From the Classroom to the Boardroom
- by Maria Sandu
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Pens and Paper...these are the only things being a student
and being a graduate / professional have in common.
Walking in to the offices of Oracle South Africa as a
graduate the first thing you notice is how polished and sleek all the people
who work here look. 80% of the ladies wear sky-scraper heels and walk with the
greatest grace. This was the first of many rude awakenings to remind me that I
am no longer a student but a graduate.
My first struggle was having to wake up at wee hours of the
morning to prepare for work. As a student going to class was almost an optional
thing, if you missed a morning class you could always attend an evening class
to make up for it or simply attend with another group. But in the workplace, you HAVE to show up
every single morning at the same time, with no option of coming in when it
suits you and there is definitely no coming in with the evening class/shift. As
a student, the earliest hour I ever woke up was 7:00am, anything earlier than
that was considered inhumane torture. My reason for waking up every morning as
a student was “you have a degree to go get” but as a graduate having to go to
work I have to say to myself “here’s to a new day of learning and growing”.
My second struggle has come in having to change my beloved
wardrobe. Everyone who knows me knows
how passionate I am about fashion and shopping. For me Shopping is a BASIC
HUMAN RIGHT, that should not be messed with. Therefore it was with great
sadness that I swopped my rippled skinny jeans for pin-striped formal pants, my
long chandelier earrings for simple studs, my flat shoes for heels, my sheer
blouses for crisp white shirts, even my beloved wild hair had to make way for a
simple ponytail. Our looks as ladies also came under great scrutiny, we had to
acquaint ourselves with some serious grooming tools: the mascara, blush,
lip-gloss, blush, a touch of lipstick and a manicure set.
Language was a struggle of its own as well. Being a student
you learn to relate to your peers in a informal way. In the workplace you have
to address everyone with the same respect, including your peers. Words like
“Hey buddy” had to make way for “good morning friend”.
The month long winter school holiday was one of the things I
looked forward to as a student. This was a time where we got to be at home and
avoid the coldest month of the year, July. It was the most amazing thing ever,
just sleeping and snuggling up to all sorts of warm things but sadly it is now
a thing of the past. It is currently winter in South Africa and going to work
has become the most unfashionable thing with all the jackets, boots, scarves
and gloves. But summer is coming and I will miss those holidays too. As a
student the school holidays were like a gift for us to catch a break and not
think for a while which was why it was imaginable how someone would go on for
the entire year without a break, with only the promise of a mere 21 days annual
leave!! Right now I am sure we are all looking forward to taking that annual
leave when the time is right.
The worst rude awakening I must say, has to be presenting in
front of clients and managers. As a student you have the same class mates for
almost four years therefore presenting in front of them becomes the norm over
the years and your lecturer will always go gently on you. What they don’t tell
you at University is that in the real world, time is money and clients pay
money to see you present therefore there is no room for error. Clients are not
there to give you a score and boost your ego, they expect nothing less than
100% and they will let you know without a second thought. For a graduate this
can feel like you are being fed to the sharks, you either get eaten or you swim
for your life.
At the end of the day, it is all an experience that is meant
to groom us into better professional and make us a part of the Red Team. All
the sacrifices are worth it and they lead us to being better and more polished
professionals.
So if you are interested in joining the ECEMEA Sales and Presales Internship Programme, please have a look at http://campus.oracle.com for more information and for our latest vacancies and internships.
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