New Beginnings
From my 20+ years of employment history, I was fortunate to spend more than half of them working for the same multinational. And I say fortunate because I value work stability. But even within that time frame I had several moves to different countries and then re-adjusting to working back in my home country organization which had gone through an incredible amount of change.
In more recent years, I have had shorter work tenures and just 3 months ago left a fixed-term contract to start a new role in a different organization, yet again. So, I am no stranger to new beginnings as far as work life is concerned.
Starting a new job or joining a new company can be daunting, just as it is to children starting school halfway through the year. The school syllabus has already started; the other pupils know what’s going on and they have formed their friend groups already. It’s only natural to be afraid that you won’t be good enough, that you won’t fit in and that you will not be able to catch up with the work. All new beginnings can be frightening. Provided you realize that the start to every journey is usually the most challenging part and you allow yourself the time to learn the people and processes you will be fine.
Understanding the culture of your organization will not happen overnight. Truly understanding the subcultures of the company will most probably take you years in fact. Get to know your colleagues, learn the ropes so that you can add value and remember it will take time.
So, don’t beat yourself up about it. Plan to avoid disappointment. See it for the challenging, yet exciting adventure that it is with all its wonderful possibilities. Planning your first few months in your new job, setting goals for yourself and being realistic about the expectations you set yourself can alleviate your stress and nervousness. It will be more work in the beginning, with lots of reading up to do and meeting key people in the business while doing the work at the same time, but it will all be worth it in the long-run.
About the Author: With UK studies in HRM and Psychology, Kiki Kallis is a seasoned HR professional with international experience in operational and generalist HR managerial positions. When she can steal some time from her busy schedule she enjoys spending time with friends, reading and writing as well as blogging about her make up passion on From Vanity to Sanity
