Changing Jobs Anxiety

[anthony]

I've had two primary jobs in my life, electrician and then military. Becoming a sparky was my first job upon leaving school. I did my apprenticeship at my dads company, as all us boys did, and even though I had worked their during school holidays and such for spending $$$ like most kids do in school years, when I started full-time I remember having a little anxiety about starting permanently. It had gone after the first day or two, but I still remember it.

When I left that job to join the military, I had a bit more anxiety then. I had commitments, a mortgage, car payments, girlfriend and child, and here I was leaving the known for the unknown. The short-term was a pay-cut, though long-term it had far better salary where I was earning six figures annually.

I know a little anxiety is normal, but wow it would have been nice to know the things I know now which I could have used to help me adjust those first days / leading weeks to starting with the military. The unknown can be a little daunting... and it's still something I remember well. Being tossed in with a bunch of strangers who become like family...

Have you experienced this type of anxiety?

 

[kahlan]

I always hate starting new jobs!!!! I will stick it out in one where I'm miserable because I just plain hate meeting new people lol. It usually turns out well though, just getting over the initial fear of whether you can do the actual job well on top of beimg thrust into a new set of people you don't know is a bit daunting @_@ Lol. I got lucky with my latest, started back in may, only four other coworkers who for the most part feel like extended family. I now have the cranky grandmother who I work with the most. The motherly type (who happens to have ptsd and lets me pick her brain when I have questions), and the two sisters (one of whom is my boss lol and is going through a similar situation with leaving an emotionally abusive ex turned stalker). Once the anxiety of starting fresh fades it gets easier, its just getting past that whole "what if they don't like me or are mean" :)

 

[sisu]

I have, but on the opposite end. What I mean by that is, when I got out of school I found a job as a corporate travel agent. I loved it and I took on any challenge and surpassed it. For reference most corp travel agents book about 250-300 reservations per month, I was booking 900+ each month. I was cranking them out with little to no errors - the business travelers loved me because I was quick and got them what they needed. I booked domestic travel, international travel, got passports, visas, etc. Most agents were uncomfortable booking anything but domestic travel. I didn't care - I loved it.

Then one day, after about 10 years of this I just crashed. I had been doing all of that work mindlessly and never gave a thought to what that volume was doing to my psyche. After I crashed I could hardly get out of bed in the morning to go to work, I'd get home from work and curl up in a ball on my bed. I had given everything and had nothing left to give. I have never recovered from that.

Part of it was my fault for taking on such challenges. But then once they knew I could produce such volume I was put into a position that I HAD to produce that volume or we would lose that client. LIke it was expected that I could book at that volume.

I am now in a totally different field and the thought of booking travel gives me anxiety. But the thing that sucks now is I cannot and do not work hard - I do my job, do what I need to do - but no more. I do not give my all anymore. Sometimes I feel bad about that because it feels like I am not earning my salary. But then I see others in higher positions just doing what they have to do too and I feel okay again.

I wish I would have known in the beginning of my career that I didn't need to be "super worker" ~ maybe my mindset would be different now. I wanted them to like me and I wanted to hear how good I was from my superiors that I paid a big price mentally. My job is now just a means of a paycheck - nothing more.

 

[anthony]

Wow Sisu... yer, workaholism typically doesn't workout in the end. Everyone crashes and burns eventually from it. Is it the expectations we put on ourselves, at times, I wonder? I worked long hours when a sparky, then at times in the military... I mean days with little to no sleep, and I could do it when younger, though as I got older it agreed with me less. That much I know.

 

[sisu]

I crack up laughing everytime I see you call yourself in your first job a sparky. Maybe I'm a little morbid - but you certainly would spark if electocuted. Yikes!

Yeah, I am the opposite of a workaholic now. Wish I would have just done the middle of the road the whole time.... Live and learn.

 

[anthony]

Now don't get all apologetic or anything here, as this happened a long time ago and I am making light of this because so much time has passed... and lighting up is funny, but yes, sparky is accurate and I thought of this when my older brother died from being electrocuted. It is what motivated me to get out of it, along with getting zapped a few times myself from some decent voltages 240 & 415, though it was minor and quick, no major issue. Also happened when I was younger and there were protections in place for testing stuff. My brother got hit by high voltage... it was about 15000 or more, possibly even much higher.

I think spark is accurate for all electricians... as that is the funny side of the risk. If we lose focus for a second we glow in the dark. It hurts too... stupid electricity. I find it funny that so many sparky's have lightning bolts on their logos and that too... how silly we are.

This reminds me that we need a death forum here... that is a really important, and well... we're all gonna die, so that discussion is a requirement here. Don't know how I missed that one.

 

[sisu]

Great idea on the death forum. All deaths are hard - whether they are expected (illness) or unexpected (accident). Hell, I was even down for a while when I had to put my favorite dog to sleep.

I think that anyone in a dangerous job tends to joke about it as the risk of death is very real every day in jobs like that. In my job the risk is to other people - stupid people drive me CrAzY!! :p

 

[anthony]

Good point... that is how we really got through all operations in the military... joking about and brushing constant near death experiences off as nothing. I guess the problem with employment like that is... well... constant near death experiences are so frequent you can only joke about them, because so much is out of your hands.