Tag: Moments

The current job where I work at is doing coordinator work for a research study at Stanford and it was almost exactly 3 years ago that I started my job there. I started working there first as a research assistant and slowly worked my way up to be a coordinator. My first day, however, I would describe as nerve racking because it was right before midterms were to happen. I had been studying frantically for 3 midterms that I had that week and I was also wondering if I would like the job at all. The night before, I had worked at Target and was a little tired because I had stayed till 2-3 in the morning talking with a friend of mine. We were talking about the changes that were happening at the store and what would happen now that I was leaving Target. The new position at Stanford had me wondering at what I would be doing and how I would be doing it. I got up pretty early day because I did not know how my first day would go. I got up and sat in traffic for a bit and walked in to see where I would be sitting. I asked the receptionist where to head to as I was confused as to where I should go. I remember the first I saw was a nice older lady who pointed me to where I could go and one of the people I still talk to to this day helped me out. I remember looking through something called a “screening form” and looking at all the details of that screen. I was excited for the opportunity but once I saw the form, I kind of hesitated because it was something new for me. The first day I remember doing some trainings about HIPPA compliance and looking through modules about different types of research that were examined through history. I also remember taking my time with these tarinings because it was something that was new to me at that time. The desk where was sitting at also

The one that sticks out in my mind were the experimental functions and the kind of research that we did actually did have some sort of impact upon people. I also remember getting told by my colleague that recommended me for the job that we were getting ready to go on a mini field trip. I also remember my boss telling my colleague to not take me on any joyrides while we went along on that field trip. That day during the ride I remember eating some burritos because I had not yet eaten lunch.  This mini field trip I feel was more of an introduction to what we were getting ready to do at these community centers that we were going to be at.

The funny part I remember about that trip is my friend in the back, saying he was tired from the weekend because he had just celebrated his daughter’s birthday. I call him my friend because he is someone from there on out taught me so much about life and the workplace. If it were not for him, I don’t think I would have the position I have right now.  He specifically referenced how much he had to drink and this really made me think how normal everyone in a job setting can be. I also remember having to ask embarrassingly where the microwave was and where the restroom was as well. The whole first day seemed like a dream because I had been used to working retail and moving so much throughout the day. I wasn’t used to looking over trainings or talking about research studies, the whole concept seemed foreign to me and here I am three years later and now people are amazed at how I can remember certain events and timelines of how things have gone. Anyway, the one memory I also have was that my friend who had recommended me was giving me pointers on how I should act around an office and introducing me to as many people as possible just so I could get a feel as to how things went around the place. This idea of networking was also something that was new to me and in retail you just got the runaround on how a store ran and that was the jist of it. That same day I met someone who had been working with my colleague beforehand and once again I got the feeling that this person was someone who was “normal”. I remember ending the day and thinking how amazing it was that now here I was and how awesome my first day had been. Since that first day, I have not looked back because in some way I have changed people’s lives for the better. It doesn’t matter whether it was someone who was there for a short time or someone who was there for a long time but what mattered was what kind of impact they had on my career at that point in time. For example, someone who was there for a short amount of time may have told me some information about themselves that they may otherwise have not told anyone else. The other fun part about that first day was the transition that I had made from working one job to another. The joy of having to not work weekends anymore and not having to leave my family anymore was quite the relief. No more leaving parties halfway to go and work for a few hours and wondering how it was going. The joy was real and this is something to this day that I take as a blessing because not many people get to experience this joy. The first day of my current job was once again something that I won’t forget because you remember many of your firsts and this was one of them.