Nervous to start new job

[hillarypcof]

Hi all,

A bit of context, 2 years ago I was awfully bullied by my line manager and ended up being signed off work with stress for 3 months and undertaking counselling.

I then found a lovely little job, little responsibility but within a very friendly team who totally restored my faith and trust in the workplace. However, being quite young and having a Law degree and a Law masters degree I knew that I wanted to progress onto something more challenging.

I was delighted to learn that I had been successful for a new job last week.

The pay is almost double what I currently earn, with a nice amount of responsibility and within a large organisation. I know that this is right for me, and I am trying to be excited, but ultimately I still feel a bit scarred from my awful experience with my first line manager.

Has anyone else felt like this before?

I just want my anxieties to go away so that I can celebrate and look forward to this new chapter in my life!

Thanks all in advance xx

You've done really well to get a job you actaully want to do, in the current climate. so there were probably a LOT of applicants, and you were the best. Remember that.

Try not to carry the old management opinions into the new post, give them a chance, clean slate and all that. Try not to be cagey based on old experiences.

Well done and good luck!

@murasaki thank you very much for your kind words. I know, I need to have faith, confidence and belief in myself and my abilities that I deserve this opportunity on merit!

I guess my only concern is that being signed off sick for a while by my GP in my previous job will make my reference "bad" and therefore unsatisfactory... do you think this will happen?? I'm so nervous!

I've had no sickness in my current job and I know that my current line manager has given me a glowing reference, which I hope counteracts the period of sickness I had in my first job?

Congratulations on your new job! I think it’s always a bit daunting starting a new job and given your previous experience it’s natural that you’re going to have concerns. That sort of treatment is the exception and most line managers will treat you with respect and be supportive - otherwise they’re not doing their job properly!

Try not to worry too much about the sick time and references - it’s pretty much impossible for a previous employer to give a bad reference these days, a standard reference pretty much just states the dates that you worked there and perhaps your job title! In my experience one extended period of sickness would not be viewed as a concern anyway - repeatedly taking the odd day off here and there is more worrying.

Congratulations OP! You've done brilliantly to be offered this new job and they chose you because you were the best candidate. I know it's difficult- I've been in a similar boat - but I think with time you'll gradually leave behind the associations of that previous toxic environment and gradually feel more comfortable and confident in your new role - especially having your present role being in a nice place. Essentially before it wasn't you, it was them.
Best of luck for starting your new role. I'm 4 weeks into a new role too (all virtual) but similarly it's a lovely company and lovely people so my new job nerves (I was hugely nervous) are slowly dissipating.

It's not your most recent reference so I can't see there being a problem, good luck!

Congrats on your new job! I was in a role for over 8 years and it was a brutal experience in all honesty. Really weird work politics and bullying aplenty. And this was from the boss let alone the other staff. I worked my way up a lot and got my qualifications just before leaving. I was nervous too but when I started my current job, it was nothing like the company I worked with before. Absolutely breath of fresh air compared to the competely unprofessional and bullying environment I had come. Now I actually really enjoy my job and look back on those times and realise I came through a lot! You can do it! Don't base your new experiences on the old. Go with a fresh outlook. It's definitely possible.