Today I started my new job. I’m already buried in work, but I like it that way. The company is extremely different from my last, especially in its culture. I know that I’ll miss the fun, quirky culture of my last company, but one can’t stay in a job forever just because of the culture. I have such a great opportunity and I want to knock this one out of the park. I feel like I’ve paid for a startup MBA (in the form of early-exercised stock options) over the last four years, and now it’s time for the big leagues.
That said, I really wish I had a place to go at my office for quiet. While I didn’t love the cubicle culture of my old company, the whole giant room with desks and no privacy doesn’t help me focus on writing, which is a primary portion of my job right now. My boss mentioned he doesn’t mind if I work from a coffee shop or something but given the team is so small I can’t help but worry – at least for the first few months – that it would give off the wrong impression if I weren’t at the office all the time.
I’m excited to get my first paycheck as well. I’m now making – base – nearly what I was making with my full bonus at my last company. It remains to be seen if I can hit my full bonus here, but I’m going to work my ass off to get it, and if I can accomplish that then my salary will be $25k total more than my last company, and more like $35k over what I was actually taking home given the bonuses weren’t fully paid out as the company started to slow on revenues. I really can’t half ass my new job anyway, either I’m going to be a rockstar or fail miserably. I’m going to do whatever it takes to rock it. I’m focused on this one quarter at a time, otherwise I’ll be massively overwhelmed. At least the bonus structure is quarterly so that aligns with how I can set and track to my own goals.
There’s just so much going on right now, starting the job really made the whole next chapter of my life feel real. My neurologist has diangosed me with potential temporal lobe seizures and prescribed an anti-seizure med that I started yesterday. I’ve been packing like a maniac all weekend, as I have to have all my stuff out of my apartment by next weekend, and I’m also just dealing with the whole transition of moving to a new town that I don’t know, away from one that I’ve really grown to adore. The change will be good, though, and if I have anything to say about it this company will do very well and my stock options will buy me a house back in the town I love, where I can raise a family and have some sort of stability. In the meantime, I just hope my boyfriend proposes to me soon, because I’m about to give up on his ability to make that happen!
Wear those massive headphones that block out noise. Air traffic controllers use them, why not you?
Yes, I will do that. It’s not just noise though, it’s also what I see around me. I’m super ADHD.
Have you talked to your boyfriend about marriage? It’s been 8 years, do you understand what he is/was waiting for, or if he is now ready? Also, you just moved in together which is a big step so you will want to make sure your expectations and future goals are aligned.
congrats on the new job! You have a point, you want to make an impact both in real terms as well as socially and collaboratively. It’s tough to find that balance in a new role. Curious, do you have any tips about negotiating after just going through it? Specifically curious about negotiating equity component of the package, but any tips you have would be awesome. Maybe a future post? 🙂