As Commits students from the Class of 2014 take their first steps in the media industry, a look back at how their super-seniors coped with "First-Day Nerves" (an excerpt from The Commits Chronicle blog post of January 15, 2011):
Your
first day as a full-time employee can be fraught with anxiety. The
questions whirling in your mind can range from "Am I dressed
appropriately?" to "Will I be able to cope?" Day One can also be
supremely memorable, with everything going your way thanks to an
understanding boss and cheerful colleagues who make it easy for you to
fit in right away.
Some Commitscions from the Class of 2011 have begun working already, though they graduate only in June and, technically, they are still students. Most were lucky enough to have enjoyed their first day at work. So what was the day really like?
Did they have butterflies in their stomach? Were they confident? Who
was the first person they met in their department? Did their colleagues
make them feel welcome? What can their juniors learn from them about
how to behave on their Day One?
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW SOMETHING,
SHOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM TO LEARN
By Sindhu Pawar
Junior PR Executive for Lifestyle and Entertainment,
Nucleus, Bangalore
 |
| SINDHU PAWAR |
My
first day at work was good. I was not at all nervous; in fact, I was
confident and this confidence is definitely thanks to Commits. :-)
The first person I met in office was the business head. She introduced
me to everyone around, and then, like in every PR agency, my day started
with "tracking" newspapers, and that meant reading all the newspapers,
which I love. And, yes, my colleagues made me feel comfortable and they
are very helpful and sweet people.
From my “Day One Experience”, what I would say to my juniors is that
there is no need to panic or feel nervous; just be confident, and if you
do not know something, show your enthusiasm to learn. It is not rocket
science, and so what if it is? Nobody will scold you for not knowing
something; instead they will be happy to teach you. If I were to pick
three words that count on Day One, they would be CONFIDENCE, PASSION,
and ENTHUSIASM. You should feel — and show — all three. But never be over-confident, always be humble. :)
In my first week itself I was associated with an event for a cause where
actor Akshay Kumar was invited, and many more events followed. But the
first big project which I got to handle independently was to oversee the
PR for a photography exhibition for one of our clients, a professional
photographer. It was an amazing experience and I got to learn a lot. You
feel happier when your work is recognised and appreciated by your boss,
which actually increases your responsibilities.
Right now I am the only Commitscion here at Nucleus but my boss, who has
a decade's experience in PR and is one of the partners of the agency,
is impressed and wants more Commitscions. She asks me every day to set
up interviews with students from Commits as there is another vacancy. I
have informed all my classmates but the ones who are interested in PR
have already been placed.
I was not interested initially in PR but I grabbed this opportunity
because my work is related to the lifestyle and entertainment industries
and I have always wanted to do something related to entertainment,
though I do want to explore other fields in the future.
I came to Commits to study marketing, but I also got a chance to study a
lot of things like photography, cinema, etc., so I not only learnt
other media subjects but also developed new passions. Our second
semester news bulletin project was the most memorable for me. I still
remember the full-of-effort four-day shoot — it was most enjoyable and something I am always going to remember. :)
I thank you and every faculty member at Commits for giving me an
opportunity to learn and for helping me to chase and realise my dreams.
And thank you for letting me describe my experience: I am glad I got an
opportunity to share my thoughts. MISSING COMMITS :(
I WALKED IN WITH A LOT OF CONFIDENCE
By Satish Perumal
Account Executive, Percept/H, Bangalore
 |
| SATISH PERUMAL |
My
first day at work was absolutely superb. I walked in with a lot of
confidence because I realised I had finally accomplished something in
life.
I
was never a great student at the PU and undergrad levels and had got a
lot of stick for it, but when I sat in my chair here at Percept/H and
looked back I felt content and satisfied. One thought that popped into
my head: "I have made my critics eat humble pie." I know for sure now
that no one should question people's abilities; all are capable of doing
great things if they set their minds to do them.
My first job may not have been very significant —
I was asked to prepare a presentation and generate an idea for a
client. My boss liked what I did, though, and he congratulated me. He
has now asked me to present the idea in Hyderabad early next month to
the board of directors.
CNN-IBN ALWAYS MAKES EVERYONE FEEL AT HOME
By Padmini Nandy Mazumder
News Trainee, CNN-IBN, New Delhi
 |
| PADMINI NANDY MAZUMDER |
I did not have butterflies in my stomach (by the way,
how cliched is that?). I was kind of confident because I have worked on
the ticker desk before, during my internship last year.
Astha
Rawat, whom I met during my internship, was the first person in. So I
met her and I was really happy to see her because she's become a good
friend and she 'fought' to get me here :)
CNN-IBN
always makes everyone feel at home and welcome. Attitude towards work
here is casual but not laid back. The first official thing? Made the
scroller for the rest of the day
— and everything I typed went on air without having to be checked by anyone. :)
 |
| POOJA MENON AT HER DESK AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI FOCUS. |
THE KEY IS TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU
By Pooja Menon
Client Servicing Trainee, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus, Bangalore
On my first day at work I was a little nervous because I did not know what to expect. When I entered the office
Mallika Harsha
(my senior from Commits) handed me a bouquet and said that Malavika
Ma'am [Malavika Harita, the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Focus] had sent
it as a welcome gesture. That made my day! Then later on in the day I
was introduced to everyone; they were all really nice to me.
