First Day...

After taking a few days off, I started my new job. Going into a new place, even in my 30’s, can feel like the first day of school. There is a mix of nervousness and excitement, enough to make your stomach queasy. But if I didn’t feel that way, I would think this wasn’t the right move.

Going from a company of 50 to roughly 3,000 is a bit intimidating. The positive side, is that I will be working with people I know and have worked with in the past. Still, walking up to an office in the heart of New York City gives you pause. I take a minute to admire the giant glistening building and walk through the front door. The building is buzzing, alive with it’s own hum. Pushing through the revolving door my excitement builds.

As I check in and ride the elevator to the 40th floor, I feel like a kid. Watching the people around me as they have already settled into their routines, and I am beginning to develop my own. It is a funny thing when you start your own routine. You have this vision of how it will go and then one thing throws it off and you feel like you have to start all over again. I had the same routine for almost 7 years, and now it is completely different.

Once I arrived, I had to check in once again and then I was lead to my desk. There is this weird feeling when you go from working in an open office plan, where no one has any privacy, to having your own office. Initially there is a sense of accomplishment and pride. “I made it! I have my own office and this view…. Wow.” Then after a few hours, you start to miss the noise and the people. There are a lot of people on my team, and plenty I can interact with, but they are all several feet away. Looking for the balance of being able to get my work done and interact with my team, is something I will need to work on.

As someone who likes to jump right into it and figure it out as I go, I needed to shift my perspective and pump the brakes a bit. When you start working for a company that has been around for a long time there is a lot to learn and take in. You need to learn and appreciate the legacy before you can start making changes. Taking two days to do that, while challenging, has been very beneficial and given me the understanding of where the company can grow. It is similar to examining your past to understand where you can grow in the future.

All in all it has been an exciting two days. I had the opportunity to spend more time with my team, i’m learning the ins and outs as I go, and respect that I will have the chance to learn from some of the best in the industry. I’m excited for what’s next and to see how I grow as well.