Today I started my dream job. Well it's not my ultimate dream job but it is an HR generalist position which means I will get exposure to all of the basic HR functions and it is a step into the right direction of meeting other career dreams of mine. I've been trying to get my foot in the door of an HR department for the past 4 years and today it finally happened.
I dressed up for work in my J. Crew best (including a fab belt & leopard print calf-hair ballet flats) and was pleased to find that everyone else in my department was dressed in similar fashion. I was used to going to work with people who took casual working environment way too seriously. I mean we're talking women who wore their husbands baseball tshirts to work with tattered jeans and nice sneakers. They seemed to save all of their money for hair and sneakers which were both impeccable even when wearing a sweatshirt. I always felt overdressed in a pair of dark jeans and a merino sweater but not today. Today I felt like I was dressed appropriately and that I belonged. The director of our department (who was dressed incredibly chic) actually complimented me on my shoes. They appreciated my efforts to look nice on my first day.
You can never take back a first impression so I made sure to make a good one and I think I did. Everyone was so professional and accommodating. Orientation was of course administered by members of the HR department and each one of them personally introduced themselves to me as they knew I would be starting that day. I felt like I was being welcomed into the family and it felt so good. I have worked a series of thankless entry level jobs where I was one of a training class of at least 10 people where they would throw you to the wolves after 4 weeks of mediocre training. Today felt very different. I was given my own office and the department ordered pizza and had everyone come down to meet me at lunch time. It's also the first time I will be making an actual salary and not hourly pay.
I feel like I have arrived. I feel hopeful. I feel like I fit in which has never happened to me at any other job I've ever held. They seemed to like my energy during the interview process so I hope my sarcastic nature translates. I know it's not smooth sailing yet as I have a lot to learn there because I don't have any real life HR experience but thank God my degrees and extensive customer service experience was enough to convince them that I am teachable.
In orientation I was sitting next to a woman who was going to be an RN in one of the clinics and she was struggling to understand some of the benefit information & forms they were giving us. I naturally stepped up to the plate to help her understand and she seemed really thankful. Unfortunately, the ladies sitting on the other side of me were not as helpful and in fact were pretty annoyed with her. I imagine it was mainly first day jitters and maybe she really does struggle to understand those sort of things but she needed help and I didn't even think twice to extend the olive branch and help her out. I guess that means I'm in the right field.
One of our HR labor representatives gave a sexual harassment training session so compelling it made me want to jump out of my seat and assist her. I really feel like I'm in the right place and that I can really make a difference here. I really hope I feel this way tomorrow after I've actually started to learn the facets of my job.
