Imposter syndrome, low confidence or not good enough?

[bbqhulahoop]

I've recently started a new job after working for my previous company for a decade. I've gone from being an expert in my field and quite bored of the day to day to knowing nothing in my new sector although the job role has some overarching similarities. I've recently had a baby and remember from my first baby that my confidence was severely impacted for a while afterwards but I'm really struggling with the new job. They don't give me much direction and hardly anything is recorded to let me learn it myself. I'm spending a lot of time doing theoretical reading on the new sector and feel not much is going in because of sleep deprivation and the fact I haven't spent a whole day reading academic articles since my student days, a couple of decades ago.

Every time I try to get involved or make a suggestion I feel like I'm so unqualified and just talking rubbish. They haven't said anything about not being happy with my performance but I don't really know what to do. It feels like a big mistake to leave my previous job right now even though it made me miserable too

I think it's completely normal to feel like this when you start a new job. I've had a few new jobs in the last couple of years and learned the art of faking it til you make it. I had been in the same role for ten years before that though and it was very daunting moving from being the one who knew everything to the one who couldn't even find their way round the massive and confusing new building and kept getting lost all the time!

Pep talk:

They interviewed lots of people and chose you -
So they wanted you to work for them. Start from there!

When you go from being the expert to the one who knows nothing it will always be hard to start with - moving out of your probably
too comfy zone into the deepest end of the pond. But you can learn things and you will, and soon you will know your way round things.

It can help to share that you're feeling a bit daunted, it's totally expected in a new role. Confide in someone round the water cooler.

Make a friend or two, that will help you feel "at home". I would have gone mad in my current new job if I hadn't been able to find a couple of friendly faces.

Forgive yourself for not being on top form when you're a bit sleep deprived - many of us have been there. It doesn't make you any less capable or suitable for the role - it's a circumstance not a character quality.

And remember that if you give it a while and it's not quite working out - it's just a job! You can always get another one.

Good luck and I hope you're feeling better about it all soon.

Thank you Ghost. Your comment really helped xxx

Im working remotely and it's quite a small company (only about 15 people..) so it's hard to do the water cooler chat or make too many friends given I don't know the internal politics too well, but the rest of your pep talk was spot on and I've screenshotted for the weak moments. Appreciate it so much ❤️