I got a new job! And it's at Barnes & Noble. Now I need some help..

[AlexzandraLove]

Hey guys!

So I finally found a job and it's at Barnes & Noble, a place I have very much genuine interest at working at because I love reading & books, not to mention coffee.

I did all the paperwork and got the tour of the store last Friday, and my first official day behind the counter ringing up books with customers is Wednesday.

I'm very excited and happy that I got this job actually because it saves me now from having to leave New York City, and I know it's just gonna open a lot of doors for me right now.

However, I'm so nervous to start! I keep imagining scenarios that are negative and making myself go absolutely nuts already and this frustrates me because I KNOW I can do this. I'm finding myself worrying about stumbling words and making little mistakes and a whole bunch of other things/issues running through my mind.
Maybe this is also because I haven't worked at a job in awhile, especially a place I'm actually interested in, and I also didn't have the best experiences in those jobs.

So I was wondering if you can help me work through this, as in advise me what to do to relax myself, not think like this, etc?

Thank you!

[Haupi]

Here's a simple technique that has worked miracles in my life more times than I can count and I know it can help you in this situation if you'll do it with dilligence.

Releasing Fixed Attention

Good Luck with your new job!

[Clint Cora]

Congrats on getting a new job! The best people to help you get settled will be those already working there. Align yourself with a few who already know what they are doing and are friendly enough to show you the ropes. I'm sure the store managers will already do this in some way. Learn from the experienced folks there and copy their good habits. You will have no problems then.

[Caddy]

Congratulations! It's VERY natural to be nervous when starting a new job and even be experiencing anxiety.

The fact that you're nervous makes you normal.

Focus on the positives. You're excited about this job - you're excited about the environment. Having those two things working for you gives you a tremendous advantage over most people who are starting new jobs.

You're going to be great! Take a few deep breaths and focus on being happy about this job - there's really not that much that can go wrong here.

[AlexzandraLove]

@Haupi, Thank you! I'm gonna keep doing this technique to the best of my ability. I'm surprised I never heard of it before. & I suppose I could do this technique at work?

@Clint, Thank you! You're absolutely right, in fact, the manager already told me that I'm gonna being paired with someone tomorrow being my first day and all by the registers and also that if I have any questions, to never hesitate to ask. I keep thinking of that to try and get rid of my nervousness.

@Caddy, Thank you, you made me realize just now that these are normal feelings and I'm not crazy! Haha. But seriously, I'm trying to focus my mind and body on the fact that I'm excited to work in an environment surrounded by things I'm geninuely interested in. I guess most of my nervousness lies within customers, I can be a little socially awkward at first because of being nervous, so I just need to get past that get to that place where it's a breeze.

[superfoodist]

Hey AlexzandraLove! I'm in the same exact boat as you right now. I got an interview at starbucks on friday, and got a call yesterday that I got the job and that i start in 2 weeks! Im very excited, but also nervous as well.

Like you said, i can also be semi-socially awkward at times, and we'll both be working at a register ringing people up all day, so i feel you 100%.

Stay positive and confident like others have said above. Everyone that works there right now had to start their first day at one time too, so they know the feeling, and they felt the same way. At my current job that im leaving in 2 weeks for starbucks (ive worked here 2 yrs), we get new people starting with us and im usually the one that trains them. Theyre usually nervous, but i completely understand their nervousness since its a whole new environment. Everyone in the world experiences this, and everyone in the world KNOWS that everyone else in the world experiences this, so just look at it as something completely natural.

You got the job, they obviously saw something good in you to make you part of their team. Stay positive

[clove]

Not to be negative, but B&N is a failing company. Bookstores in general in the US are failing. If your passion is books and coffee, you may want to look into independent bookstores that focus on a certain niche, as you will have more job security this way.

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by AlexzandraLove

I guess most of my nervousness lies within customers, I can be a little socially awkward at first because of being nervous, so I just need to get past that get to that place where it's a breeze.

My guess is that, if they were honest, 85%+ of the population believe this of themselves...

I used to wait tables when I was younger. That was a job with fairly high turnover, so I think I worked at ~8 restaurants over the course of 10 years. After ~6 years, I noticed a pattern. Every time I started a new job; I was in for ~3 weeks of sleeping badly (stress dreams); being anxious all the time and being worried.

This was based on - new co-workers (will I fit in?) - new menu (will I learn it?) - new computer system (will I figure it out?) - new clientele (will they like me?).

Once I recognized the pattern - I was able (in the later years of my table waiting career) to say to myself "this is normal. give it 3 weeks and you'll be sleeping better again. there is no reason I won't learn this system...I've learned others". And that helped me a lot.

As for customers - you're new to the store. You can't know everything on your first day. You're going to stumble on the register several times (fact). You are almost certain to have experience with an impatient customer. You're almost certain to feel the pressure and feel some panic when you mess something up.

Those are GOING to happen. But be aware that those things happen to EVERYONE at a new job. It's normal. You can't control a customer if they are impatient or having a bad day. All you can say is "I'm really sorry, I'm new here but I promise I'm doing my best to help you". If they react badly to that - then that reflects on them...not you

[Manuel]

Originally Posted by AlexzandraLove

I guess most of my nervousness lies within customers, I can be a little socially awkward at first because of being nervous, so I just need to get past that get to that place where it's a breeze.

This is an easy problem to fix! Remember this: People won't KNOW you're new on the job, so you can simply let them KNOW that you are. You shouldn't feel bad about that at all (if you do). You will find that people will be very accomodating to you if you simply explain to them that you are new and you may need to look something up or ask a coworker about something etc. When they KNOW you are new, they will have no problem with you being a little awkward at times. I always did this when I started a new job somewhere and people were always very nice and patient with me when they found out I had just started. The customer just wants you to have the right ATTITUDE, that is all. They understand that when you are new you don't know everything yet, but as long as you are WILLING to help them, and tell them that you will find OUT whatever you need to know, they will be grateful.

Best of luck.

Manuel

[Medusa locked]

I'm in the process of starting work myself, after being unemployed for several years. I myself have a few long term based anxieties of my ability to hold it down, but one thing I notice is how a lot of those anxieties are based on unfamiliar and unknown elements.

I've recently moved house and I liken the experience to that. When I'm just settling in, "can I be as comfortable as my last place?"
"is there as much space in my room?"
"can I be comfortable around my new share mates?"

I notice that I've gone through those exact anxieties before and that I ended settling in perfectly once I got familiar with the new conditions and found my groove.

As for work, I'm counting on the familiarity, but also I plan to learn from the anxieties that come up along the way. I like to think of this as a positive premised problem, meaning that while it may be tough and uncomfortable, its all based on pluses, gains and growth instead of truly threatening circumstances that some people on this planet have to face.