I'm not excited about starting my new job next week! Help!

36 Comments

1. AnonymousOctober 11,2024 at 11:03PM UTC

   Whenever I took a placeholder, interim, or stepping-stone job, I felt the same way, but once I started learning the business, it wasn't hard to get into the swing of things. Smile as much as possible, find a funny movie to watch, go out to dinner, and do anything to enjoy yourself this weekend. Then, look at this as a new chapter and a new adventure. You may find you like it a lot. This is especially true if they have a very rigid and "scripted" interview process (which it sounds like they do.)

2. AnonymousOctober 15,2024 at 12:59PM UTC

   lots of great suggestions! I will be starting a new job soon and am dealing with some similar feelings. Life is hard. I am lucky to have gotten the job. I will do my best. Best of luck to the original poster - if nothing else, know that you are not alone! You walk into your uncertainty with an army of support behind you!

3. AnonymousOctober 11,2024 at 11:11PM UTC

   It's a paycheck. So remind yourself of that when you are feeling 'less than thrilled.'

   It's easier to find a job when you have a job. So go and do your very best and start looking if its not a place where you can make a difference.

4. AnonymousOctober 11,2024 at 11:54PM UTC

   Been there! Didn’t want to go to the company that hired me as I knew they had a bad rep. I felt just like you do but thought I’m going in to make a difference. Made some friends too so that made it bearable. But I was also going in to help them. Learned alot. I tolerated it for 18 months and was recruited out. Much better opportunity more money remote dream job. I had to go through the bad till I got to the good. Keep your resume updated and begin looking at your 10th month (if it’s not a good fit) and by then you will be ahead and will find a new job. Keep us posted!

5. AnonymousOctober 12,2024 at 12:14AM UTC

   I would concentrate on the stepping stone aspect. You'll be able to pay some bills, eventually have benefits so you can take care of your medical dental and vision appointments, You will be back in a more routine schedule, etc. These are positives.

   Let yourself settle in and then resume you job search. It will be a search based more on want than need this time since you'll have a steady income and can be very choosy about what you will entertain and you will absolutely not hesitate to negotiate since you can now afford to risk it.

   As for being jazzed...... .buy yourself a nice latte and muffin at a local Cafe on Sunday and try and look forward to your new chapter.

   Good luck and congrats on the new job.

6. AnonymousOctober 12,2024 at 4:15AM UTC

   Well, you will get paid to find a new job if your fears turn out to be correct! It’s been my experience that the interview process doesn’t help you define where you will actually be working. I’ve seen so

   many people interview at my current company thinking they’ve hit the lottery , dream job, call your own shots, growth endless exciting experiences, doing good for the community just an enlightened wealth of professional

   gold. I watch them as they start with such glowy excitement and then the truth of where they’ve landed starts to dawn. Right in the web of a narcissist psychopathic power mongering micro manager bully and her fabulous flying monkeys. Many do not survive past 6

   momths. So my point is you never

   know until you get your butt in the seat and see what’s happening. How have I survived I have a wild sense of humor and am a touch scarier than the bully and protect folks where I can.

7. AnonymousOctober 12,2024 at 3:07PM UTC

   Well, IMHO best idea is go in open minded. If you get there and there is still the cold shoulder you can be the one warm body in the room. Don't change who you are for them, but change them into what you need them to be. You can be that change if you take a positive approach. I'm not trying to rain sunshine on something that you think is sour but if you go in sour you will get sour, and that could mean 10 more months of looking. If you think already you are underpaid before going in, make a plan to be great while there so that they realize your value and pay you more. You know your own worth but they might have internal things capping what they are able to pay you coming in. Let that go.

   When you start the new job give them feedback in a gentle way about the interview process. Many companies don't pre-plan and organize their processes and let the interviewers simply go rogue which often means the same questions over and over. Let that go...you are past it. Many companies also ask their interviewers to stay neutral during the interview process because they are swamped with candidates, so don't give any kind of input that the interview is going well. Let that go.
   Are you saying the bad company reviews are about them? If so heed the warning but don't go overboard on it unless you have first hand information from those who have left there because often unhappy people vent openly about things they just don't want to do or cannot control. Let that go.
   As for you, you control your own destiny, take it to heart. Make this a good move, take a determined approach. Manage your manager, let them know what you need for success and tell them how you take feedback and how you best communicate. Find the culture pulse once you get there and align with it as much as you can without being untrue to you. Good luck in the new role! Take your foot off the pressure gauge and make it exciting!

8. AnonymousOctober 12,2024 at 3:19PM UTC

   It seems you are focused on assumptions and possibly not likely. How about some alternate reads of the situation.

   Interview flip side - that seems long and repetitive as the candidate, probably to the interviewers too, maybe they thought it was repetitive too and multiply it by a bunch of candidates, you get a panel of unfeeling, hard to read people. I didn't get to negotiate any of the terms of my current role even though I tried, and I love everything about it. You got the job!

   Reviews, odds are unhappy people post reviews far more than positive people, same for jobs, as any product you buy on Amazon, if you are going to read reviews find some positive ones and focus on those to help you prepare for day 1 rather than the negatives which don't help.

