So I’ve survived my first week at work!
My friends asked if I enjoyed it and I have to say that although I was glad to be working again, ‘enjoyable’ is not a word I would use to describe my first week!
After many months where the only thing to tax my brain was calculating my matched betting profits and losses, my brain has been hurting from all the new stuff it’s had to absorb. I’ve certainly slept well at night!
Work
The company I’m working for is a global business with offices around the world. The two main HQs are UK (Manchester) and the US (Houston). My immediate boss is based in London.
It’s in a different industry from the one I’ve worked in previously (ie not Finance) but the business culture appears to be very similar from what I’ve seen so far.
My job is VERY different from my old one and I have an extremely steep learning curve ahead of me which I need to climb quickly.
The person I am replacing leaves next week so handover and training is going to be minimal. To up my game, I’m going to do some reading/studying at home to gain some background knowledge.
During my interview, it was established that formal training was not planned as such so it’s me, with my trainers on, trying to hit the ground running! I hope I don’t stumble!
Anyway, here are some initial pros and cons I’ve come up with from my first week:
Pros v Cons
Pro – I’m back on track with my FI plan! I got a bit of a pay rise, so I’ll be able to save/invest a bit more.
Con – The overall benefits package is nowhere near as generous as my old one, particularly the pension.
Pro – I’m learning lots of new stuff that will enhance my career.
Con – I’ve gone from knowing everything about the business I work for, to knowing nothing about the business I work for. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way!
Pro – The office is only 4 miles away from where I live, compared to my previous office which was 14 miles away.
Con – It’s in city centre so major traffic jams all the way.
Pro – I like Manchester City Centre.
Nice surroundings, 10 mins from the office
Con – I am travelling by public transport.
Pro – Public transport means I can read during my commute.
Con – There are often delayed trams or full trams not stopping, so I need to take this into account for my journey.
Neither Pro nor Con – Public transport costs will be about the same as my old petrol costs.
Pro – My tram stop is a 15 minute walk to the office so I am getting 30 mins of general exercise every day.
Con – I’m not looking forward to this walk during the cold/snowy and dark winter mornings/nights or shivering on a freezing platform.
Con – I have to leave the house half an hour earlier than I used to, to ensure that I get a parking space outside the tram station.
Con –Â I no longer have time to make my own lunches in the morning and I don’t like to make salad pots the night before.
Pro – Work provides free breakfast (toast, cereals and fruit) every morning so the extra money I’m spending on lunches is cancelled out by no longer having to spend any money buying stuff for breakfast.
Pro – I can still get to the gym in the evenings and make it in time for my aerobics classes.
Con – As I only make it just in time for the aerobics classes, there isn’t any time for my gym/punchbag workout beforehand.
The people are generally friendly and tea and coffee (proper bean!) is free. They have two dress-down/casual days so I only need to wear business attire for 3 days – yay!
It’s back to the grindstone, working for ‘The Woman’ and yep, as far as things go, I guess I’m happy! 🙂
Have a great weekend all!
Hi Weenie, Glad to hear it’s working out so far!
One comment: 4 miles = easy cycle, big savings, keep fit…
Thanks SpreadsheetMan
4 miles might be an easy cycle for some, but not for me – I’d be a calamity on Manchester roads!
Why go to the gym? Save yourself a fortune and run to and from work. or at least run to your tram stop. Or buy a bike.
The gym is more than just a place where I work out, it’s also a part of my social life, which is one thing I’m not prepared to give up in my pursuit of my goal. I enjoy going to the gym – I know for a fact that I would not enjoy walking/running to and from work. In the past though, when I’ve wanted to drink on social outings straight from work, I have walked to and from the tram stop so that is doable.
Establishing a new routine is always tough.
For what it is worth try walking to the office on the weekend. 4 miles would take a bit less than an hour, which sounds like a lot until you factor in your existing 30 minutes earlier daily start + 15 minute walk at the other end + commute/delay time. Sounds almost break even, but without the need for the car or being at the mercy of the public transport gods.
If your new site has shower facilities another option (if you are brave/crazy enough) would by to cycle in. That would be faster, plus offset the loss of the boxing workout (you’d be thumping taxi drivers and other cyclists instead)!
Good luck climbing the learning curve.
I would consider trying to walk to the office on a weekend, just to see how it was, although I’d be walking down a stretch of road which wouldn’t be very pleasant for a lone female to walk down.
No shower or locker-room facilities at work so even if I were a cyclist, that would be a no-go. I cycled 4-5 miles to my lectures when I was at uni but I had no choice as it was the cheapest form of transport. Also, I wasn’t bothered about turning up at my lectures sweaty and windswept!
I’m adding my gym workouts to my weekend routine now so I’m not missing out re fitness.
Good start! You’re going to be tired for a while, beginning a new job is exhausting. I think it would be interesting to review this list in 6 months time to see if all of your pros and cons have stayed the same, or if some have shifted.
I’m sorry to all of the previous commenters, but I say stick to your current plan for quite some time until you are fully settled in and comfortable. Riding/running to work is a major change in itself, and something I think that needs to be worked up to. I like Slow Dad’s idea of trying it first on weekends.
My suggestion after a month or so would be to see if you can make your alarm go off 5 minutes earlier/week until you do have time to make your lunch again.
