It’s funny how a new job works, and I’ve had many, but they always start the same way. The last time I counted, I think I was at 23 jobs since turning 14. This new job is my 4th "career position", but I only count it as the second. I’ve been laid off twice “due to COVID” since entering the workforce after college, but that hasn’t changed how the onboarding works. Some jobs, mostly labor-focused jobs without much technical training, will have you in the thick of it on day 1. You’ll be earning well below minimum wage, with your cortisol through the roof, but the boss might still expect you to have all the knowledge of a seasoned vet. I call these “never again” jobs.
My first “never again” job was with Culvers at the ripe age of 15. I had just tested for my license, but until I turned 16, I could only drive back and forth from work. I remember a few things from that job, the start, middle, and the day I finally left. I started on a Friday evening. Which, in Wisconsin, is the prime time of the week for food. Culvers has one of the better Fish Fry in the state, believe it or not, and that Friday, I was tasked with manning the fryers. Later on, I found the busiest times the easiest because I could throw food into the fryers without worrying about the order (it was going to be eaten soon anyways.). At the time, it was nothing but stress and cortisol running through my veins, coupled with a ridiculous amount of grease and sweat from standing next to a 210-degree fryer all day.
So, being rushed into a job certainly has its drawbacks, but it can help with feeling like you belong and immediately contributing to the team. With this new job, which I will only refer to as a job, but is discoverable when you give my LinkedIn a click, I haven't felt rushed. It’s been seven or eight working days since I started, and I’ve only been asked to provide a handful of words. Everything else has been part of the learning, development, and ideation process. What helps is that this is a new position for the company, and a laid-out road map doesn’t exist. Instead, we’re building that map from the ground up! I am a sponge. I feel like a sponge. I take the information and wait until somebody tries to squeeze it out. But currently, I’m not all that full of info, so I can only hope that nobody tries to squeeze too hard.
Today is only day eight, and I don’t mean for this blog to be purely work focused. There are plenty of SEO-rich articles and information on the web that'll describe my job better than I do. So, for now, I’ll focus on getting my workday done without drama, and enjoy a little bit of life before doing it all again tomorrow. The last month or so has been pretty “quiet” by my standards, and I’m ready to socialize and party again, just as soon as this stupid ankle stops being so broken…
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