What's changed in the world of office work in the last 16 years?

[NineTwoFive]

I gave up my career 18 years ago when I had children and needed to become a carer for a relative not long after, and have been doing work-at-home stuff or manual work to fit around being a single mum/carer until now.

I am starting a new job in a couple of weeks, it's office-based and I am just feeling a bit apprehensive about starting again in my 50s.

The office attire is more casual than smart, I think I'd prefer to lean in to being a bit smarter than too casual, not least because I raise the age average by quite a lot and I want to make the effort.

Other than that, has much changed in office culture that I need to be aware of? It's a tech startup and most of the team are young guys who looked between 25-35. Two other women maybe a tiny bit older, I didn't see them at my interview though so didn't get a vibe for the how people dress there if female.

I am feeling really apprehensive in general that I can even do the work, too - tips for giving my ego a soothe/boost welcome too.

Have read through everything but something maybe to mention is that there are now “sharing links” rather than having to save and attach a file to an email. Certainly in Microsoft anyway…

Good luck, it sounds fun, and in any case ALL new jobs take a good couple of months to settle in so take your time, listen, learn and be pleasant to be around 🙂

I’d ask what are their main platforms that they use. If, for example, life revolves around sharepoint, Jira and Teams, then you can spend some YouTube time to see how it’s worked.

Since Covid, there are a lot fewer emails but a lot more instant messages. That’s the big change for me.

A tech start up? They’ll be in jeans and hoodies. Half of them will look unwashed lol. Try loose palazzo pants and linen etc. coastal chill rather than uptight office wear

No they won’t go for lunch together 99% of the time.

This is definitely a made up thing and not reflective of reality 😅

Thanks so much all. I still flit between being actually quite excited, to also more scared. And then I feel a bit pathetic for feeling scared. I just feel so rusty.
I am hoping it is reasonably social day to day.

@redannie18 - best of luck to you too!

I have found a plain Boden dress I already own but forgot about in the back of my wardrobe, that I am planning on wearing - it's blue-jeans colour, I'll pair it with trainers and depending on the weather, a denim-ish jacket, and I think I will feel casual enough in this, it is not a dressy dress at all.

God I am so up and down!

Wear something like Halara wide leg trousers and trainers. Nothing with a floral print!

I am exactly the same! I think the tech will be easily pick up-able, I am pretty tech savvy but have just not used Microsoft much so it will be a learning curve.

My new job is not tech but still very different from what I'm used to, I'm going wide leg trousers and black t-shirt for the first day until I suss things out. I'm glad I'm partly WFH so this is not a FT issue!

No most don't do pronouns but some do, it's not a thing to bring to the office imo. No one wants to know your sexual preferences why would they care?

No one uses the phone casually anymore - but you'll know that already.

Get some comfy black trousers, linen in summer, black top for your first day. Get some plain trainers.
Suss out what everyone else is wearing and go from there.