Thanks Mr ETT.
Yes, I need to establish a routine before I consider any changes. I can’t see me ever swapping the car/tram totally to walking/cycling. In fact, there’s a possibility that I could even do away with the public transport as it’s possible that I could drive in, park up just outside City Centre and then walk in. Need to find out the cost of parking, how long the drive takes etc. So I have other options anyway to consider.
Thanks for the suggestion re getting up a little earlier re making my lunches – I’ll take that on board once I’m more settled in.
Sounds like a pretty good upgrade to your previous job overall. I know beginning a new job can be fun and also stressful. Good luck with it – glad to see your FI progress is back on-track!
Thanks Derek!
Hi Weenie,
I can imagine it was a bit of a shock to the system! Sounds like quite an intense start given the change and why they needed to get you onboard so quickly!
New jobs, especially in a new sector, is always hard work mentally as you get up to speed with their systems, ways of working etc. – it will get easier 🙂
I love the list of Pro’s and Cons and sounds like you are settling in well – I hope it keeps up to expectations!
Cheers,
FiL
Hi FiL
Yes, things will get easier in time. I am enjoying learning new things and meeting new people, whilst at the same time, yearning for familiar old routines and my ex-colleagues! I’ll get over it, haha!
It’ll be interesting to see how those Pro’s and Cons look as time goes by!
Hi weenie,
Sounds like more pros then cons from where I’m sitting!
I’m sure you’ll be up to speed in no time and bossing your new office and work load.
When I heard 4 miles my first thought was walking or cycling as well but I remembered you saying you’re not keen on cycling before, and I don’t blame you to be honest! Keep doing what you’re doing, your expenses are already lower than most people so there is no point in causing yourself misery to save a few pennies.
We get free breakfast at my work and believe it or not people actually moan about it. You just can’t please some people eh?!
Hi TFS
Yep, cycling in will be a no-no and I absolutely don’t want to make my life miserable or more challenging just so that I can add a few pennies to my Future Fund!
Haha, what’s to complain about free breakfast!?
Congrats to your new job, I am really happy for you!
Hope you are o.k and safe and sound after the terrorist attack.
Thanks Anabela and yes, I am fine and safe after the terrible terrorist attack, thank you for asking.
A few months down the line when you are no longer on the learning curve, that’s the time to tweak the commutes.
Whilst walking or cycling four miles is OK in decent weather, but there’s a lot of too hot or too wet weather, that makes it unpleasant.
As for lunches, yes, just get up earlier (yes, I’m bossy) – I make mine and get up at 5.15 to be in Salford for 06.30.
Good luck with the new job!
Hi Jane
Yes, I’ll just do what I’m comfortable doing to see how things go, can always tweak at a later date. Have already experienced walking a few miles following the terrible events in Manchester and I can’t say that I really enjoyed it, even in the sunshine!
I’m a night owl, so I only know of one 5.15 and that’s home time! 🙂 I’m struggling to get up at 7am but hopefully, things will get easier as they become more routine.
Hey Weenie,
So pleased that things are going well. I feel tired when I start a new job as well. I’m sure it will be business as usual soon.
Two dress down days a week!!! That is great. It suggests that the place has a sense of fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Hope you like what you learn about the people.
Hey PwF
Things will get easier as time goes – my brain should start getting used to being used!
Could you cycle to work and shower / change at the office? Would save you the gym membership, a bit of water and gas, and you’d be using your commute time to exercise, plus an average hybrid bike is generally cheaper than public transport over the course of a year. Your work might even do a cycle to work scheme so you could get it tax free… 😉
Hi hosimpson
No shower or locker facilities at work, although they do have the cycle to work scheme available. From what I see as I walk past the ‘bike sheds’, only a handful of young guys (no women) have taken up the offer.
Locker facilities are optional, a good waterproof backpack would answer, but a lack of a shower is a problem. If you have a gym membership with a franchise near the office, could you shower at the gym? What do those guys who cycle to work do? Having to get up so early that you don’t even have time to make lunch for work sounds a little extreme… definitely a minus :-/
Hi hosimpson
I don’t know who the guys who cycle are, but perhaps they have a gym membership nearby, as you have suggested. I’m still a member of (and use) my usual gym and that’s nowhere near the office.
I’ve found that my lunches are a lot more varied now that I don’t have to make them myself, so in that sense, it doesn’t feel like a minus!
I’m a month late, but a belated congrats Weenie, it’s great news about the (now not-so) new job! It’s a shock to the system going from knowing your old job inside-out, to grappling with a new one and being the newbie, hope it works out well. Also good news about a pay-rise, and minimal touching of the redundancy pay!
Thanks Sarah. Whilst the job’s still very much new as there’s so much stuff to learn (including people’s names haha!), I don’t feel like such a newbie as a couple of people started after me so are newer!
Good break down about the pros and cons I tried to predict this before starting, on a seperate note seeing the comment about gym. Thats the same for me in changing jobs and moving around the gym has become my safe haven where i know most of my friends not work ironically. Armoured electric bike I reckon!!
Hi Carl, thanks for stopping by. Yes, the gym’s very important to me – somewhere I can retreat to if I need to get out of the house and see some familiar faces!