Were you nervous when you started your first job in the Data field?

Last week I spoke with brilliant students from Masterschool and one of them asked me if I was nervous when I started my first job in industry.

Of course I was!

Every time I've started a new job, in Industry or Academia, I was nervous.

I was thinking: ok, I could fool them during the interview, but now they will see me every day and will be very quickly disappointed in me.

Somehow, the opposite has happened at every place I've worked so far: I usually quickly become a valuable team member (well, I'm still on probation at my current job, so wish me good luck!)

It's normal to feel a bit out of the place, when you’re brand new in this place. However don’t let self-doubts eat you up. Instead use it as a fuel for a rocket start in the new place!

• Define goals and measures of success for next 3-6 months with your new manager and regularly evaluate your performance against this target.

• Meet with as many people as possible and learn what they do and why this is important.

• Reframe negative thoughts. Sometimes just adding 'yet' helps you change the direction of thoughts. Instead of "I am not good enough in Python" say "I am not good enough in Python yet. What can I do to become better in it?"

Share your feelings with trusted friends or mentor. Talking about your experiences can provide perspective and reassurance.

Feeling nervous when starting a new job is normal, but it's important to channel that anxiety into positive actions. Try it next time you feel like an imposter.

And Good Luck 🍀