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The thrill of resuming your first job is always exciting, after going submitting hundreds of CVs to so many companies and attending so many interviews, praying and hoping, then finally getting a job, you feel like it’s so special and wants to hold on to it for as long as possible.
The first job is always memorable and that’s where you gain experiences for future job applications and self-building because before getting the first job we have little or no experience in working in a company and the activities are being carried out.
When applying for jobs, I always try to avoid banks job openings, because I have never liked a banker or the job itself, I feel it’s stressful, time taking and the pay might not be worth it, and also have never been a fan of dressing corporate with suit and tie, so applying for jobs like that wasn’t going to happen for me.
After graduating, I was thinking the outside world is going to be easy in landing a job but life always gets another plan for us installed. I applied for more than two hundred jobs in just 3 weeks with none even thinking of responding. Then I thought to myself, where are those uncles that make promises saying:
Don’t worry once you finish school just let me know I have special plans for you, just give me a call.
I know they were all fake promises but to prove myself wrong, I decided to call, and then again I was right. Some refused to pick up their calls, while I sent some my CV more than 4 times always claiming they didn’t receive it. That didn’t weigh me down much, because I finally got a full understanding of how life works and how to take my search and hustling seriously.
Months later, after deciding that applying for jobs is something I won’t do any more instead start a business to be my boss, I got a call from one of my uncles that I didn’t even call because I felt like he wasn’t going to be much help, not because he can’t help per se but we don’t communicate much like the other ones I called with mouths full of promises.
He called and said:
Uncle: I heard you finished school months ago and you didn’t bother to tell me, are you now a big boy to take care of yourself? Ugh! So do you have a job now? And I told you I have a space reserved for you in my friend’s office why didn’t call me?
Stroke with silence, thinking of what my next words would be because I know I forgot about all these and didn’t know how to respond but I know I had to play a game that will justify my actions.
Me: I am so sorry sir, I got a job but it was very stressful and I had to quit.
After trying to convince him why I didn’t call him, he went further to say he has a job for me and come to his house in Lagos on Sunday to resume on Monday and note this conversation was taking place on a Friday night. Without thinking of the distance, because I live in Benin City, Edo State and he stays in Lagos State, the distance between us is about 316km, a 5hrs drive. So I quickly packed my things and documents, was very excited and all woke up early and took the first bus to be on time and prepare for the work on Monday.
Getting there, excited to know what the job is and if the pay will be okay, without hesitation, I asked the questions without putting down my bags and the answer I got made me feel as if the enemy I have been running from finally caught up with me, he responded saying it was bank job and new intakes are to resume on Monday morning, my feelings were hurt, my excitement crushed but at this, I knew there was no way back but to just accept it.
On my first day on the job, I was introduced to other staff and the management, after introductions, I was still feeling uneasy and angry but I had no because it’s done already and didn’t want to disappoint my uncle and make it seem like a wasted effort. The day wasn’t bad, I was shown the ropes by a supervisor assigned to me because I was placed in the customer service department.
The first week was smooth because I knew, but along the line started having hard and stressful days, attending to customers complaints is one job that isn’t easy at all, you get to repeat the same thing all over again with a cool calm voice when you should be screaming at them, It was so exhausting. But I have to face the fact that customers are always right and maintain the reputation of the bank.
Along the line, I was given an integrity test without knowing, a certain amount of money was kept on my desk and I was told it was 50,000 and they left, but when I counted it, it was 51,000, a few hours later, the Customer service manager came and asked if the 50,000 was completed I notified saying it was 51,000 but she kept quiet and left, I was confused at the scenario but I was satisfied knowing I didn’t temper with the money or sort. I didn’t know it was an integrity test until a week later another new guy fell for the trap and he was immediately fired, that was when I knew it’s a ritual done to test our ability and integrity as a newbie.
I enjoyed working at the bank at the end, had fun, made friends with some customers and coworkers, and learned a lot from the job. Something’s I learned was making ATM cards, BVN, Foreign transfers, Account opening, Crediting, and debiting of accounts using Finacle software. I also got to work in the bulk room, where we counted the money that’s been brought in from CBN workers, and also the cash to disburse to tellers for daily transactions.
I worked with them for a year, because I had to pursue another career job, the stress and burden were becoming heavy that I couldn’t bear anymore so I had to quit and get another one. Now this one is becoming a distraction to me from Hive, thinking of what my decision should be very soon.
