First Job Survival: Spotting Hidden Games Your Boss Might Play: A Guide for Freshers

I was teaching at a school when I saw a post about a manager position at a law NGO. Surprisingly, one of my teachers shared that post. I reached out to him to express my interest, and he informed me that the boss was his friend. On February 15, 2025, I went for an interview, full of dreams and aspirations. There, I was interviewed by an advocate from the Supreme Court. As a middle-class girl, landing a job among advocates felt incredible.

During the interview, they neither confirmed nor denied my hire, likely because I was there by my teacher’s recommendation. After the interview, the lawyer verbally offered me a salary of 85,000. I was thrilled! However, after three days, someone advised me to ask for a contract, so I did. He told me he would provide it in a week. But as a week passed and turned into two, I grew concerned. After 15 days, he told me he had reconsidered and didn’t think I could work there, stating, “You’re a good girl, but the people here are not good.”

Seriously? It had been 15 days, and I had already left my previous job, telling everyone I had secured a professional position. This left me worried and unsure of how to respond. I realized this might have been his strategy to make me dependent on him, shaking my confidence. In my attempt to remain composed, I asked him for a chance to prove myself. He replied that he couldn’t pay me 85,000, which was the real reason for the delay in signing the contract. I offered to accept a lower salary, and he quickly adjusted it to 50,000. At that point, I felt I had no other options.

I started working but quickly encountered another issue: my boss had two offices, and the same employees worked in both. He wanted me to manage both, which included running a law firm and overseeing an under-development NGO. I was now tasked with multiple roles: manager, coordinator, admin, and accountant, all at once.

Things seemed to be flowing smoothly until I faced another challenge. My working hours were supposed to be from 9 AM to 5 PM, but he expected me to stay longer. Given that I had to travel four hours daily, this was impossible. He began making me late regularly.

In my first month, I helped bring in clients, and he called me a “lucky girl” in the office. I was happy because the firm was benefiting from my work. After one and a half months, I was late one day and asked a colleague for a ride home. While this shouldn’t be an issue in a professional setting, it turned into a problem because I wasn’t engaging in personal favors, like going out for coffee. My colleague’s assistance sparked jealousy among those wanting to befriend me, including the boss.

Soon, the atmosphere changed. My coworkers started treating me differently, and I found myself being assigned responsibility for cases that were not initially mine. To undermine my confidence, my boss began insulting me in front of my colleagues. I was multitasking, and everyone saw my efforts. I later overheard from the office boy that my boss wanted to hire someone else at a lower salary who could commit more time.

I became the “unlucky girl” in the office. Despite my hard work, my boss critiqued my performance, making comments about my speaking too quickly and being overconfident. I was worried because I knew I was in my third month, and soon after, the new hire came. The boss declared him the new manager and informed me that I would now be working under him. He also decided to reduce my salary, treating me as a mere plaything.

At that point, I knew I had to make a change. I told my boss, “I can’t work here anymore,” and I left that job.

My advice to all freshers is: don’t start a job without signing a contract. Ensure everything is clear, your working hours, job duties, and other important details should all be documented. Be cautious about whom you trust, maintain professionalism, and remember that a small mistake can significantly affect your mental health. Always protect your interests and avoid sharing personal details with colleagues. Stay confident, and don’t allow others to misuse you.

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