If I Could Turn Back Time, I’d Re-do The First Month of My Job
Overzealous and beyond excited — That was how I felt taking the first step into the next chapter of my life. As a graduate fresh out of college, I was enthusiastic to kickstart my career as a Product Designer at Carousell.
I couldn’t wait to make an impact on the world with my work. But more importantly, I was glad that I was finally out of school—away from needless classes, countless projects, crazy deadlines, and the hectic student life. I was eager to have better control of my life.
Contrary to expectations, I didn’t have a good start—Immediately rushing to deliver results whilst still grasping to understand how things worked. With all that effort not leading to fruition. The start was painstakingly exhausting and lonely. Yet, I’ve no one to attribute blame but myself. I was absolutely clueless in managing my time during the first month on the job. A year later, I reflect back on my experience and acknowledge that my first few weeks could’ve gone better. If only I had done just these 2 things when I first joined a new organization.
Taking time to onboard
I believed I was some kind of super-genius who could learn everything in two weeks—about the product, how things work around here, who to get help from. But my estimation was way off. Why? There was way too much information to take in. From the history of past decisions made, to who has access to information, to where my design files were located! Because I lacked the context of the problem, lacked knowledge, and rushed to design, decisions were poorly-made and solutions didn’t solve the problem well.
In Payments where it’s pretty complex, it took me up to 3 months to understand the product, know the millions (I kid) of edge cases, and how/why certain decisions were made. Only after then could I actually design experiences that solve the problems well.
Absorbing information takes time and energy. So take your time. Don’t rush. Don’t be overwhelmed. It’s counterproductive anyway.
Get to know others
I’ve been told that the first few weeks in are a golden opportunity to get to know others in the organization—You’re not swamped with work (yet) and as a ‘newbie’, it’s a perfect excuse to say hi. I missed that window of opportunity and didn’t interact much outside my team when I first started. It’s now much harder to find that chance to know others beyond your team given a busy schedule and you’re just so comfortable.
Don’t make the same mistake I did. Go ask colleagues (especially those not in your team) out for coffee. Find out more about what they do. What they know about your team or the company. Better yet, they could introduce you to others or someone who know an area of your interest. It’s also a sure-fire way to make friends when starting out.
Coffee for thought: How did you spend your first month when you joined your organization? Was there anything you wished you could’ve do better?
