Friday, March 1, 2013

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

I am pleased to say that I'm starting a new job! Yeah for me!!

I never really understood how someone does the same thing for their entire career. Maybe I will find that one job I want to keep for 20+ years but until then I will have to be content with cycling through jobs as needed.

I actually envy people who do the same thing for decades since they never have to deal with the cycle I've recently gone through. It's not easy starting up a job search, putting yourself out there, applying, interviewing and then repeating the entire process until you find the right landing spot. There can be a lot of rejection in that cycle before you are accepted. I was definitely entrenched in a comfort zone in my old job and felt for quite a while that I could do it on auto-pilot. So change was needed and thankfully I have some new challenges and responsibilities ahead of me that I am really looking forward to.

Everything about getting a new job is awesome. Your career is being validated by your new employer. You have new challenges ahead that will test you in ways you've not been tested before. In a lot of cases there's more money involved, which is always nice. However, there's one thing I'm not looking forward to and that's stepping out of my comfort zone for the better part of the next year.

I like being in the groove, knowing what I am doing and being able to do it well. It's a great feeling to be liked by your department because you are good at what you do. The trepidation I am feeling at the moment is solely due to the unknown. The learning process, the mistakes that will inevitably be made as I overcome the learning curve, meeting new people, adapting to new office and department culture. All of it combined certainly doesn't outweigh the positives of making a job change but they shouldn't be forgotten about either and they should serve as a sobering reminder that you can't just walk in on the first day of a new job and expect a 6 month honeymoon. You need to show up on that first day aware of your status as the new person and ready to meet all of the challenges head on.

Wish me luck!

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