New Job Saga

[Los-D]

Got approval from leadership on a pilot for my project which is a big win. And getting nothing but positive feedback from everyone, so that really helps. Job definitely oscillates between "hey I'm actually doing pretty well" and "this is a complete nightmare". I'm actually learning quite a bit to roll with the punches as much as possible.

Great to hear man. Hang in there (at least until the project ends).

 

[Warmart]

Sounds like you work where I work?

Just joking, sounds like you are in a much better place this week, very very happy to hear it, too!

 

[Jarick]

Sounds like you work where I work?

Just joking, sounds like you are in a much better place this week, very very happy to hear it, too!

Better this week, although it changes from day to day!

My expectations for myself are very high, so when I hit uncertainty or struggles, I have trouble focusing on anything else until it's resolved. But with a big complex project, I can't solve all the problems and foresee all the future issues. So I'm always under some level of pressure or stress as new issues are continually coming up.

And that's what I'm trying to learn and grow from, which is exactly the feedback I get from my boss (who's always been very nice).

In my old jobs, my scope was smaller, the problems were easier to solve, I had much more direct control, and the stakes were lower. There were moderate expectations of me and I could consistently exceed them without too much effort (I mean look at my post history).

Now with the current job, it's a lot more complex, I have to manage a huge group of people (most of whom are managers), I don't know the details like they do, and the stakes are a lot higher. The expectations are high and I'm working really hard to meet them. Which frankly takes out any excess physical and mental capacity out of me.

So the question for me is if I adjust to that over time or if I instead seek something that is less demanding. But for now I'm working on what I've got to work on...

 

[Jarick]

Still plugging along in the new job and things continue to improve!

I was able to deliver a couple significant milestones on my project and we went from "there's not a snowballs chance in hell of this working" to "almost completed on time and budget". I've grown significantly through the constant anxiety and struggles into gaining the trust of a lot of senior leaders in the organization.

Yesterday my manager informed me they spontaneously gave me a significant raise to recognize my work, which was kind of crazy and nice. Leadership recognized this was kind of an insane project to assign out to a newbie but was very pleased with how I managed it.

Over the next year I'm hoping to be able to support more projects rather than lead which would be a pleasant change of pace, as well as developing more of the management side. It sounds like some of the teams I've worked with would love to have me transfer over to their groups as well, which is nice. My old company was smaller so the opportunities weren't there as much, but with the bigger company there's a lot of room for growth.

So yeah, pretty happy with how things have progressed overall!

On the flip side, the work has taken a lot out of me. I rarely have time to play guitar or get any exercise. Most of the time after work and taking care of dinner and kids, I just kind of flop on my bed and play video games or watch YouTube. I'm hoping to get more of a work life balance back over the next few months.

 

[mavrick102000]

It sounds like things are mostly going very well for you - which is great!

With time, you will develop more confidence and figure out ways to get some of your personal time back. There will always be times during a projects where it will take a lot out of you, but you need to figure out a way to keep some guitar and definitely exercise going, even if it's minimal cardio.

I'm currently in an cool, but odd, situation to where I have 2 job offers with the potential for a third offer (all different companies) before I begin the first. I've already know my preferred option, but the onboarding process could take a while (several months and there are other potential risks ) and the other wants me to start in 2 weeks. I've been unemployed for over 10 months, constantly applying, networking etc.

So until I have a definitive start date at company 2, I plan on starting at company 1. I have to get back to work more for sanity than financial reasons.

 

[Jarick]

It sounds like things are mostly going very well for you - which is great!

With time, you will develop more confidence and figure out ways to get some of your personal time back. There will always be times during a projects where it will take a lot out of you, but you need to figure out a way to keep some guitar and definitely exercise going, even if it's minimal cardio.

I'm currently in an cool, but odd, situation to where I have 2 job offers with the potential for a third offer (all different companies) before I begin the first. I've already know my preferred option, but the onboarding process could take a while (several months and there are other potential risks ) and the other wants me to start in 2 weeks. I've been unemployed for over 10 months, constantly applying, networking etc.

So until I have a definitive start date at company 2, I plan on starting at company 1. I have to get back to work more for sanity than financial reasons.

That's great news to have multiple offers! Now is definitely the time the jobs start to pick up.

I'm working to clean up my basement again and set up my Peloton so I can start to get back in the habit of working out nearly every day. I think when things are clean it's less mental clutter and less energy to get back in there.