Out of your comfort zone and into a new zone
One Girl decided to jump ship, or from the frying pan into the fire, and changed jobs. Changing jobs gets you out of your comfort zone. It’s a good thing to do. I have a few observations. Here they are:
1. Testing
your memory
Changing jobs tests your memory. You meet an entire new crew of people.
There’s just one of you to remember, but there’s a whole swag of them. I hung up a map of the office cubicles assigned with names and each day, called
out good morning to each person in turn. One of them said, ‘Why do
you say my name like it’s a question?’
‘Because it is!!’
There’s new content, and acronyms, and details to remember, like where
you read something, and where you filed it, so you can find it when you need it,
and you usually need it, in a HURRY.
2. Honing your
social skills
Changing jobs hones your social skills. After you’ve remembered everyone's names, you need to build some connections. Checking in, making
small talk, sharing some of your own interests, finding out about theirs, these are all part of honing those skills.
Safely maneuvering through your new environment means knowing when to
say something and when not to. So there is a bit of keeping your big trap SHUT while
you wait and watch. Honing your social skills includes paying attention to
different dynamics and nuances.
Fortunately I moved on from that stage before I imploded.
3. New way
finding
Changing jobs requires new way finding. I felt like a salmon swimming
upstream one morning when I chose to walk up Macquarie Street at 8 am, just
about the time that the Huntingfield, Richmond and Huonville buses all landed.
The swarm of commuters almost carried with them back down to the Mall.
I’ve since mapped out a
more tranquil way from bus stop to door stop.
4. New ways
of working
Changing jobs makes you work in new ways. You can get in a rut in a job.
You get used to working with the same people, on the same sorts of things, in the
same ways. Changing jobs mixes it up. You have to prove yourself. So you spend
more time on the detail, poring over your writing, trying hard to impress,
generally being on your best behaviour.
There’s different rules, processes, expectations and office politics
too.
P.S this kitchen is always clean.
5. New eating
opportunities
If your new job is in a different part of town, you might find that
changing jobs brings new eating opportunities. I’ve discovered Atlas, on the
corner of Macquarie and Elizabeth Street serves heart-shaped home-made Monte
Carlos. They’re my favourite. I buy a lot of coffee at Daci and Daci and I’m
early enough to get there for Portuguese tarts warm and gooey out of the oven.
D-lish!
What have you noticed about starting a new
job?
