Alright, folks, let’s talk about my first 90 days working for the government. Buckle up, because it was a wild ride!
Getting My Foot in the Door
First things first, I applied. And applied. And applied some more. It felt like I sent out a million applications. Finally, I got a call back for an interview. I was so nervous, I think I sweated through my shirt. But I mustered up my courage, practiced my answers, and went for it.
And guess what? I got the job! I was ecstatic! I celebrated with a huge pizza and then immediately started panicking about what to wear on my first day.
The First Few Weeks: A Total Blur
Those first few weeks? A complete whirlwind. I spent most of my time just trying to figure out where the bathroom was and who everyone was. I felt like a lost puppy. I was introduced to tons of people, attended countless meetings (most of which I didn’t understand), and tried to absorb as much information as possible.
- Met my team – super nice folks!
- Learned the basic office layout (still get lost sometimes, shhh!).
- Shadowed a few colleagues to get a feel for the work.
- Started on some small, manageable tasks.
Diving into the Deep End (Sort Of)
After the initial “orientation” period, I started to get my hands dirty. I was assigned to a specific project – nothing too crazy, but definitely a step up from making coffee. I spent hours researching, reading documents, and asking a million questions. My colleagues were incredibly patient, thankfully.
I made some mistakes, of course. That’s part of learning. But I owned up to them, learned from them, and moved on. One time, I accidentally deleted a whole folder of important files (oops!). Luckily, IT was able to recover everything, and I learned a valuable lesson about backing up my work!
Finding My Groove (Slowly but Surely)
By the end of the 90 days, I still had a lot to learn, but I definitely felt more comfortable. I understood the project better, I knew my way around the office (mostly), and I had developed some solid working relationships with my team.
It wasn’t always easy. There were days when I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. But I kept going, kept learning, and kept pushing myself. And you know what? I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. Bring it 180 days!
