What my first job taught me

When I finished university, I thought I was ready for the world of work. I had good grades, a new laptop and plenty of confidence. Three months later, I got a job as an assistant at a small travel company in Da Nang. On my first morning, I realised that university had not prepared me for everything.

To begin with, I did not understand how the office worked. Nobody told me where to sit, and everyone seemed too busy to answer my questions. I spent most of the first week reading old emails and trying to learn the ropes. At lunch, I usually ate alone at my desk because I felt too shy to join the others.

Things got better when a colleague called Mai took me under her wing. She showed me how to deal with angry customers on the phone and how to write emails that were short and polite. She also gave me a piece of advice that I still follow: if you make a mistake, admit it straight away. At first, this felt embarrassing, but I soon noticed that my manager trusted me more because of it.

Not everything was easy, though. The salary was low, so I had to work out a careful budget just to make ends meet. Some weeks I stayed late four evenings in a row. On the other hand, I was learning something new every day, and I was getting paid for it.

Looking back, that job taught me things no textbook could. I learned to ask questions, to listen carefully and to stay calm under pressure. Most of all, I learned that nobody expects you to know everything on day one. What matters is that you are willing to learn.