For
my first assignment, I was given Saatchi's white book and black book to
go through. These books contain all the work the agency has done over
the years and each has 200 pages, so that occupied me for most of the
day.
By the end of the day all my anxiety and nervousness had vanished, and I had begun to get a feel of how the agency works.
The
key to making your first day a success is to observe everything that is
happening around you. Ask questions if need be, this will help later
on. And, also, talk to all your colleagues; be friendly but not
over-friendly.
 |
| ARCHITA NADGOUDA |
'LOVE YOUR JOB,
YOUR JOB WILL
LOVE YOU BACK'
By Archita Nadgouda
PR Trainee,
Edelman, Bangalore
I
had been dreading the thought of my first day at work for months, so on
Day One I was a bit nervous and worried about making the
oh-so-important "first impression".
I even practised introducing myself to everybody in the office.
But the friendly atmosphere at Edelman on that first day immediately relaxed me and my nervousness was soon forgotten.
Though
it's been just a month and I have miles to go (in terms of learning the
"tricks of the trade"), I’m pretty happy with my performance at work
and the way it’s shaping up and for this I give the entire credit to my
extremely helpful colleagues and my boss. I was put on the job right
from Day One and my first official assignment was to issue a press
release to the media and make follow-up calls, which I did perfectly
because I already had some experience from my previous internship.
My
advice to my juniors is actually to follow your advice, Sir: "Love your
job, and your job will love you back." Enjoy what you do thoroughly and
don't look at your job only as the means to make money to buy your
favourite stuff. Also, you should have a learning attitude at all
times... you never know which information will come in handy at what
time! :)
 |
| A CONTEMPLATIVE APAR DHAM AT THE EXPLOCITY OFFICE. |
YOUR APPEARANCE IS IMPORTANT AND DISTINCT
FROM YOUR CAPABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB
By Apar Dham
Information Manager, Explocity, Bangalore
When
I was asked to write about my first day at work and I got to thinking
about how to begin, it struck me suddenly that one of the most important
days of my life has been ruined for me forever… even before I could
experience it. My wedding night! Yes, that's what I'm talking about
because I have come to the conclusion that there isn’t much difference
between your first day at work and your wedding night.
You
are very excited and eager about all the impending action, but you do
not know where to begin and how to go about it. Right? You are eager to
explore and learn new things but you are scared of pushing the wrong
buttons. Right?
Well, that is how my first day at
Explocity was. I was pumped up to begin a new phase in my life but I was
also a little nervous about that dreaded “first impression”. Trust me,
it matters a lot. I wore my favourite formal shirt and combed my hair
twice! Yes, your appearance is important and distinct from your
capability to do your job. Not all of us are blessed with a great body
but then one has to understand that there is a significant difference in
the way one dresses for college and for work.
Next:
What do you say on the first day? Well, it depends on your job profile. I
didn’t say much, I observed and observed and observed. One needs to
understand that one is the latest entrant in the office (and at times
one may be the youngest, too); everyone else has been there for some
time and has a certain chemistry and comfort level with the others. Try
to observe the office hierarchy and the way people function around you.
But
at the same time this doesn’t mean that you play deaf and mute all day.
As our professors have taught us, there is no such thing as a stupid
question. So do not hesitate. Ask whenever you feel the need to.
Everyone in the office knows that you are new. People will be glad to
help you, provided you ask in the right manner and at the right time.
But for heaven’s sake, please do not ask questions like “Is this
Saturday an off-day for us?”
Coming back to the
observation bit, I clearly remember looking at almost everyone in office
and creating an imaginary ladder in my head, dreaming of a world five
to ten years from now when I would have gone past all these colleagues
and would be sitting in that elusive cabin at the end of the corridor.
Ha! Don’t do that! Though I know everyone will and everyone does. It is
inevitable.
Talking about colleagues, it is vital that
you understand this isn’t college any more and there will be all sorts
of people that you will encounter. There will be some who will come to
you and introduce yourself and some who will not bother. Take this as an
opportunity and take the initiative to familiarise yourself with your
workmates. Remember, you do not work with a company, you work with the
people at the company. Move around and introduce yourself, sit with your
team during lunch, take tea breaks with them, and try to get
comfortable with everyone. It helps
— a lot.
Above
all, have fun and try to enjoy yourself. As a wise man once remarked,
“If you love what you do, you won't have to work a single day in your
life.”
Baaki to bhaiyya, all is well! :)
 |
| SABIKA MIRZA |
WITH TIME, YOU START
ENJOYING THE
WORK ENVIRONMENT
By Sabika Mirza
Management Trainee,
Lodestar UM, Bangalore
To
be honest, my first day didn't go the way I thought it would (though
the days that followed were brilliant). There is a lot of work at a
media agency, so at first no one found time to talk to me on Day One; it
was only by lunchtime that the people around me became more relaxed and
that's when the group head spoke with me.
