Starting the First “First Day”
“We’ve never missed a paper run in 178 years”, I often heard people proudly claim about the Sydney Morning Herald’s impressive record. And not many people can say that they work on a product that is 8 times older than they are, even less amongst Software Engineers.
But on my first day at Nine Publishing (formerly Fairfax Media), it was also my first real day in the industry. So this privilege also came with a dual challenge: joining a team with impressive products, cutting edge tech and a strong reputation; and coming into it with very little experience and knowledge.
This is not an uncommon problem, “Imposter Syndrome” is well known. Everyone at some point has to start a job where their first day woes are amplified by the fact that they’re looking at learning curves with no end (or start) in sight.
However, as my time here draws to a close, it’s been an interesting exercise to reflect on how I found the traction on these problems. I hope that for people who face similar challenges in future, these insights can be of some help, just as I hope that they may be useful for others to empathise with the biggest ‘imposters’.
So what did I learn?
Don’t fear taking time to learn
When trying to find your rhythm, it can feel like you have a point to prove and it’s tempting to focus solely on trying to pick up velocity — to prove your worth.
But dedicating time, space and resources to learn shouldn’t be seen as a cost or a “time sink”. Taking opportunity to see how something works, how it shouldn’t work and to contextualise your understanding will prove more valuable in the long-term.
Not only is this important for new starters to know, but also for teams and managers. I found that encouraging a strong culture of learning (like at Nine Publishing) only engenders personal growth and higher quality people and product.
Don’t just ask questions, try explaining your problems
We’re always told that “there’s no such thing as a dumb question” and “never be afraid to ask”. These are both excellent points.
But I know, for example I was at one stage too afraid to ask our Principal Engineer questions. Not just out of fear of sounding dumb, I just didn’t even know what questions to ask.
What worked for me was to try explaining my understanding of the problem to them. It’s like the Rubber Duck idea, only the person you talk to might actually be able to help identify your problems and pinpoint the questions you need answered.
Spend time on jobs you’re unfamiliar with
I was afforded a big luxury on my team: my manager frequently let me choose what I wanted to work on, and often it was tempting to stick to things I had become familiar with. However, I was able to grow the fastest only when I tried out a jobs which demanded a skill I definitely didn’t have.
We talk about breadth and depth of knowledge a lot. If you have neither, like I did, then I found it best to dive into work outside your comfort zone. Change is not only good for the heart, but also the mind.
Have a beer
The simplest and most enjoyable way I found to tear down the barrier of Imposter Syndrome was unrelated to any work, knowledge or skill. It was to take any chance to sit down with the team, and have a VB (or something less revolting) at team lunches, after work, or at the fortnightly all-hands.
Really, just getting the chance to stop and do something other than work is the best way to warm to a new culture, no skill required. After all, happy teams are also productive and resilient teams as well.
So if by now you’re still looking for my advice, stop. Log off, and go enjoy a drink with your team, you’ve probably earned it.
James Dowers is a former Intern on Nine Publishing’s Productivity Team. He joined us for 6 months as a part of his UNSW Co-op Program, during the 3rd Year of his Software Engineering Degree.
