…apologies for the shitty transition

After two and a half weeks off, I returned to the office Monday, perhaps refreshed from my holiday staycation, though mostly wracked with low-level anxiety about the prospects of my new job, which also began Monday (the fourth time I’ve changed positions in four years…I hope to slow that down a bit moving forward). Going in, I rationally knew that I was qualified for this position, and that I’d be able to succeed, given my skills and experience. However, being not 100 percent sure what I’d be doing (or even where I’d be sitting) when I returned, I spent the last several days of my leave-taking sleeping fitfully, living with tension, and having lucid dreams about wandering lost around conference centers not knowing where the meeting I needed to attend was being held, and encountering spirits of jobs and careers past, all of them providing conflicting or nonsensical information…

I suspect most reading this have been there at some point. Right now, though, I’m waving hello from the cunningly-placed photo-op verandah. Hi!

All in all, though, the first day could have been worse. Sure, my supervisor of record wasn’t here, my (for lack of a better term) mentor* started the week working three states over, I still don’t have a desk assigned (I camped out in my old desk because as nobody scheduled a move, all my computer and phone hardware was still there), many simple housekeeping questions remain unanswered, and much of the org chart stuff that manifests via the email system and other things still show me assigned to my old job; but, with a few phone calls, pleasant conversations and emails, I managed to be sort of useful to an ongoing test effort, got a few security forms and access requests for all the new computer systems I’m going to need to get into filed, figured out where I need to show up on Tuesday, and most importantly, verified that Human Resources processed the promotion paperwork on time, so if nothing else, I’m getting paid the properly agreed upon higher salary this job brings with it.

All in all, I really do think this is going to be a good move. Eventually, the details will get sorted out and I’ll become a productive and useful member of my new team. Eventually.

If anything, I don’t necessarily recommend changing jobs right at year-end when most of the workforce is off on holiday. Should’ve seen that one coming.

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* – I’m not sure what he is, really, besides overworked. My position was created in part to take some of the workload off of his, and he’s the one who’s going to be providing most of the direction I receive until I get brought up to speed. He’s also the origin of the blockquote at the beginning of this piece. Imagine said line delivered with a bit of good natured shrug to punctuate things. Could be worse.