jooles34 | A random work update

I have now been in my new job for a month and I think it may be killing me. However, this is sort of a good thing.

I had got to the point in my old job where, with occasional exceptions, I knew what I was doing backwards. This led to quite a lot of boredom and apathy which resulted in my often not even doing things forwards.

But this one is a huge challenge. It has already changed so much from what it was originally meant to be. I was supposed to be writing lots of student stories, but now I am writing lots of comms plans and strategy, meeting people from all over and going to Big Important Meetings. I make decisions rather than having decisions thrust upon me. I even have my own minion. He is now doing the day to day stuff of actually writing and researching stories.

As this is such a new role there are about a million balls I am juggling all at once trying to get everything set up. I am mentally exhausted as I’m having to think in a way that I haven’t done for years. Hell, I’m actually having to engage my brain and THINK. But the challenge is great and I’m really enjoying it. My manager is being great. I am having weekly 121s with her and she’s helping me with some of the stuff I haven’t done before or for a long time. For example, I haven’t written a top level comms plan in years and had lost my confidence, but she looked at the first one I produced, gave me one or two pointers but basically said good job. I’m getting support and encouragement where it counts and I really think we can make this work.

My minion is also wonderful. I would be utterly lost without him. He is bright, keen, has some cracking ideas and just goes and does stuff. He’s great at gathering stories and he’s really personable so people happily talk to him. He writes nicely and I have properly landed on my feet with him. Plus I am getting some management experience with him working for me which is also great for me career-wise. My manager and I agreed that I would manage him, but she is sort of there on my shoulder should I need any support, but also if I’m being shit at it she will tell me. If he doesn’t do something it’s my responsibility for not managing him effectively. I think this is fair.

The big problem? I only have minion for six months and my job is on a 12 month trial. I have a lot to deliver and a lot to prove in a short space of time, and I may die doing so, but bloody hell it’s fun.