Have you ever been hired into a job that perfectly matches your field of work and what you studied during undergrad? No? Well, neither have I.

Chemistry, Biochemistry, Orgo, Microbio… You know, the basic science classes that most health professionals have to take during undergrad. That was what my entire scheduled looked like, almost every semester. Now my schedule is more…vehicle related. It includes things like inspecting the comfort of vehicle seats, solidifying the trim of seats, and meetings galore…Interesting right? You may wonder, how my background and current schedule relate at all? The answer is, THEY DON’T. This is what my professional life has been like since joining Challenge Detroit; different than what I expected . I come into my job at Lear Corporation with the title of a comfort engineer. Yet somehow, this confusion makes my everyday life a bit more exhilarating, spontaneous, and adventurous.

Figuring out my life at work

Sounds pretty scary huh? But I feel the exact opposite. I look at everyday as an opportunity; An opportunity to learn more about engineering, and even to learn more about myself and how I react to situations I am uncomfortable in. I have enjoyed acquiring a plethora of knowledgeable skills I would have otherwise not known about had I stayed in the profession/field I was used to. And with that, I leave you with some tips that have helped me survive being in a new environment:

• Be open-minded: Coming in with a closed mind could hinder you from learning new things

• Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially when you are confused about something. You are new and it is okay to not know everything. Plus asking questions shows that you are engaged and interested in learning more.

• Don’t be afraid to fail: If you fail it means you’re trying! You can learn from your failures and be sure to not repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

• Embrace the challenge: Have fun and take it all in! In the end, you will be able to take away some valuable lessons and apply them to your everyday life!

Think back to a time when you were placed in a completely new environment and had to adapt. Did you follow any of these tips? Hopefully you take on your next adventure with these tips in mind, you never know what might happen!