Dear Sandra,

Your previous job may has been a real let-down but please do not let that scar you for life. It was a setback, your first real setback but treat of it as a lesson learnt. A very very expensive lesson but hey, at least you made it at the beginning of your career right? Since this blog is for learning, let us list down the 5 lessons you have learnt from your very first job.

1. Start on the right note.
Faced with a problem, you have to nip it in the bud right there and then. Do not allow problems to escalate. If you do not understand something, you have to go figure out through all means possible. Exhaust your resources first.

2. Get to know everyone first, then identify your friends and foes.
Everyone at the workplace is fighting for their own survival. Survival in the sense of keeping their job, getting a promotion or doing the least amount of work. One takeaway from my 1st job was that you have to expand your network first and then identify friends and foes. Identify who CAN help you, who is WIILING to help you and who is out to KILL you. Even if you do identify friends or allies, the basic rule of thumb is to NEVER trust anyone.

3. Always think before you speak.
This is the ultimate survival skill. Not many people has the gift of the gab. (IMO flattery takes skill. Because I cannot lie, flattery is indeed a challenge for me.) But once you have this skill, life becomes much easier. Words are very powerful, it can motivate, flatter, influence and even destroy a person. With such power comes great responsibility so always think before you say as it will affect your career.

4. Everyone has their own problems. Never share personal matters.
Well this is more of a self-defence method. Because sometimes showing emotional vulnerability might expose yourself to manipulation or blackmail by others. On the flipside, you may employ such underhand methods of emotional blackmail if others share their problems. But for me, I shall use it as a way to find out their weakness and not use it against them.

5. Always think positive.
Many people do not understand the power of their minds. Self-belief, perception and motivation influences attitude which in turn affects behaviour. (This was the very 1st model I learnt from Organisational Behaviour) So if you feel anguish and hatred over someone, this feeling will itself manifest into something more powerful which will turn you into a bitter person. Remember the Gollum in LOTR. That is exactly how you will become if you are deep in negative thoughts- in the case of Gollum it was obsession with power!
Anyway that concludes the end of my first post. Good night!