New job and haven't a clue

[Glitterybelle]

Hi all
I started a new job today and whilst I wouldn't expect to know it all, I feel like I haven't a clue what to do. Would love to run away from it all. Need reassurance that this is normal...?

Totally normal! It's been 1 day! If after 1 year you were saying this it would be different but a day is nothing. Just relax and take lots of notes.

Absolutely normal, there are even models and charts that show this stage of learning in all the training and learning text books.

www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_96.htm

That is 100% normal. Give it at least 2 months before you start to worry!

Very normal :)
I'd say it takes about 3-6 months before you feel really comfortable (depending on if it's a general role you have done before or totally new too)

I've felt clueless all my working life!

Totally normal. Give it time the next few weeks will be exhausting taking on new things both mentally and physically.
Get yourself a notebook or index book where you can jot notes under the appropriate letter of the alphabet (will make it easy to look back over).
Plan something relaxing for your next day off. When you get home from work jot anything down that you need to clarify next day and then try to relax and switch off from work.

Agree with it takes 3 - 6mths for the cogs to fall into place

Surely they'll give you training and a mentor? If not, ask!

Perfectly normal! First days are always hard. You spend most of your time trying to find the loos and remember peoples names. It'll be easier after a week or two.

Best advice I was ever given was "give it 6 months, you won't know it all by then, but you'll know enough to be competent and to not be scared of what you don't know" And it was spot on. I've always given the same advice to new staff ever since - and reminded myself of it when starting new jobs. It hasn't failed me yet.

I started a new job today and feel exactly the same OP!

I started a new job today too. My second “first day at a new job” in a year. This time I decided to set myself a little goal to meet and forgive myself the rest - the goal being to find my way back to my desk after lunch through the enormous maze of a building! Sounds easy but it’s the sort of thing I’m utterly crap at so I felt like I was winning when I managed it!

I also had to attend a meeting on a subject I know nothing about and make strategic planning decisions and chair a team meeting - bit of a baptism of fire 🙄 but as they were both after I met my goal I felt like I was already winning and it went fine.

Just remember that no one will expect you to know what you’re doing. I won’t remember the names of most of the people I met, for instance. If you’re humble and admit that you don’t know what you’re doing yet, people will forgive you for it for a few weeks, long enough for you to feel a bit more settled.

I always feel like this... usually for about 6 months!

This was me for about 4 or 5 weeks

So glad you started this thread OP..I started a new job today and felt so stupid. I've been doing the job for 12 years and had a small career break to be with my child.

Today I felt so embarrassed, slow, pathetic.

I am tempted not to return I cried as soon as I left work!

Ahh thank you all this is so reassuring. I will give myself a bit of time to get to grips with it all before I panic. I was wondering would they think 'why does she not know what she is doing... idiot!' So good to hear that it's normal.

@Butterfly02 that is a great idea re the index thank you!

@StormBaby @Moralsandcorals @Isleepinahedgefund good to know we have company!! It is a horrible feeling... here is hoping we are all settled in in a few months. @isleepinahedgefund you sound like you are doing fab already. Ahh @moralsandcorals I am sure you'll be back to how you were before the break in no time... plus well worth the break to be with your little one! :)

Thanks all x

Good luck for tomorrow everyone!

Definitely! This was me when I started my last job I felt so panicked & that I’d made the biggest mistake for months but finally everything clicked and I love it so much! Bear with it, it gets much better! I also recommend writing everything down that you possibly can in the next few weeks in one notebook! Even if you think it won’t be helpful it may well be!

I feel the same. I want to run away and never go back. In fact I want to stay in my house and not go out because my job is local and I feel like if I make a mistake it will be public knowledge. Wish I'd never taken it.

Hope everyone had a slightly better day :)

@Glitterybelle not really
I'm really struggling to learn now, not just here, but in general. Is it my age? (I'm 40)
I'm so tired all the time I just can't take it all in.

I didn't. Feel really crap.

I feel like I'm too old for my industry

Good luck all of you!

When I started my new job in 2018 I used to go out and cry on my lunch break because it was so bad. I was so frustrated as well because they knew I didn’t have experience and that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. A year and a bit down the line I’m definitely getting there and so glad I stuck it out.

Ahh thanks @theweightlossone :) I'm glad you're finally getting there

Ah no @Moralsandcorals @StormBaby you definitely will get there. I feel the same but took great comfort when I met someone much more senior today who started before Christmas... they said they still didn't really know what their job was or what they were doing. And they didn't seem worried. So I think we are expecting too much from ourselves. It's only day two.

Fingers crossed that we don't feel new for much longer!!!

I was think of this thread today. Yesterday was also my first day. I was in about 5 meetings and it was like double dutch. People looking at me for input in the meetings and in my head I was wondering why the hell they were looking at me given I had started in the job about 4 hours previously. Today was more of the same. I am dreading tomorrow.