From Professional to Personal: The Unexpected Joy of Workplace Friendship
“Chance made us colleagues. Fun and laughter made us friends.” ~Unknown
A year into my new job, I realized that the hardest part wasn’t the complexity of the work—it was the culture. The office felt like a maze of silos, each person isolated in their corner. The hierarchy was more than just a structure—it was something everyone was constantly reminded of. I was used to navigating high-pressure, competitive environments, but this one was different.
As a woman in STEM, I had learned early on to keep my personal life separate from my work life. This boundary helped me maintain control, …