Really not liking new job in my first week

[iwiwd]

I started a new job on Monday and so far I'm really not liking it. I've been working from home, and on my first day was just told read their training documents. I then had a call with my manager at 4:30pm, so had worked nearly the whole day in silence not speaking to anyone/getting to meet anyone.

Yesterday I did the same, and it looks like today will be the same too. I feel really lonely and isolated, and I've never felt like this in a new job before. Usually I have lots of induction calls and get to meet everyone pretty quickly.

The actual job seems like it's going to be quite lonely/isolating. I will get assigned big projects (7-15 hour-long projects) and then left to it.

I feel such a huge sense of dread and anxiety already and I'm only on day 3. I feel like I've made a huge mistake taking this job (I had been made redundant so just took the first job I was offered, as the job market is awful at the moment). I just want to quit.

Can you manage if you quit? I think you need to give it longer than two days and keep looking and applying for other jobs in the meantime. You may settle into it more soon.

It’s always easier to apply for a new job from an existing job. Stay and stick it out and keep looking for new jobs.

Maybe they’re trying to give you some space to undertake all the training without distractions. Why not be proactive and ask your manager who to book induction calls with - it will break up your day and you’ll get to meet some of your new colleagues.

The first few weeks in a new job are always tough do you have an office you can go into?

Give it a bit longer and job hunt in the meantime. Don’t quit until you have something else to go to. Sounds like you need a job that’s more social?

Keep looking for jobs and get out. The first few weeks you should be excited about the new team, the new projects. You’re having a bad gut feeling about it already, get out before it gets worse. Your manager is not putting in any effort for you to meet the team, tells you a lot about him/ her

I think you should try to stick it out if you can. Also if you feel this way as a new member of staff that I bet others have felt the same way too. When you have settled in a bit could you try to initiate change (their induction process or in terms of communication in general) within the team? Maybe set up a platform/group for the team to communicate? You will be using your initiative and making positive changes that I’m sure would go in your favour.

I actually disagree that the first few weeks should be the most exciting. In my experience they are usually the worst - you don't know anyone, the job is new, the culture is different and you're not too sure how anything works. If you're lucky your equipment works but in a lot of cases you won't get accesses to all the files/systems you need for a couple of weeks.

Particularly if you come from a job when you know everyone and everything, the switch to knowing nothing and feeling totally incompetent is a big one. So I would definitely give it a month or so, and to be honest even a bit longer and then see how you feel.

Sounds like my ideal job! Instead I get people pinging me every 15 mins and I have to context switch a lot.

Trust your gut! Keep this job but aggressively apply for others.

Look at it as temporary for now while you keep your options open. If you need the job, you can’t just quit, and the peace and quiet is probably preferable to being constantly monitored like in some jobs. Keep looking at your options.

Is there not an induction plan? We have to set up a plan for the first four weeks for a new start, book in training for the new start and intro meetings.

you offer very little info to give you some advise. Type of role, your seniority, type of company…
I assume the job is all remote. 7-15 hours projects are not long… they are actually pretty short, so it is a project a day or every two days… I would expect a graduate to be given instructions and then check daily but really get on with it and you do not sound someone just out of uni.
Are you expected to be proactive? I would be.
set up a call with your manager and discuss ways of working, since you are new, can you do short check in calls with them every day (like 15 mins) for the first 2-3 weeks so you get to understand expectations, check you are on track etc. then set up a start of the week call to discuss what to do 30 mins/1h) and an end of the week call to check what you have done and get feedback.
then I would ask who are your key stakeholders in the firm, who is in the team, is anyone that needs the output of your work or you need an input from and set up intro calls, and the decide with them ways of working, a call every week, every two weeks, every month? Try to get regular cadences in your diary to make sure you are aligned with key people.
on the top of it ask if there are company initiatives you can get involved. Not sure if this is a big company, but there might ally’s group, menopause groups, book reading groups, whatever… see who organises them and join one to get to know people.
you need to create your connections so it takes a bit of time.

Have you got the option of going into an office ? Will people be there? More importantly, will relevant people be there? How do your project teams meet?