If I couldn't grasp the rules and procedures quickly, I might be rejected on probation period. All questions came to me when I stepped into the office.

First of all, meeting new people was a challenge. I met the HR. Ms. Peng, a nice woman with a soft voice. She told me about new rules of the company and took photos for my work card. Her standard and professional smile couldn't relieve my uneasiness. I cared my clothes and hair style frequently and my palms sweated much. I also met my immediate boss: the design manager, MR. Xie, a man looked learned and refined. He gave some directions about my work ahead, and some dos and don'ts too. They were so complicated that I were in a right mess and couldn't remember them all. I felt my face red and when he greeted me with a handshake, I felt my heart beating fast. Other colleagues in departments were so many that I couldn't recognize them all. I worried about how to call them. Just then a MR. Wong or might MR. Liu came to me to ask me to lunch together in the company refectory, but I couldn't call his name. I felt compunctious and only to smile.

Second, I tried hard but just couldn't find my way around the new place in one day. Various excel sheets should be signed and handed to different departments. The previous colleagues who had once been on my position only told me these simply and some even were not mentioned. I was in a total mess. Financial tables should first be signed by the department manager and then the CFO and last the company's deputy general manager. They were in different rooms and even different floors. Where the lunch place was and when I could have a rest were other problems. Fortunately, one of my dear new colleagues voluntarily took me to lunch and explained me how to get a lunch by a meal ticket. Obviously, I had not been told about this! Until the end of the day, I couldn't find a chance, or in other words, I didn't dare, to come out to buy a drink, for fear that my manager might call me at any moment. I was also embarrassed when the manager asked me to copy some files: because I had no experience of using a printer before. After a struggle of learning immediately, ultimately I made it.

Finally, and probably most important, I must learn new rules and procedures quickly and accurately. The form of excel spreadsheet for various use made me confused. If one wanted to claim payment, there were three different sheets he should hand in: a budget sheet, a business travel application sheet signed by general manager, and a payment request paper. All signed by different people and then collected by me to hand them to the financial colleagues. As a new comer, flurried as I was, I persuaded myself to regard it as an excellent opportunity to anneal myself. I was also told about some procedures about costume. A business suit was a must from Monday to Thursday, casual ones were allowed only on Friday if there was no meeting with the boss. Thank goodness I was in my most formal wear that day!

The first day on my new job was really a hectic day. I behaved cautiously and prudently. All I tried to do was to give a good expression on my new manager and colleagues. However, it now seems a little bit excessively nervous. Just behave as usual and make sure that you are polite and positive. For everyone there has an experience as a new comer, they may not be that strict as you think. A certain degree of tolerance and comprehension is possible.

Huxiaolan, when you write a reflective essay, it is best to not to do a numbered list of the events that transpired. Just discuss it as you would in a normal voice. Using the number system makes the essay sound like you are writing for a formal paper instead of a casual narration. Make sure that you are consistent in your tone of voice. Reflect in a past tense or passive voice so that you can focus on the action that you did. It would also be to your benefit if you shared the name of the company that you worked for since you already shared the name of the HR officers and your immediate superior. By the way, unless you have explicit permission from these people to use their names in your essay, it would be best if you did not do that. It is a violation of their privacy for you to mention their names without their consent.

@Holt
Thank you for your advice, especially that of protect other's privacy.
I will try to do it better next time.