
Ask HN: Getting over initial struggles with new job - droplit
I realize now that it takes more than a few weeks to become comfortable with an entire new project and codebase. I was used to having to get acquainted quickly to a project over a 12-week internship. And that&#x27;s where my mind is stuck at even though I don&#x27;t have only 3 months to do everything.
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gjvc
This is the most humblebrag post I've seen on here in a while.

Week three?! You're already complaining about "not having learned a lot"?! are
you mental?! Expect to be in receive (vs transmit) mode for the first three to
six months before you can become autonomously "effective".

What's the most you would expect to learn in three weeks? Is that really
feasible? Wouldn't the world be a different place if it were that easy? No it
isn't and yes it would.

To answer your question: create lists of what there is to know and what you
already / don't know.. Managers of all abilities love them and they are good
for you to use to measure your learning. The more you learn about the firm and
its systems, the more understanding you get about what's important and where
the frictions lie. The more frictions you can remove the smoother life gets
for everyone. Don't be obsessed about "delivering value" out of thin air in
the first few weeks. If you must be obsessed about something then "learning
everything" is a healthier option.

Working remotely can be difficult at first, depending on the crowd and
culture. I joined a firm where I was their first remote-first and remote-only
employee, and it was hellish. I put this down to both them and I being equally
incompetent in how to work effectively across timezones with and as a new
remote-only employee. I suspect many people will have had similar experiences
in the past few months. The difference is that when you are a new employee,
you don't know anyone, and it's very difficult to build up trust, rapport, and
camaraderie with colleagues, and without all three of those ingredients it's
no surprise that feelings of anxiety can creep in. Of course, when one is in
this situation to begin with, it's difficult be aware of all this, or, when
one does glimpse it, it can be overwhelming.

Don't worry. Keep on keeping on, learn as much as you can from the right
people. Emulate the learning practices of the longest-serving, and most
successful colleagues as you identify them. Ask them for their advice or
suggestions as to what they think would be the best subject matter for you to
become an expert on. Ask them what (relevant) books they'd recommend -- and
read them, especially the ones others don't. You'll find you learn a lot about
people (and more importantly who to avoid) by the authenticity of their
advice.

There are edges to be had everywhere.

~~~
droplit
Thank you for your response it really means a lot. I didn't mean for it to
come off as a humblebrag at all. I am extremely grateful to have a job during
this time, and I felt like I should be doing more than I feel like I currently
am.

I didn't realize I should expect to be getting comfortable with everything
over a time frame as long as three to six months, my only work experience has
been via internships where 3 months is the entirety of the time that I have to
work on a given project.

Again, thank you for your honest response, I will remember it and take it to
heart next time I get anxious about if I am doing enough.

