Through the Eyes of a Newcomer

We tend to take things for granted once we get used to them. Do you remember how excited you were when you car was brand new, or how much you loved your new house, or new boyfriend or girlfriend? Well --let's not go there…. Our jobs and our industry are no exceptions. It is refreshing to see someone enjoy something you have been taking for granted.

My daughter, Amy, recently landed a new job in the telecommunications industry. She had some experience, which helped her during the interviewing process, but she is basically a newbie. And she just loves it.

I asked her what makes it so exciting and she said that the whole industry is really impressive. There is so much going on. She, like most people, had no idea there was so much involved in dial tone. After her first week she just HAD to get her own copy of Newton's Telecom Dictionary.

I remember many years ago when I began in the telecom industry. I would tell people I was working in the telecommunications department, and 9 out of 10 of them assumed I was an operator. Put the words woman and telephone together, and you get operator.

Not today. And Amy is right; there is a lot going on. She said there is absolutely no one who could understand all of it. Which is another thing she likes - the comradery. Even the boss has to frequently ask questions. And the boss's boss is the same way. No one feels embarrassed about what they don't know. Of course, this is not true of everyone, but those of us who understand all there is to know, know we will never know it all. Even if you get to the point where you know something really well, they change it. It gets faster or cheaper or easier.

I am enjoying Amy's new job as much as she is. Maybe we all need to step back a moment and take a look at what we have. Public recognition of the poor economy, the horrors of terrorism and so many other problems we face make it easy to forget the good things. Most of us have jobs and I know many of us like our jobs. We are challenged, compensated pretty well, and have friends in the industry. You can't ask for much more than that.