4 years later…

On the 3rd of August 2015, I signed my contract with my current employer on my very first day at work… 4 years later, here I am sharing this story.

Firstly, this is me wishing self a happy 4th anniversary💪🏽 in today’s corporate world with the millennial mindset, apparently that’s a LONG time to be committed to one company! And I don’t disagree. Because I’ve seen lotssss of people join and leave within these 4 years… I digress.

When I signed that contract on that Monday, it was after at least 4 rounds of interviews including aptitude tests (if you are about to apply for a graduate trainee role, please google these), discovery center(which was an interview that started at 8am and ended at 4pm🤯) and a ‘round’ table interview with what I believe was 13 directors of the company (I lost count out of fear when I walked into the room)- @wanjira, do you remember how many they were? – Yet one of my ‘friend’ had the nerve to ask me ‘who got you the job?’- story for another day!

From the day I signed that contract to at least 3 months that followed, I hated my decision of joining the company. I knew I’d made a mistake and I wanted to quit every single day. School was easy, I knew which book to read to pass an exam… it wasn’t the same here. I had to figure life out and nobody had warned me of ADULTING. They’d said ‘finish school and enjoy life’, they’d lied! Life was everything but fun. I didn’t know how to maneuver through adulting. My brother, who had also recently set foot into the corporate world convinced me it got better with time… this didn’t settle well when I got a 3/5 rating during my 3 months review! The over-achiever in me was ready to quit and go back to Msa to accept the stereotype that a Muslim woman isn’t for the corporate world. Please note that it already took everything for my peoples to ‘accept’ me living away from home… then ‘failing’ while at it 😂 *sigh* adulting is for testing your everything!!

Fassssst forward to today, 4 years later! Phewwww! Alhamdulillah alhamdulillah alhamdulillah. It’s been a rollercoaster but I look around and now understand that adulting isn’t a walk in the park. Whether employed, an entrepreneur, a full time home manager .. rich or poor.. we all have our own versions of struggles. We’ve just got to figure out that balance.. figure out how to enjoy the hard times too knowing they too shall pass. I can’t believe I’m saying this now, Ibtisam from 4 years ago would be shocked but, I actually love the struggle! I don’t always get it, I still get mad and cry and want to beat people up(of course I’m humbly reminded I’m too skinny to get physical😬 ) but… I get it! It keeps me challenged and keeps my brain alive .. keeps me busy, away from the random crap happening out here.. of course it also helps that it pays my bills and my travel tickets 😂

What I’m saying is: if you are starting out, don’t quit as yet. Put in your all and try follow through. If you’ve been in the game, try find the positive in the BS too, your boss today, the one you prolly hate and makes you wanna quit, may quit before you.. don’t quit because of someone. This work- life balance they keep talking about, it’s REAL! Find it! Your mental health is sooo important, create time for it.

Okay maybe I should have considered a video for this cause I’ve got lots to say … only because I’ve interacted with so many women and I know a lot of us share the same struggles and it really helps to remind each other WE GOT THIS! Until I get my confidence together to create a video, I hope this helps someone out there. Share with someone who may need it 😊

Happy hustling my ladies! www.instagram.com/hijabeefied