"Congratulations! You're finally getting to work in your dream organisation. You must be really excited to get started," a friend says to you. "Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to it," you reply.
You had been anticipating this day since the beginning of time and finally when it is time to live your dream, you can feel the anxiety creeping in. Regardless of trying to pretend to be pumped up for the new job, you can still feel your heart in the mouth. The thrill which you had been envisioning for all these days is nowhere to be seen. Instead, all you are thinking about is the kind of manager you will be having, the kind of colleagues you will be interacting with, whether or not you will be able to leave a mark in this new organisation. The mere thought of all these is making your heart jump right on the first day.
Job anxiety is very common and this is a natural process everyone goes through before settling down into their new positions. However, it is important to give yourself the time to overcome it and find a smooth transition to the new job.
Simply bearing with anxiety thinking it will eventually disappear will not solve the situation. Acknowledging job nerves is the first step towards overcoming it. Here are four strategies to overcome new job jitters:
Entrusting a closed one with your feelings: Sharing your anxiety issues and being honest about your feelings with closed ones will ensure you a sense of comfort. Talk to them specifically about the things that are making you anxious, whether you are worried about the organisation culture or any specific person or are unsure about your capabilities. Talking about it with those who have experienced it before or those who are in the same phase as you, will rest assure that you are not alone and will help to come up with strategies to overcome it. Zarek Hossain, a graduate from IBA, Dhaka University, who is currently working as a manager in a local company, shared, " As a fresh graduate, I joined a local organisation in a different city. It was a huge cultural shock at first. But I took an observe and learn approach without talking much, and eventually learned to navigate the waters." However, with time, he addressed this by communicating frankly with his line manager and department head who guided him on people management. Both his line manager and department head had the same education background as his, so they spoke the same language so to speak which eased the cultural shock.
Preparing in advance: It is important to be prepared in advance so that there is no room left for the work to be below par. It also helps to keep one mentally prepared and to tackle any unforeseen situation which might require their urgent response. Researching about the particular organisation, connecting with seniors working in that organisation will provide you a brief idea regarding the office environment. Make sure to take a note of the tasks assigned and start the tasks on time to ensure you have enough time to improve it. Tasfia Binte Mahbub, currently working as Digital CVM expert in the commercial division of a telecom company, mentioned, “I've been working for seven years in the corporate and have had multiple experiences of job jitters or nervousness as I would call it. Be it before a big product launch / working before deadlines / negotiating a business deal with potential customers etc.” The way she overcame it was by learning the core issues at hand, by seeking guidance from supervisors and peers, and by investing more time to prepare herself before any product launch.
Clarifying doubts and communicating: It can be intimidating for introverts and reticent individuals to interact with new people but asking questions and clarifying your doubts will not just convey the message that you're an enthusiastic learner but also propel your growth in the new workplace. Clarifying doubts will propel your learning in future endeavours. The better you are at your work, the more confident you will be. Zeeshan Ahmed, currently working as chief marketing officer at Brain Station 23, shared, "When I joined Brain Station 23, it was intimidating to be leading the marketing efforts because I've never dealt with the B2B marketing. The expectation from the overall leadership team was quite high, because they've never had anyone leading the marketing team before and the company needed someone who can help build a B2B marketing channel." He finally overcame this by normalising his present situation and by wanting to know more about the pain points of his tech resources and their expectations from him, which further helped him to navigate through his job. Noshin Nuha, currently working at Deloitte as an analyst, also mentioned, "This expectation-reality mismatch was a massive job jitter for me. I felt like I wasn't getting the steep learning curve or professional growth I expected to get. Instead, the work I did felt repetitive/ mundane and I didn't have many new things to learn. This made me less and less excited about my job each passing day." According to her, it is important to properly know about the work beforehand in order to avoid this and if possible, switch jobs. She further mentioned that there were times when her productivity was hampered by the uneven workload which she has finally addressed by communicating and being more vocal with her line manager whenever she felt pressured.
Maintaining journals: Maintaining a journal is a great way of keeping a written record of the events throughout the day. If you do not feel confident enough to share your emotions with anyone, then journaling can help you relieve yourself. Spending a few minutes after work can help you collect yourself and decipher what could be your course of action in the coming days. Journaling does not only come handy in the vulnerable stages. After you have overcome this stage, when you look back at your journals it will act as your anchor and boost your confidence, reminding you what all you've overcome.
Path ahead: Anxiety issues are more common than we can ever imagine. Even the best of the best CEOs shared their journey of overcoming anxiety. Hence, never let this be a reason for you to question your capabilities. It might make you feel like you don't belong there and rightfully so. Take a long breath and calm down. Sense of belonging to a certain place is not necessarily derived from the place but rather from the people instead. As time passes and as you get to know the people better, build a somewhat decent relationship with your colleagues, the sense of belonging will simply naturally follow. Once you start getting used to the new routine the anxiety issues will eventually begin disappearing. However, if you feel you are unable to handle your anxiety issues even after trying, then do not hesitate to seek professional help.
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