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Graduating was a big deal, but now it’s done. I’ve had my little vacation. It’s time to go back to work. Today. Cue: PANIC!
Graduation isn’t the end of the panic… Also, Savage Chickens is awesome! Cartoon ©2012 by Doug Savage.
I don’t exactly know what I’ll be doing. I don’t know if I’ll get business cards, when my email will be turned on, when I’ll get paid (and how often), who will pay for my technology, how much travel will be covered, how often I’ll have to go in to the office, or even the precise nature of my job duties, beyond a general sense of it. And I don’t know what I don’t know, which is the most distressing part of all.
It’s a perfect storm for anxiety. New jobs are huge stressors in the first place. All those unknowns don’t help. The main thing holding me together in this situation right now is that I know the people I’ll be working with, and they’re awesome. I trust them, or else this would be an enormous freak-out on my end at this point.
Here’s hoping for some answers, clarity, and a warm welcome for my first day at the new job!
You know what I do when Im antcipating something that is going to be stressful and scary? I think ahead to the short time when I will be over the scary part and how great it will be. What Im saying is, just think, soon you will be in, working and understanding your job.this phase is only temperary, and before long it will be in the past. You will be a happy employed knowledgable worker. That is exciting!
That’s a good way to approach it, thanks! Actually my first real meeting with my new supervisor is tomorrow, so we’ll see how it all goes…
Good luck and think ahead!
Good luck, hun!
that little cartoon says it all…..
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Having watched both my former husband and my son go through this process, it seems to be fairly standardized. First they leave the poor newbie alone to freak out for a while. Then the PI or whoever is the head of your outfit takes the lab or its equivalent out to lunch, barbecue, like that. Then you start meeting with your principle investigator to start to hammer out what you will be working on and with whom. I really think “first job” is the scariest part of the academic ladder. Good luck!
I’m a “non-resident” employee, so there’s none of that to be had. But I am hosted at a nearby institution as a “visiting fellow/whatever” so my first day in the office there will be on Wednesday. I know a bunch of the people and they’re great, so I’m not too worried about that.
My meeting yesterday with my new supervisor went well too. We talked about some employment details (they’re gonna order up the new computer that I want!) and stuff I will be working on. I will have quite a lot of autonomy, so that will be nice/scary. After the meeting we went to a local festival, listened to some music, watched street performers, etc. It was perhaps a bit unusual, but a nice start!
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