New Job, Week One

The first half of the week was spectacular. Getting to know a new job, new location, new people, new boss, new responsibilities. Realizing that this gig fits me like a glove. Or it will.

The second half of the week was filled with insecurity and frustration. Me and the help files and the books and the tutorials. I now know that there’s a LOT that I don’t know. Plus, most of the people I’ve met in my department seem on the surface to be stressed, self-absorbed and pessimistic in general. And overly absorbed in football. Today, I was starting to doubt whether I’d made the right decision in taking this job, honestly.

About five minutes before quitting time, my supervisor visited my cube and asked how I my first week had gone. I was pretty honest, telling him that I felt like I was going around in circles, and that I realize now that there’s a lot that I don’t know. He seemed to appreciate that, and told me that he has no expectations of me right now. I am to be a sponge, in his words. I mentioned that I have lots of questions, but feel uncomfortable interrupting other people’s work to ask them, and he said that we’d make time early next week to sit down and discuss things. He also confirmed that, yes, this is only the second company I’ve worked for, and he affirmed that I’d come out the other side with a working knowledge of how the company and the data warehouse applications work.

That affirmation, while supportive, was also telling. The one person who can train me is on maternity leave, but I have the impression that he expects me to be up to speed on my own by the time she gets back.

This is daunting. Fun and new, yes, but still daunting.

3 thoughts on New Job, Week One

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  1. My little girl wanted to know EVERYTHING about kindergarden before she went.
    She has always been a perfectionest. It is okay to not know everything!
    I know you will be up to par or maybe beyound in plenty of time.
    Besides YOU are the one who wanted to step outside the box on things and try things that were a little more difficult:-)

  2. You could be the smartest person I know. If anyone can figure it out it’s you. You have impressed me before and you will impress your new peeps as well. Just take things one step at a time for now and block out the daunting big picture. It’s what I have had to do to get through my new tasks in life. Keep it real!

  3. Wow. Thanks, dude. My Mom’s obligated to say I’m smart, but I guess I’ll actually believe it from you. 😉

    I just get this feeling that, eventually, everything is going to click and I’ll hit the ground running. I look forward to that epiphany. Hopefully it comes in the next few days. Or a week or something. Soon.