Getting a new job can be one of the most exciting events in one’s professional life.

A new position changes everything. It essentially becomes your life. Well, hopefully, you can handle it healthily and manage your professional and personal life.

That’s a blog for another day though.

When you get a new job it can feel like stepping into a new world.

And essentially, it is. You’re doing so many new things. You’re working at a new company, or maybe you’re owning your own, which if you are, hell of an accomplishment. 

You’re going to be meeting new people, learning new things, and most importantly, doing new work. Well, hopefully not new work entirely.

All of this has been on my mind because I just recently accepted a new position. It has been a huge adjustment. It’s been many things. Nerve-wracking, but also so darn exciting.

I just hope I can carry this momentum with me for the rest of my career. Every day I’m pretty excited to get to work, especially when I’m in the office.

I know so many people who don’t unfortunately enjoy their jobs.

So how do you adapt to a new job and keep that energy?

Well first things first, I would give yourself time to adapt. If this position is your first full-time job, then holy moly, you have a lot coming your way.

Before I even accepted this job, I had a metro truckload of HR paperwork to get done. It was a lot to do, and even more once I got into the office. HR onboarding and all of that was a lot of just staring at the presentation screen.

But once it’s done, it’s done. Give yourself time to get through all the boring, mundane paperwork and payroll stuff you gotta fill out.

Next, I would say focus on getting your actual job done.

Shocker right? I would focus on doing your job to the best of your ability. Again, if this is your first ever full-time position, out of college, or whatever your situation is, it’s even more of an adjustment. Jobs can get stressful one day, and mundane the next.

I would rather be bored than stressed if you ask me, but everyone has their preferences.

If you’re a new hire, ask tons of questions, take notes, and really put your best foot forward and guarantee you make a good first impression on your coworkers and supervisors.

It’s easy to work hard if you ask me.

Lastly, I would try to embrace the change.

Make some new friends at work. I talk to people in the elevator all the time. I work in a huge plaza, near the tippy-top. It makes the elevator ride go quicker when I have someone to talk to. The other day I met someone who was around my age too, she was very nice.

It takes no time to say hello to someone. Making friends makes work a lot easier to get through. 

But again, this will be a huge adjustment if this is your first time in the workforce.

There are so many things to get used to. Clocking in and out, taking lunch breaks, managing Excel spreadsheets heaven forbid, and insurance. Oh, don’t get me started on insurance.

With all that in mind though, a new job is an exciting event in one’s life. Again, your first job is all of that, on steroids. Make sure you give yourself enough leeway and time to get the hang of everything and don’t beat yourself up.

This is a good thing, trust me. Learn to enjoy it! 

*Written by Nicolas Scagnelli

Nick is a student and a writer at Binghamton University ’24. He has supported the military spouse community through his position with various non profits to include Defenders of Resilience. 

He can be reached at nicolasscagnelli@gmail.com or can be accessed through his Personal Blog or his Professional Blog.  For more blogs like this, visit our HOMEPAGE.