Since my very first job as a swim instructor at SwimAmerica at the age of 12, I have always had an official training period before I could begin my job. That is how it is in the US. Whether it has to deal with liability issues or just formality, almost every job consists of an official training period. Most of the time, you are given a few pamphlets, a few instructions, usually shadow someone, but you are never given official work. It is a training period and that is the way we learn how to do our jobs in the US.
In Argentina, as I have recently discovered with my job as a “receptionist/telefonista” at a prominent hotel here in Mendoza, very often you do not have an official training period. You might have someone explain to you your tasks your first day, and then you just go! Obviously, everyone is happy to attend to any question you may have, which is something about the culture here in Argentina, and they actually enjoy helping out. However, they do not officially train you.
I find this rather interesting and I actually love this part about my job. The advantages to this method, I believe, somewhat outweigh the disadvantages. Every day I learn something new as the process is more of a “learn how as you work” rather than “bombard you with all the information possible that you must remember to work properly…no questions.” Obviously, mistakes anywhere in the world are kind of looked down upon, yet, it is okay to make mistakes here and just correct them later on. You learn through your experiences, just like you learn in life! I have gotten a lot closer to my coworkers, since I am somewhat dependent on them. Yet, I feel very comfortable with them because, and this is definitely part of the culture, they want to and like seeing me succeed, learn and better myself at work. Therefore, they like to help and they enjoy when I ask questions. Granted, I still feel awful so I try to keep the advice-asking to a minimum, so I ask 3 questions per 5 minutes rather than 10 questions per 3.45 minutes.
Granted, some disadvantages are a result of my American-ness. I do not feel organized at all. I honestly, as many of you know, really do not feel comfortable when there is not order and perfection in that order within my life (why I loved distance swimming so much…you do the practice the way it is otherwise you will not get the right results). So, this job is kind of difficult for my OCD-driven-previous-life to handle. I feel unknowledgeable. Not only because I have not been trained in this specific job, but because I am still not as familiar with Mendoza as I should be. I am getting there…I think. But, this unfamiliarity affects my overall esteem at work. Plus the minor language barrier I have. Apparently there is a specific conjugation of all verbs to speak formally? I still haven’t gotten that yet.
However, my job is amazing and I love it. I love the people. I love the job itself, no matter how different it is from what I have studied. I think there is a lot that I will learn and experience at this job. There are new opportunities every day, and I love that. I think it is important to love what you do, and I definitely love it. Hopefully this feeling keeps going.
k bye.
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