A phrase originating from Europe that describes an employee that is learning something the hard way, like being immersed in their field of employment. Baptism by fire has its roots in battle terminology, describing a soldier's first time in battle.

Baptism by fire is used when the best way for someone to be trained is for that person to experience the actual situations rather than to just study those situations. Jobs that require baptism by fire may include: police officers, firemen, military personnel, etc.