Don't Say "I'm a new comer"

The workplace keeps changing all the time as old hands get really old and new comers keep joining in. Old hands do have a hard time as they watch their physical and mental abilities decline helplessly so they have to prop up their eyelids to get recharged for new knowledge, and keep doing physical exercises so as to manage to keep up with the change. Fortunately old hands have their seniority as a kind of capital, and new comers will inevitably show their respect to them by saying, "How do you do, sir?"
On the other hand, the situation is by no means less hard for new comers. Most of them may stagger along or even stumble when they first join a profession. They don't have enough cultivation in either doing their jobs or handling social relations. As a result, they are usually considered as hotheads not to be relied on, though they behave with utmost care. More often than not they are criticized or even bullied, but they can only seek seclusion in the washroom and weep their sad tears there, no matter how sad they might feel.
There was this girl who was a new comer in a foreign-invested company. She was given a tongue lashing by her boss because of her low efficiency. She sat in her office cubicle weeping during lunch time, tears all over her face. Most of her colleagues passing by only threw her nonchalant glances. Though a few of them looked at her with sympathy, but no one bothered to stop and pat her shoulder or invite her to have lunch together.
The reason is simple. She has violated the basic law of the workplace: Never betray one's personal emotions in the workplace, to say nothing of letting one's emotion swing one's work. To that girl new comer, I would give her this advice: It is alright for you to feel wronged or have a good cry, but you should not let others see your weakness. You should never give them the impression that you were a weakling or even blockheaded if you want to go on working in that company.
In other words, it does not matter very much to be criticized because everybody makes mistakes sometimes, let alone new comers in a profession. Don't you think it is better for you to dry up your tears and redouble your efforts to do your work better after you cried in private in the washroom rather than showing your grievance by weeping in front of others so that they will doubt your professional competence and your ability against stress?
Workplaces seem to be changing at a quicker speed and become more and more relentless. It might take a year or so for new comers to grow into competent old hands in the past, but now perhaps they are allowed only three months. Three months is neither long nor short, but you might get fired if you are unable to grow up within this period because these are long lines of college graduates casting greedy eyes on your job, their mouths literally watering.
Years ago when a new comer came to a workplace he would usually announce: "I am new here. Please don't hesitate to point it out in case I should make any mistake and give me your advice." But if you still stick to this timid form of self-introduction today you'll probably get kicked out. I do not mean one should not modest. New comers in a workplace need to be modest in asking for advice in order to learn the knack of the jobs. The key point is: Don't say "I'm a new hand" to everyone indiscriminately, because "new hand" is synonymic with "know nothing". It won't be surprising for you to get bullied by some wily old hand who happens to hear you.
A newly appointed PR manager called the customers he had taken over into his charge by saying, "How do you do! I am a new comer of this company and am learning about the situations of our customers. Please kindly help me in our future cooperation." It is not difficult to imagine the result. He didn't get the customers' trust at the very beginning and the so-called cooperation afterwards could hardly be said as smooth. Naturally the customers assumed a condescending attitude towards him as he had been deemed as a green horn in the profession in their subconsciousness. He was reduced to a low mood but by then it was too late for him even to regret. He could only blame himself that he had lacked bravery when he first introduced himself to the customers, who were only too glad to get a handle on him.
One's impression in the mind of other people is very important as one makes a living in any workplace. If you are a new comer, it is all right for you to act modestly in front of your immediate boss and colleagues. But that's enough. You should never say "Please kindly help me" to your partners in business cooperation, customers, or colleagues of other departments. Why should others kindly help you if you hadn't done them any good? There are nowadays fewer and fewer people in the harshly competitive workplace who are ready to offer you a helping hand gladly like a loving elderly. You have to grow into an old hand from a new comer within the shortest possible time if you want to survive in the workplace.