Nervousness on the New Job: Words to Get You Through It

I’ve recently moved across the country for a job as a student affairs professional in a community college - new place, new apartment, new everything. I drove from my apartment to the new job location and missed two turns, showing my vulnerability and lack of familiarity with this new place. I hardly know anyone in this town and I haven’t had much of a chance to wrap my head around the fact that everything has really changed in my life. Not only does this impending unknowingness rack my brain and keep me awake at night, but the fact that this is my first professional job in the field, minus experience in graduate school, bears added weight to the situation. I know that the pressure to be a competent and knowledgeable professional is on and I take a gulp of butterflies down my throat as I begin to think of all the fears that could appear in this new job: “What if my coworkers don’t like me?” “What if I let them down?” “What if the students think I’m unhelpful?” “What if people think I can’t do my job?” “Will I spill coffee on myself when I speak to my boss?” It’s normal for these fears to cross both of our minds as we step into a new job. Luckily, I’ve been able to construct a few things to think about for decreasing jitters at the new job and hopefully they can be of use to you as well. By taking these words into consideration, they can help you manage your nervousness and think with a different perspective on the matter.

1. Take a deep breath and know that you were hired, and are therefore qualified, to do this job.

You were interviewed, speculated, and then speculated some more by a hiring committee and/or a manager. You got the job! They believe you are competent and knowledgeable enough to do this job and they are most likely aware of your strong and not-so-strong skills. If your boss and coworkers are a good team, they’ll train you on what’s missing and teach you what else you need to learn. You were hired to do the job, so although you may hit some roadblocks, you have the required skills you need to do it and the people who hired you agree. Remember this when you feel impostor syndrome creeping in.

2. Know that it’s okay to ask questions.

I know it’s tough to ask questions sometimes - “Oh, my boss is in her office - will she be annoyed if I ask her something?” I mean, you’re a new employee and new employee or not, asking questions is vital to your training and growth as a professional. In fact, it’s probably more important to ask questions than risk causing a malfunction when you didn’t know how to do something and were too afraid to ask. Additionally, asking questions helps your coworkers know you want to do your job well; asking questions also gives you added time to talk to them and build connections with them.

3. Understand that making mistakes and taking risks are both important and normal.

Unless your job is to twiddle your thumbs all day, chances are you will hit some roadblocks in your journey in this new job and you’ll deal with some rough days. Yes, it can happen and all you can do is try to decrease the chances of going home after a long day and wanting to rack your head against the wall, wondering how you could ever make that stupid mistake in billing the wrong customer or experiencing an awkward handshake with the new manager. You’re human and you can make mistakes - it happens. At the same time, it’s important for professionals to take some chances, like submitting a new proposal, speaking up on your opinion as to how to enhance the company’s success, and applying a new technique to assessing your workplace’s success. Some chances will be well taken and perhaps some won’t, and the ones that don't make the cut may cause you to have another one of those unfortunate days at the office. The important thing is to learn from your experiences and to not let the not-so-good days get you down.

4. Remember to not be so hard on yourself - just take the time to improve.

This is a new experience and it’s normal to have some hiccups in the new job. It can take up to six months for new employees to feel they’ve got the hang of the job. The important part is taking it a day at a time and making steps to improving your work skills. This could be making a list of certain things to work on and questions to ask, meeting new people in the company to improve your relationships with others, or setting up a plan to read up more on your industry. It’s not about being Superman - it’s about getting closer to your and your boss’ expectations of your performance.

5. Remember that since you care about this job, you’re probably going to rock this job.

An important aspect: caring. If you’re reading this article, it most likely means you want to do well in the job you’re in and genuinely want to do it well. The employees I’ve seen be directed to the door lacked the drive, passion, and care for the job. Since you give a damn, you’ll do what you need to do and, well, you’re going to be fine.