Hello friends! By now, you’ve gone through the process of searching for a position, creating a resume and cover letter, endured the unsettling waiting-to-hear-back period, and come to terms with the possibility of rejection. And soon, you’ll receive the email: Dear Applicant, I am happy to offer you a position.

There is nothing more exciting than getting this feedback! Take that moment to celebrate your amazing accomplishment! You deserve it; you worked hard to get that job! After all the waiting, everything has finally fallen into place and feels validated by this moment. The job you’ve been waiting for is no longer a fantasy: It’s real and concrete. The position is truly yours. 

Now, reality hits and it starts to sink in. You realize where you’ll be working and what you’ll be doing. But how do you prepare for what’s yet to come? You’ll learn so many new skills and master new tasks in your work. You’ll become oriented with the new space, your new peers, and the new tasks you’ll be required to complete. And naturally, you’ll make some mistakes along the way, simply because the job is brand new! That’s part of the job, and furthermore, part of life!

Don’t be hard on yourself about it. It’s something you’ve never done before. People make mistakes all the time, no matter how long they’ve been working in a specific position. Even people who seem to have their act together are “faking it until they make it.” Just embrace these mistakes as moments of growth, and opportunities to improve and prepare for the next time.

I’m the first to admit: I’m a master of making mistakes on the job. Even though I have good intentions, I always seem to find a way to make a royal fool of myself at work. When I worked as a customer and sales associate at the clothing store Anthropologie for two summers, I made countless mistakes every single day. Some of my duties included organizing sales racks, folding clothes, greeting customers at the door, and working the cash registers and answering phone calls. And yet, I managed to foil these tasks constantly.At first, I’d get mad at myself for messing up silly things, like forgetting a customer’s name for a dressing room, or putting a clothing item in the wrong section of the store. I’d mess up payments at the cash register, and not fold clothing “properly.”

But the most ridiculous mistake I made was when I worked as Anthropologie’s “door greeter.” My only responsibility was to say Hi, welcome when customers entered the store, and Bye, have a nice day when they left. Simple enough, right? How could anyone mess up this job? Believe me, I found a way. As a customer left the store, I told her to have a nice weekend. She responded with a confused look before continuing out the door. It took me a minute to realize I’d told her to have a good weekend when it was only Tuesday. 

As I learned that day, all jobs come with a transition period. The new work and circumstances will be challenging, frustrating, and even discouraging at times. But it is how we respond to these new scenarios that makes us stronger, more resilient human beings.

We must make these mistakes and learn from these mistakes in order to grow, prepare for new adversities, and perform the duties better next time. So cut yourself some slack when you’re first getting comfortable with a new job. With just a little time, you’ll have the system down!