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What is a work anniversary? It is a milestone that celebrates the length of time an individual has been employed by a particular organization.
This is going to be a long read, but do stick to it!
Being born with the gift of dyslexia means, the path of your life is full of pebbles, they don’t cut, but they do occasionally bruise and ache your feet hard. Mathematics was a boulder I was bumping into every day.
When numbers jump in your brain, trigonometry can f**** your childhood!
Education had been a struggle for me until my tenth board exams, actually getting admission into kindergarten was a challenge. My mother suggested a government school, her reasoning was pragmatic; sending me to a private school would be a waste of family finance.
On the other hand, my father believed private schooling would save me from future starvation because a fancy-looking basic education can ensure you get into a half-decent college.
In a nutshell, life in the brand school in a remote valley of Assam sucked big time. Because not only were you getting beaten up and black and blue for zeros in your maths paper, but you also had to hear from your teachers how dumb you were; every bloody day.
As the education nightmare continued, I vouched that I will be the most well-read person in my batch, you can check my goodreads I have read over 2000 books, yes I am bragging.
Though, when I began to read books, I continued even when my eyes hurt. And I had to start reading from 1st standard story books when I was in 5th standard. None of the school teachers or any adult in my life even knew the term dyslexia two decades back I think. We only found out after watching Tare Zameen Par!
By the time I was in 8th standard, I knew I belong to humanities and that in future became a social signal to my relatives and family friends that I was set for a life of as a housewife.
No disrespect to the housewives, but the housewife mother of mine had hammered into me, that life as a housewife was not an option for her children. She didn’t care, what jobs we did in future, but we had to get a job so that we had our own money.
Hence, my entire academic life in humanities was spent studying hard and excelling with the sole purpose to get employed. Someone who came 2nd from the bottom until the tenth boards got 9th rank from the top in Masters!
Though I had bigger ambitions like pursuing a PhD, the stress and dyslexia made sure I take a left turn to earn a professional degree that will get me a job.
One side of my relatives expected me to return home to become a school teacher, and get married, and the other fraction, who knew I am queer, thought I would run away with some pot-smoking hippie from university.
I did none of those and began applying for jobs in every possible place in every possible city, and what’s the most challenging job a dyslexic person can land; the job of a book editor!
For five years I was a book editor, and earning peanuts with pride. My mother had told me to get a job and live on my own, but mother had not prepared me for the harsh realities of paying rent, saving money, getting depression out of nowhere and cooking my food!
Our daughters are raised to be independent, but the tools we have been given are ancient.
In this quest to be an employed human, I had built up so much pressure doing my day-job, freelancing at night, fetching authors from events after work, and dealing with bickering distributors all day that I began to dislike the very thing I was creating: books.
That’s when I decided, I can no longer keep working for the sake of carrying the inflated idea of independence that I had created in my head. I needed to only chew things I could digest.
I showed a middle finger to hustle culture, quit my job, moved back home and went into hibernation.
Clueless, about what I wanted to do next. Yet, I was assured I no longer wanted to deal with another 9/4 ratio estimation and planning. I began job hunting again, and with urgency, as I was threatened by parents with homelessness who couldn’t tolerate the sight of an unemployed blob watching anime and K-drama on an iPad all day.
Then in a mailer came a job profile I was vaguely aware of, and bam; I applied. But I got called in for an interview for a different position.
Never say no to opportunities is what my PR professor had taught me. And that’s how I became one of the editors of Women’s Web! And in the blink of an eye, I am already celebrating my first work anniversary.
As of today, I completed my first work anniversary with the Women’s Web team!
In this one year, I had to learn and unlearn many things. From communicating with people from different industries to training interns and having a team meet-up in a beautiful vineyard; I didn’t need to overcompensate for my shortcomings caused by dyslexia.
In short, I had an eventful year.
For the first time, I am working without the pressure of keeping up with the misguided independent woman’s identity! I can be independent in my own way! There is no set rule.
Here are 10 things that I have learned in this one year!
In a year of working, I gained a deeper understanding of my industry and the specific skills needed for my job. I familiarized with the trends, challenges, and details of my field, which helps me perform better.
I learned how my workplace functions and navigates its dynamics. This is the first I time have worked with a big team! There are dynamics and unwritten rules that govern interactions, which was fun to learn. I became better at building relationships, collaborating with colleagues, and adapting to the company’s culture.
With time, I learned to manage my time efficiently and prioritize tasks effectively. I understood my workload, set realistic deadlines, and balance competing demands.
No one should underestimate the importance of continuous learning and professional development. In areas where I need to improve my skills or knowledge, I actively seek growth opportunities like workshops, courses, or certifications.
Working for a year exposed me to challenges where I had to step into a different role when asked for it! I learned to adapt to change, think critically, and solve problems; not mine but my interns. I am much more resourceful than I ever was!
Effective communication and collaboration are vital skills in any job. To gain insights into any problem, clear communication is the key! From expressing my ideas, active listening, and effective collaboration with colleagues to saying no; it’s all important.
Through my work experiences, I did develop a better understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. I can check my performance, set meaningful goals, and align my actions with my career aspirations.
Balancing work and personal life can slide into chaos if I don’t pay attention. After a year on the job, I know my priorities, set boundaries, and adopt strategies to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
To be honest, professional etiquettes are still in a sorry state. But I learned how to conduct myself appropriately, make smarter decisions, and maintain professional standards in my interactions and responsibilities.
Building professional connections and networking has become more evident after a year of employment. I realized the value of expanding my network within and outside the organization to enhance my career prospects, gain information, and explore new opportunities.
Celebrating the completion of my first year of work, I look back on the incredible lessons I’ve learned. From the power of networking to the significance of professionalism. I’ve embraced the value of work-life balance, self-reflection, communication, adaptability, and professional growth.
By effectively managing time and understanding workplace dynamics, I’ve expanded my industry knowledge and skills.
As I continue on my journey, I am empowered to break free from societal expectations and define my independence in a way that is uniquely my own.
Do you have a work anniversary story? We would love to read it!
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Image source 10 Work Anniversary Lessons: Growing With Dyslexia: Made with CanvaPro
Editor at Women's Web. She/They. 30. Bi. Bookworm. Comic book connoisseur. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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