Baptism by Fire
Candlefocus EditorNew employees and apprentices is an area where this phrase is commonly used. This is particularly the case in areas such as working with heavy machinery, software or any type of technical product. They are given tasks that they may not have been introduced to before, such as their first job working on a construction site, or their first time trying to fix a complex machine.
In order to use the phrase correctly, a baptism by fire is something that a person learns by doing and experiencing, not by reading about or being taught. This is often due to the lack of resources available to the person or employee at the time. It requires considerable, self-learning and trial-and-error to understand the various elements, and how to complete the task without instruction.
It requires a lot of determination and tenacity from the individual, and not everyone can endure the challenge. It’s not a situation for the faint of heart. It’s for those who want to further their education and expand their skills to enable them to succeed in an area they weren’t initially familiar with.
The phrase ‘baptism by fire’ is not only used in the working environment, but can be used in many different areas of life as a metaphor and to describe a situation where someone learns something the hard way—through experience, trial-and-error, and a great deal of perseverance.