   You got the job! Find articles about preparing, making a good impression, pick out what you are going to wear, plan your day, think of what you are going to do for lunch, pick something personal to put on your desk if if you have one.

   You got the job! Congratulations.

9. Me!October 12,2024 at 5:43PM UTC

   I recently took a job with an undesirable company. I was laid off and a pay check is better than not. Not sure how I ended up here and it was not the plan. I have decided to focus on my life outside of work and looking to use this as a learning experience, whatever that maybe. Congratulations!

10. AnonymousOctober 13,2024 at 12:55PM UTC

    The best thing you can do is go in with an open mind and be the best you can be regardless of what they’re like. And keep looking for another job. It’s okay if you find something else soon of this new employer turns out to be bad. And you never know- you might be pleasantly surprised. But in the meantime if you keep looking you won’t feel helpless. Best of luck! I hope it turns out great for you!

11. Karen DallettOctober 13,2024 at 1:06PM UTC

    Interview processes are often repetitive to gauge your patience and consistency. No it is not really a test but in a way it is. Looking at company culture is hard to do from outside the walls - go in, refreshed, grateful to have been hired after a 10 mo search, and be willing to listen and learn. Every single company has its dark side, an underbelly...be positive and you may be surprised...certainly be willing to be!

12. AnonymousOctober 13,2024 at 1:08PM UTC

    Been there! If I had a do-over… I’d have read through business articles to keep a positive state of mind. Would’ve tried not to focus on the negatives (always easier to say than do) company reviews are sometimes horrible, rarely objective and with nuggets of truth. Hence the interview process and zero negotiation. Plan out what you want to accomplish in the next 90 to 180 days. You are your brand, so build on that and ignore the noise. Be like Teflon, impenetrable. Yes, it may simply be a stepping stone and that’s fine. If there’s something to learn, be the sponge. You’ll do great!!

13. GirlBossanova934974October 13,2024 at 2:09PM UTC

    This one is simple. After 40 years in the workforce, my approach is straight forward as it applies to employers. I am there to pick up new skillsets, new experiences, and enhance my resume. Nothing more, nothing less. This isn't a social club. If you can walk away with just ONE key skillset you learn, that skillset could be worth thousands more $$$$$$ to the next employer. EVIDENCE? I have a long list of software skills. I get calls from recruiters EVERY DAY looking for this or that just on that alone. OPPORTUNITY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!

14. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 12:39PM UTC

    Great answer! :)

15. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachOctober 13,2024 at 4:39PM UTC

    Go in expecting the best--- smile, learn your new role and be friendly. Keep your head down and do the work, then assess if your instincts are right.

    Keep your job search going while you learn the new role, just in case you are correct.

    I find when people go in expecting the worst, they find the worst as that is what they are looking for. Try to find something positive as you begin your new role.

    Good luck.

16. AnonymousOctober 13,2024 at 5:41PM UTC

    Plan out some things you can get excited about through the soon to come paycheck. A vacation, a purchase you’ve been wanting to make, or even paying off a bill. So many times we lose sight of what a job is intended for and get mired in the emotional traps we allow a job to bring. Its work. You’re not there to find a new best friend, an amazing mentor or a supportive team of coworkers. Those are things we stumble on and while it’s great to find yourself with any or all of those, there’s also something to appreciate about a job that has no emotional baggage for you and you’re just there for the pay and benefits until something better comes along.

17. AnonymousOctober 13,2024 at 11:56PM UTC

    I feel your concerns. and I'm going to suggest that you "reframe" your approach to this new job. It's WORK, and you need work (you stated you've been looking for 10 months). it doesn't really matter if people are "warm and fuzzy" or not- this is a job, maybe not the sweetest or best paying...but it's what you need RIGHT NOW. JUST tell yourself "this is not my FOREVER JOB"- and, view each and every day as a day to "learn and network". Increase your skill set and experiences. Meet more people in the field, maintain financial security. I'm sorry this new job doesn't feel very good from the start...I had a job like that once and my gut feeling was right, but It did provide me with 4.5 years of good pay/benefits, and tons of experience. I wouldn't be who I am now, if I hadn't had that CRAPPY job. Make sense? good luck and God bless!

18. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 12:49PM UTC

    I was in a similar position to you this time last year. Unemployed for 9 months, weird interview process, getting the job that I was none too excited about. I think when you are out of work, you want your next situation to be even better then your last job, but a paycheck trumps pride at some point. Once you get to know the company and co workers I'm sure you'll find things to be positive about. This is a life preserver thrown out to you so you can ride out the bad job economy and heal a bit before you start job searching again. Best of luck!

19. Vivian LeeOctober 14,2024 at 12:50PM UTC

    Did you get a break between the 10 month search and starting this new survival job?

    If not, you are starting this new job compromised. Clear out the next few weekends to take care of your mental health. Hopefully this survival job pays enough not to require a second job for bridging the salary gap.

20. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 1:07PM UTC

    Try to focus on the positives of the job to help change your mindset. A positive attitude will help you see situations differently. Who knows you may be the sunshine they need to turn the culture around.

