My journey... into an office.

15 March 2014, Saturday

It's a Saturday morning and I am alone in my office for Saturday Duties. Sounds like I have a lot to do but, no. Just pack my desk and sit in front of my computer until 1pm. And answer the phone if it rings.

So since the phone is not ringing and I have nothing much to do, I decided to do this.

No, I'm not going to describe how I go to my office everyday. Just how I entered the life of an OL: Office Lady.

Haha. Its my first office job, and its kinda different from what I've been doing all these while. I've been seeing so many office/hotel job-related posts on Facebook that I feel is so relatable. I shall share the link and some points which I personally can relate the most ever since I started on my new job.

21 Things You Suddenly Start Wanting In Your Mid-20s (#1 #5 #7 #8 #9 #10 #13 #16 #17)
17 Things You Suddenly Start Doing When You Get An Office Job (#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #7 #8 #10 #11 #12)

1) You can't be more thankful for Fridays.
When I used to be in the F&B service industry, Friday means nothing to you. Because you gotta work even on weekends.

2) Similarly, Public Holidays.
Public Holiday doesn't mean "holiday" if you're working in the F&B service industry. But it means one less working day for the month if you hold a full-time office job.

3) The office is a landmine.
You gotta be really careful not to tread on anyone's toes during their bad enough day because they're gonna screw you. In F&B service, all that you gotta be wary about is offending your guests. Simple.

4) It feels like you're on your own although we share the same office.
Everyone is seated in their own cubicles (what I call the dividers around our desks) and busy calling clients away and typing on the keyboard. When I get bored sometimes and I stand up to walk around, nobody even realizes. Made me feel transparent.

5) The unbelievably high level of office politics.
Hands down; I gotta admit I'm kinda blown off by this. Its way too high. I think I gotta buy personal work life insurance perhaps.

6) More than 50% of the email you receive does not concern you.
This is true because of all the cc and bcc going on. My manager even emails me when she sits just beside me. Why? Because they need proof for everything. On a side note, I didn't even have a need to have an email account while working in the F&B Service Industry.

7) It gets mundane at times, especially when you compare it with other departments.
You see others having fun with their freedom (of speech) in everything they do at the F&B outlets in the hotels and you get kinda jealous. You know you will never receive the same treatment.

8) The amount of mental stress is way higher than office politics.
Everyone thinks office jobs are easy, sitting there just typing emails and answering calls. That was what I thought too, but hell no. Everyday I leave work with my brain saturated. I miss the times where I don't need to use my brains to handle those unreasonable guests. All I had to do was smile.

9) You got to be so diplomatic at work.
Unliek F&B, you cannot be straightforward with your supervisor because it will mean hell for you in future. Smiling doesn't work as much too, on a side note.

10) You get so sick of sitting down the entire day.
Yeah I know those F&B people who sees this will wanna strangle me but its ironic. You complain when you stand the whole day, and you complain when you sit the whole day. Humans.

All in all, it sure is part of my learning journey and I believe things will be better once I get used to it. I still like the perks of an office job like enjoying air con, being able to charge my phone till 100% before I end work everyday, being able to eat and use phone during work hours and lastly dress decently. Its like a must-go-through thing for everyone, I feel. Just like a Customer Service job. It helps us to grow.

Okay, I shall also include a little about what happened in the office today. First who saw me was Giovanni, whose facial expression told me that he was surprised to see me in the office on a Saturday morning. He came by and asked why was I in the office so I told him. "Saturday Duties," I smiled.

And then at about 10.30am everyone started coming in to the office for meeting with Giovanni. Krishna saw me and then he just exclaimed very loudly from the back, "Don't act hardworking lah. Saturday come back for what?"

So I told him the same like what I told Giovanni. He dropped by my desk as well and chatted with me a little. He asked how was I and then I told him I miss him (which in Hotel Language means "I miss working with you" hahaha) and then he was like "I told you you should have stayed with me (as in Banquet) mah."

I argued with him saying he didn't want to up my hourly rate and he rebutted saying he did but I said no. He said maybe the clerk doesn't like me hahaha. Nonsense.

And then he stood from afar and commented to his colleague, "See that girl acting busy." I just yelled across the office, "Eh boss why you do this?!" In which he said, "Enemy mah."

"Must let go of your hatred boss. Only then you will be happy," I told him. He laughed. He was speechless.

One very important thing that helps contribute to my daily laughter: these wonderful people I've met over the years. We worked together, got scolded together and hanged out together. The bond we have formed over the past three years is unbreakable haha. Fighting through hard and difficult times together with fellow colleagues is one of the most important thing that brought us closer. Or maybe another; gossiping about bosses. Hahaha.

And the bosses are the people I'm grateful to. I've mentioned it countless times; if not for them I wouldn't be where I am today. Sure it still bothers me over the fact that I "betrayed" the people who trusted me and let them down, but I still gotta get over it because that is how work is. Just missing them very much deep inside.

Sigh. Guess I'm still too emotionally attached.