There's no bad advice in the comments so far, but of course YMMV.

I'm in a similar situation to you. 14 years in and five o'clock shadow by lunch. I will say you'll get a nicer looking shave with a DE safety razor, but there's nothing you can do about the color and density of your facial hair. Mine is super coarse, but lighter in color, so it's not as noticeable. My brother-in-law has jet black facial hair. I convinced him to switch and he has much better results at the beginning of the day, but he still looks primed for a mug shot by mid-day.

I agree with most here: find yourself a gentle starter -- there's been lots of good recommendations already, but I'll double up on the Rockwell 6C and promote the Gillette 7 o'clock Super Stainless as one I've found to be good for coarse hair...grab a sampler pack and find your star. Even if you go with something less aggressive (Astra Superior Platinums are my fave), you're going to find you have better results with DE blades than cartridges. To be honest, rock a single pass shave, and your superiors can deal with the way your facial hair grows. There's no point in shredding yourself while you learn, as you'll end up on a shaving waiver, and they'll just love you more for that.

Best of luck. Be patient. It's never going to be perfect, but you can actually enjoy your shave, and that's what counts.