The juniors
should know that it takes time for your colleagues to get used to you,
and with time you start enjoying the work environment. So take it slow
if need be; when it comes to getting to know your work mates better,
speed is NOT of the essence.
Now, I love my work. I am
mostly in the office from 9.30 am to 8.30 pm; once, recently, I was at
work till midnight. But then if you are really passionate about your
work, you won’t mind staying back late.
We're all
going to Jaipur now for a conference. It’s an event where we will get to
meet people from other Lodestar offices. It's going to be business
mixed with pleasure so we have all been practising our dance steps
—
in the office! The atmosphere, as you can imagine, has been brilliant.
The conference is going to be a great opportunity to network and to get
to know other Lodestar employees better.
 |
| DEBMALYA DUTTA |
IT TOOK AWHILE TO
SWITCH MODES FROM
INTERN TO JOURNALIST
By Debmalya Dutta
Sub-editor, The Statesman, Kolkata
The
most interesting thing about my new job at the moment is that I am
working the 6 pm-1.30 am shift. As you'd know, these timings are fully
compatible with my biological clock!
Interestingly, on
the first day, it took me a little time to switch modes from intern to
journalist; I think it will be a couple of days before it sinks in that
I'm a full-time employee now. (I kept on asking my seniors for
permission to even go to the wash-room.)
I've already
made friends with quite a few of my colleagues, and the others, I hope,
will come on board soon. There are quite a few in my age group and they
are a nice bunch.
Day One wasn't exceptional in terms
of butterflies in the stomach; I believe that should be the case with
all those who are confident about themselves and know their job
— I guess, after completing the rigorous journalism programme at Commits and after being told at
The Statesman that I am the best candidate they have had in four years, I've earned some bragging rights ;-).
On the first day, I edited about five stories and proofed two pages. Now, I have been assigned pagination full-time.
My sincere thanks to all of you at Commits for teaching me what it means to be a professional.
 |
| AJAY KURPAD ENJOYING HIS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI. |
IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A VIDEO GAME
By Ajay Kurpad
Copywriter, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus, Bangalore
9.30
am. November 7, 2010. The day seemed normal enough until 9.29 am.
Waking up late, riding like a maniac through the equally insane traffic
of Bengaluru, and rushing up the stairway to what I can safely refer to
now as my new Heaven. Yes, all this was very normal. I had been doing
this throughout most of my college life.
But then,
suddenly, everything seemed to slow down. You could call it a moment of
enlightenment, but this Buddha (He might be fuming now that I have
compared myself with Him) was standing under a board which read 'Saatchi
& Saatchi Focus'. "Wow!" I thought. "I'm actually going to be
working here. I'm actually going to create ads, come up with new ideas,
generate content out of nowhere, and showcase my work to the world."
However, this small bubble in my head suddenly popped when I saw
Malavika Ma'am smiling at me. The first person I met at work here was
also my teacher at Commits. She was going to be the Ranita Hirji of my
professional life (Ranita Ma'am had already mentioned some traits the
two shared when it comes to handling people like me).
But
this sense of fear and doubt seemed to disappear when Malavika Ma'am
presented me with a bouquet and welcomed me to what I hope will be a
long and exciting adventure. She directed me to my desk which had
nothing but a computer and a telephone. I learnt later that this was my
territory and I'm entitled to personalise the area as I wish.
Then
I was introduced to Deepak Thammaiah. A copywriter who would mentor me.
So I, Luke Skywalker, toiled under my Master Yoda as he put me through
rigorous tests. It was like being in a video game. Sometimes I was what I
would like to call a 'storm-water brain' filled to the brim with
rubbish ideas, and sometimes I was Superman, flying high with my great
idea but with my underwear in the right place. When he thought I was
ready, Deepak resigned. He now works with Draft FCB-Ulka. I actually saw
him typing out his resignation letter the day I joined so it was
obvious that he was just serving his notice period.
The
initial days involved small victories and sometimes heavy losses, too.
At first, when I got the rope, I always ended up tying a noose for
myself. Now, I can say that I have learnt the ropes of the job to some
extent. But there is a certain professor of journalism at Commits who
told me that execution is everything. I'm trying not to allow my
creative director to execute me ever time I send him copy (I report
directly to him now).
That same certain professor
taught us English grammar from scratch. Well, thank you, Mr. Ramesh
Prabhu, for what I think was one of the most important modules during my
academic life at Commits. Because grammar goes way beyond just
journalism. It transcends into other media as well.
Today,
I have to my credit quite a few ads and campaigns. The whole idea is to
let people trust you with work. There are deadlines, deadlines which
involve money, money which runs into lakhs and crores, and there are
lakhs and crores of people who will notice your work, and your work is
only done by being part of a team, and the team has to trust you with
work. Pretty vicious circle, but that is why advertising is not a
square.
When it comes to advertising, being yourself is
everything. At the end of the day, if you go through the books that
showcase ads, the names of the people involved in the making of the ads
are also mentioned. So what matters, ultimately, is that you have to
create a name for yourself in this field.
