Unlearning with Relearning @ 30!

Remember the last time you did something for the first time?

The mix of nervousness and excitement it brings along in those moments is an unusual experience.

For me, the last time something like this happened was 2011, when I took up my first job. There were dreams in my eyes and nervousness in my actions.

I started my career in 2011. Oh! What an experience that was. I felt excited, amazed and at the same time a bit edgy.

Being a fresher seemed like a once in a lifetime thing. Something I’d never get to do again. Once you gain experience, the unlearning & relearning becomes a tedious task. You become a pro in a lot of areas (though the reality is different). Bringing back this feeling seems impossible.

Little did I know, life would surprise me 8 years down the lane. It made me a fresher again, as I decided to join another amazing organisation.

Though this time it feels so different. The nervousness and anxiety are still there in tiny bits. Nevertheless, this time it is accompanied by a pinch of confidence.

Honestly, at 30, this experience feels different. The mind is better prepared, and goals become different, thanks to the learnings of professional life so far.

I still remember my first job experience, my first analysis of the employee database. I was so nervous about it, I checked like a hundred times before sending it to my boss. Thinking about it now makes me chuckle because it was such a simple task.

During 8 year of tenure, I have worked with a few incredible bosses. However, my first one deserves a special mention as she was a bit crazy. She had this unique style of correcting my mistakes by not telling me what they were. She only made one comment — figure out of your own & fix it.

Oh, trust me, in those days I really wanted to kill her. Tell me my mistake and let me learn. She just never needed. It was like a treasure hunt with her, only there was no treasure at the end of it. Though now, I feel a huge credit goes to her for shaping me the way I’m today. If she did not push me enough or drive me crazy, I would have never become so thorough with my work as I am today.

Perhaps those were the days, and I’ll always cherish.

Looking back, I see so many ups & downs. I feel a bit of content, but I know that I have a long way to go. Like anybody else, I too want to play big. That is something which doesn’t happen if you get comfortable. A leap of faith, a jump outside the comfort box or a push is needed.

That was the exact reason, experiencing the journey of the unknown again, that pushed me to a new phase of my life. The Re-fresher ready to refresh her learnings.

I heard this great quote by Robert Kiyosaki — “Comfort kills ambition. Get uncomfortable and get used to it in your pursuit of your goals and dreams”
It was time to move out of my comfort zone, time to get uncomfortable. Yeah, time to get uncomfortable because that’s where you learn the most. You should try it once, you may just get addicted to it.

Here is the journey of unknown starts — my 180 days with this incredible new organisation where it feels like I’m fresher again:

And of course, it all started of accepting the offer, I was not sure if this is what I exactly wanted to do? You know the usual anxiety of what’s right and what’s not.

Moreover, I was worried if I would enjoy this new journey. Moving from known space to an unknown was the hardest pill for me to take. Can you even imagine leaving the warm spot for a new one?

I biggest fear was of joining a Consulting firm. Consulting firms are known for having some brilliant minds with a mix of style. And I doubt, I have either of that.

But it was time to take the risk. There I read a beautiful quote by Ellen DeGeneres said “When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed, and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” For me, I was sure of taking this risk irrespective of success or failure.

Here, with this new beginning, I don’t know what awaits me: success, failure, but as always, I will only focus on learnings.

So the first few months of a new job is often adventurous, just like a new gadget for a kid.

There are new people, new setup, new workstation😊. Acronyms you don’t know and are keen to learn. The whole time you are wondering if you are making a good impression on people around you and most importantly on your new boss. I call my initial months as the months of “observation”. I just observe a plethora of information: who the key partners are, what the culture is like, what are different functions, people responsible for various events happening?

I am the observer. It’s like learning the Alphabets again. No, not ABCD literally, but the alphabet of a new organisation. Let’s call it learning a new language.

I have been here for a wonderful 180 days, full of varied emotions. I’m anxious but not frustrated, I’m curious & but not careless. I’m excited but not agitated. So many emotions are flowing that it’s difficult to identify what exact state of mind I am in. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying this state of uncertainties. Coming to the office every day & defining your days according to your choices. There are fewer directions & more of establishing, defining your work the way you would like to plan, how you want us to grow.

The experience starts with the first phone call you make to the prospective candidate who if successful, get hired by the organisation. That’s precisely what I experienced remembering the first phone call when I received & the way the person described the organisation just blew my mind.

Honestly, I was not at all aware of the organisation more than I was never interested in joining.

For me, it was just another organisation to give an interview & figure out whether to join or not. But let me share one thing: I advocate people experience, and this company is the best in giving people excellent pre & post joining experience.

The flawless onboarding, my manager (who heads the Asia region) was continuously in touch. One thing which assured me I picked the right company is that everything was planned. I had my next 30 days planned the moment I logged into the new system. I had my calendar entirely blocked (impressive right?).

It took me a few months to understand the protocols and systems. Everyone I met was so welcoming, I did not feel I’m in a new company.

I also had a colleague & now a friend who joined just after me. We almost had the same experience. Another fantastic part of this organisation is my team. We are power puff girls. We lift each other by helping & supporting and not by competing.

Lastly, what blew my mind is how my new organisation is helping us during this COVID situation. It’s natural to think about uncertainties and me being an overthinker, will keep thinking about it.

Someone recently told me overthinking, or anxiety happens due to greed of knowing the future & who knows the future? At least I don’t.

So, when I spoke about the anxiety of my job security in this new org said: “Don’t worry, people will not even be the last thing that we would like to lose.”

Every day there is a bit of learning, a lot of care for people around & it, of course, makes me feel a bit content.

As I said, I have a long way to go and a lot to learn.

And so would you?

Have you had a similar experience or an unexpected one! Do share.