The Uncomfortable Learning Curve of Early Career Life

I’m Iqro from Siemens Indonesia, currently working as a Commercial Project Professional. Most of my day involves keeping track of financials and making sure projects stay on track — or in simpler terms, trying to convince SAP, Excel, and Outlook to cooperate with me 😄 At the same time, I’m also part of the Siemens Commercial Apprenticeship ASEAN Programme (CAPAP), a trainee programme that combines both practical experience and learning opportunities through rotations across different business functions. During which, I had the chance to work in Risk & Internal Control (RIC), Legal, and Corporate Performance Controlling departments.

And suddenly, everything hit.

Many people imagine graduate programs as a cushioned experience where you slowly ease into working life. When I first started, I honestly expected mostly lectures and training. Instead, I found myself balancing actual operational responsibilities. It is a surreal feeling trying to make sense of everything while being trusted with tasks that make a real business impact.

Unfamiliarity became the norm. Just when I finally started getting comfortable, the next rotation would push me to adapt all over again to new teams and new ways of working. Sometimes I even had to learn things outside my finance background.

The work wasn’t as executional as checking off a to-do list, either. It required more analysis and strategic thinking than I expected, pushing me to quickly apply what I knew about the department. Soon, I was managing multiple reports and priorities. Time management wasn’t just a skill anymore; it was a survival strategy, and sometimes things felt overwhelming.

My Personal Guide for Keeping Calm Amidst Unfamiliarity:

Get coffee first (or your favourite drink): Pause instead of panicking. Whenever things started feeling overwhelming, I’d usually grab a coffee, take a quick breather, and focus on figuring out the first step. Stressing does not help!

You don’t have to figure things out alone: At the start of your career, it’s easy to feel like you need to have all the answers. But honestly, some of my biggest learning moments came from simply asking questions. Not only did it help me learn faster, but it also helped me get work done more efficiently instead of sitting there trying to figure everything out on my own. My mentors and colleagues have been incredibly patient and generous with their guidance, and they constantly reminded me that nobody expects you to know everything from day one. What matters more is being curious, open to feedback, and willing to learn.

Prioritize: With multiple deadlines, it’s important to know what’s most important and urgent and get to those first. Stay disciplined and avoid leaving things to the last minute.

Have fun with it!: Over time, I started enjoying the juggling act because being curious and eager to learn made the experience feel fulfilling. Somehow, seeing my calendar slowly turn into a game of Candy Crush became a weird source of motivation too. CAPAP really gave me exposure beyond just classroom learning. One of the best parts of the program was definitely the people — from tutors and senior leaders to colleagues from different parts of Southeast Asia. Building those connections and learning from such diverse experiences accelerated my growth in ways I never expected.

Conclusion

If there’s one relatable truth I would share with other early-career professionals, it’s this: don’t mistake being a beginner for being incapable. Starting your career can feel overwhelming because there’s so much to learn and so many expectations to navigate. But nobody starts as an expert. The people you admire today probably got there the same way — one experience, one lesson, and one challenge at a time.