    Keep looking while making the most out of your time there.

21. Buckeye MimiOctober 14,2024 at 1:11PM UTC

    Positive meditation works for me

22. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 1:31PM UTC

    Been there too. I had similar experiences with the interview, not the coldness, but just it being weird circumstances and it felt rushed… But, I’m still at the job and even though I went into it feeling much the same as you, and had many reservations it’s actually turned out to be one of the better moves I’ve ever made career wise. I’m still learning a lot and it’s a great value to my future self.

    I don’t love working full-time but it is what I need for now and I could see myself here for a while, not forever but I’m in no hurry to leave.

    If I had backed out like I initially wanted to I would not have gotten to know some of the greatest people I’ve ever met at work!

    PS, I feel like I definitely had the “crappy” attitude as well. Going into this, I felt very unenthused and uninspired and didn’t have any excitement at all but, once I got there and got the hang of the position that went away. I wish you much luck and hope that things work out well. At least, they will be hopefully some financial relief after 10 months, I know that that is scary and, a tough spot to be as well.

    Last thing: remember, you’re worth - if there is unfair treatment, or disrespect, no job is worth that… I’ve been in that job too and stayed for way too long because bills have to get paid and mouths have to get fed but it wasn’t worth my mental health. So take care of yourself and with that said best of luck to you!

23. AnonymousOctober 15,2024 at 11:24PM UTC

    What a great comment all round!. Very inspiring.

24. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 3:30PM UTC

    I too have been there. The company I'm at now I wasn't thrilled with. It's hybrid, and the commute is horrible. The organization is very disorganized, and I'm alone most of the time. That said, I've been here a year and a half and I've grown to love it. I also have the attitude that I'm in the right place for me at this time in my life.

25. AnonymousOctober 14,2024 at 4:07PM UTC

    Sending hugs. It's a tough economy. I totally understand.

    Be positive in your own self. Smile if that is you. Say hi each morning if that is you. Leave work at work, and keep looking for a place for you!!!

    Ps. It might be this new place too. You never know!

26. misskelleypOctober 14,2024 at 8:31PM UTC

    To quote an old song, if you can't love what you do, love why you're doing it. That has helped me SO MANY times!! Think about why you're doing it, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Good luck to you, and congratulations on landing a job in this market!

27. misskelleypOctober 14,2024 at 8:33PM UTC

    FYI, I-9 has been able to be remotely verified since Covid - late 2020. Yes, one has to exercise caution due to the potential for job scams, but if she's been through five interviews, most likely it's legit.

28. AnonymousOctober 15,2024 at 12:56PM UTC

    Focus on the stepping stone aspect. You may also find once you start that you will form good rapport with some coworkers.

    Some companies have awful hiring and even onboarding practices, but once you are in the door, you might end up with a group that is actually amazing. Try not to focus on the negative reviews you've read and put the interview experience behind you.

29. Cheryl WilburgOctober 15,2024 at 1:28PM UTC

    I must be missing something cuz I don't see anything in her statement that says she didn't verify anything personally before she accepted the position

30. AnonymousOctober 15,2024 at 1:59PM UTC

    I wasn't too excited to start my job either. Mainly because I think I am overqualified for it. But I started yesterday and the company has some really nice perks for their employees. The people have been very nice so far. But I am still looking at this job as just temporary. The pay is $20,000 less than my last job, but after a year of looking this was some money coming in. I have continued to put in applications and looking into how long i have to stay in this position before I can get promoted.

31. Rosa GoesOctober 15,2024 at 2:53PM UTC

    Like others mentioned, keep your eyes on the prize, in this case it's the "stepping stone to the next level". I recommend you pin it on your mirror, refrigerator, or any place you can see it as it will come in handy when work issues come up. Good to you!

32. AnonymousOctober 15,2024 at 6:19PM UTC

    Just a couple of things.

    First - you have to change your mindset. What you look for, you find. Remember that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Start there. Find one good thing about the job every day for a week. Then increase to 2.

    Second - in my experience it is easier to find a job when you have a job.

33. WhiltiernaOctober 15,2024 at 7:36PM UTC

    Walk away - no run.

34. MiaOctober 18,2024 at 2:56PM UTC

    Thank you for being brave and sharing. Find the positive and keep your long term goal at top of mind. Remind yourself daily of your why, you accepted the role. Your why is to gain additional experience and network to get to your dream job you deserve.

35. Stephanie Branch LekowskiOctober 18,2024 at 4:33PM UTC

    Not good signs- the unfriendliness and "take it or leave it" attitude you're getting from them. Proceed with caution!

36. AnonymousOctober 20,2024 at 2:29PM UTC

    Firstly, congratulations on your new position! I also started a new job 10/14–completely new role and industry so it feels weird but I’m so grateful to have been offered a position after months of unemployment. I am looking at the bright side of my random but fortunate career pivot. In your case, I would go in with an open mind as things may improve during onboarding and training. You will start to feel more comfortable in your daily routine and build new relationships with coworkers. If eventually you’re still not satisfied, start applying elsewhere when you have the PTO to use to interview elsewhere. Best wishes!!