The Very First Day of Work. Ever.

Do you remember your first day at work?

I’m not just talking about a new job.

I mean your first day EVER at a workplace.

For my oldest daughter, today is that day.

She starts as an intern at a local manufacturer of “Highly Complex Machined Parts and Precision Cams for Aerospace, Medical and Commercial Applications” to help her focus on aerospace engineering.

This internship program started a few years ago from our town’s high school and gives students a chance to see the workplace from the inside, all under the supervision of an internship program.

When she came home earlier this week from an “interview” (which I think was more of a guided tour, truth be told), the excitement from her was palpable.

“The machines are so….cool!”

When asked to explain, she said, well, it was just “cool”.  She had a huge smile and couldn’t wait for today to come.   She loves engineering (we’re starting on college applications this fall!) and the chance to have her work at a place where engineering is at its core is pretty, well,  “cool”.

Of course, like any good father (who is also an employment lawyer), I talked to her about some workplace notions — she needed to be on time, to be helpful, and to work hard.

And I told her that she had a right to be treated fairly, to be free of harassment (not that I had any notions that is going to happen here), and that the internship program was intended as a learning tool (and thus ask questions).

Of course, I could’ve pointed her to prior blog posts on internships here, here and here but that would just be asking for the classic teenage eye roll.

I’m wise enough to know that someday she’ll have a tough day at a job.

But I hope she remembers the excitement of Day One.

Because it’s really “cool”.

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