Insights

Getting started at Swisscom, welcome to FirstSteps!

You know the drill. First day at school, now first day at work. You're nervous, meet lots of new people and want to make a good impression. That's how it was for me too.

Gina Fröhlich, Lernende Mediamatikerin EFZ
01 February 2022

You spend your first few days at Swisscom in the FirstSteps. For me, they lasted seven working days, two of which were online. They serve as an introduction, getting to know Swisscom better and setting up your work devices. You get to know some of your fellow apprentices and your learning guide, who coaches you throughout the apprenticeship. The exact programme and location of all FirstSteps varies depending on the learning guide.

In the morning we all gathered in front of the building and chatted a bit, but it wasn't long before we were greeted warmly by our learning guide. To get to know each other, we had the task of bringing an object with us, with which we would introduce ourselves. Many brought items from their hobbies such as football boots, jerseys, books and even instruments.

Divided into two groups, Windows and Mac users, we went our separate ways and the set-up of the work equipment began.

Later we got a better insight into the company Swisscom. What kind of culture and values does it have exactly? What is the working environment like and how do people behave in it? These questions will certainly be answered for all of you at your future FirstSteps.

I also got to know the first security elements right away. If you leave your workplace and leave your computer unattended, you should lock your device. If you forget to lock it, you will be "gegipfelt". Someone from the group sits down at your computer and tells the group chat that they will bring croissants (in German: Gipfeli) for everyone tomorrow. That day there were 5 Gegipfelte. Well, sometimes you have to learn it the hard way, but now that doesn't happen to me anymore...

During the FirstSteps, the first contact was made with the project providers of the first project. Project providers are, together with the learning guides, your companions during your project. We learned a little about the future activities of the next few months and agreed on the time and place of the first meeting.

The programme included many different calls with all the almost 300 first year learners, so you could also experience the others a bit and see some new faces. We also talked a lot about important topics such as loss prevention, stress and resilience, social media, diversity and Microsoft 365. In addition, there was also an in-depth discussion about the profession you are learning, which in my case was mediamatics.

As there was no cafeteria in the building where we held the FirstSteps, we were invited to eat in the nearest cafeteria.

Later, we were given a little time to try out Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.). We were shown the basics and with test photos/videos we tried everything on our own.

The End of the FirstSteps had to be celebrated, of course. Divided into several smaller groups, we were sent on a scavenger hunt. The clues were sent to us by Microsoft Teams and each team was assisted by a fellow learner from a year higher. The scavenger hunt took us all over the city and really made us sweat. We visited many different locations and shops and finally it sent us to the Limmat, where an aperitif with delicious food and cool drinks was already waiting for us and we all rested together.

I think my FirstSteps were a great start into the professional world. It wasn't even that long ago, about 5 months ago to be exact, it feels like it was just the other day. I have made great friends with whom I stay in close contact and we all see each other regularly almost every month.