Hey, girl. So you’ve applied to this seemingly really cool company, gone through multiple rounds of interviews, liked what you’ve heard, and got good vibes during your visit to the office. You’ve landed what you think is your dream job at what you think is your dream company. Ok, now fast forward to a couple of months in and you’re dreading going to work, feeling unwelcomed/out of place, and are struggling not to just walk out and never look back. I’ve been there. I think most people have, especially people of color working in companies where most of their coworkers don’t look, act, or talk like them.
Putting in your two-weeks notice may seem like the easiest thing to do right now but you don’t want to be known as the girl that quits after only 2 months. Staying at a job for at least one year is preferred by a hiring manager but in certain industries, I think 6 months is passable. For this reason, I’m here to suggest some other options to deal with new job regret until you can find something better.
Make A Friend
Working in a place where it seems like no one gets you is tough, lonely, and makes work less enjoyable. If you can find one person in the office that you connect with on some level, it could make your 40+ hours less dreadful. It would be even better if you could find someone that you can trust to vent to. It’s likely that at least one other person at your job is having the same issues as you. You should at least be able to bond with your coworker over work (or your work-related frustrations), even if there’s nothing else you have in common. If you find that you’re the only one with issues, then maybe this is truly not the place for you and you need to figure out your exit plan.
Address the Issue
If things at work seem to continue down a path of unhappiness after your first 3 months, it may be time to speak with HR about the issues you’re having. If your company doesn’t have HR, speak with your supervisor. Schedule a meeting to discuss everything that’s bothering you and try to bring solutions as well. Before your meeting, write down everything you want to address so that you’re calm, clear, and concise. Your HR rep/supervisor should be willing to work with you to find solutions to your problems if they are within reason.
Keep Your Eyes On the Prize
If you’ve tried and failed to make a friend and have addressed your issues with the appropriate person and nothing has changed, try to keep your focus on why you took the job in the first place. Most likely this job/company wasn’t your endgame, so focus on what is. Go to work, be kind, do your job, and go home. Try to tune out whatever negativity is bothering you and keep your eyes on your prize. Although work is 40+ hours of your week, there’s no need to give it so much of your mental energy. Protect your peace until you can move on to something better.
I hope these tips help your situation. I know this feeling all too well. If you have any other tips for us, please share them in the comments below.
