As I graduated in March of 2019, I finally got my first Job in August of 2019 and started working in September of 2020. I got a job as a lawyer trainee in a law firm in Bali, so I moved from Jakarta to Bali.
My first job is not as luxurious as my other friends. Yes, it is a big law firm in Bali, but it’s not as big as an international law firm or any law firm associated with a law firm in abroad. However, our Partner (director) is an Australian before, so even we are not that big, we have a different standard and focus from the local law firm.
Unfortunately, the Corona virus ruins everything on the earth in 2020. Slowly, one by one country including Indonesia is affected by Corona Virus. Since February, some Chinese business in Bali had closed because Chinese citizenship was asked to go back to China. In April 0f 2020 Indonesia closed the international flight. All the businesses are dead, especially for tourist attractions, because all people should just stay at home to break the spread of the Corona virus.
Most businesses in Bali run because of tourism activities. If there is no tourism, the business will also die, so will our office. The client’s business is stopped, there is no tourism [because our office is in Kuta, so most of our clients are tourists], the government terminated the trial process until our office does not get the profit as usual. This is the reality for the tourism area when other areas in Indonesia were still doing normal activities, Bali was already affected first and could not do anything.
At the beginning of April of 2020, our office decided to lay off 80% of employees. I was amazed because rather than terminate the employees [as the most company do in the middle of Corona Virus], they choose to lay off the employees and pay the employees’ salary with all the law firm has. Until now, our office still pays all the employees with 1/4 of the basic salary. It is not much, especially for they who have children, but I do appreciate how our office value all their employees. I am so grateful for it.
In May, some areas in Indonesia including Bali are getting worse and decided to do PSBB (large-scale social restriction) to solve the Corona virus problem. This decree stops the business that still runs, including our office which still runs by the rest of the employee. Like today, our office officially has to stop until the PSBB finished. We only can do online communication with some clients [it is usually divorce clients]. A couple of days ago, our office shocked me again, because our Managing Partner handing out groceries for the employees. They gave a lot of groceries. In Indonesia, milk is not a staple food, and look at this, our office even gives us the milk. For some people, this is not a big deal, but for me, it is a big deal when your job figuring you out that much and care you a lot.
The first job is not always what we expect, but let our first job tell us and teach us something. Don’t be insecure if your first job is not as luxury as others, we are still young, and let’s learn more in the path our first job lead us as human. There are three aspects of a job: 1)environment 2)salary, and 3)work. On most occasions, we can only choose 2 of the 3 aspects. As time flows, our choice may be changing, because our priority is changing as well.
As a law graduated my first job become the first field where I learn about empathy and morality in the work environment. It teaches me how to not let go of my heart when my brain is working hard. My first job may not as luxurious as other friends, but I learn a lot in my first job, I learn how to value others while working hard.
