Ask HN: How to prepare myself mentally for a challenging job?

2 points by floweronthehill 3 years ago | 4 comments

I'm given the opportunity to join a high caliber team.

My job is not only easy but also not very demanding. I don't work a lot, tasks are mostly straightforwards, my team and my manager are all nice people to work with. But...pay sucks.

There's this shiny startup that offers me a 100% raise and tremendous benefits. The founders are really nice, have industry experience and seem to know what they're doing and have been doing it for a few years. But I can sense that the bar is higher, in terms of quality of delivery notably.

On one hand I'm excited for this opportunity that is life changing because of the money alone. Also I'll learn and grow a lot as a SWE. They use tools and paradigms I've only ever read about on HN so I'll have to spend time learning all that, maybe read books and watch videos on my spare time. On the other hand my life is...peaceful right now?

What I'm most afraid of is to be let go after 2-3 months because I'm can't meet their standard which from the interviews I had with them appear to be higher than my workplace. They also value people who take initiatives and these recent years I've mostly done what I've been told to. I've never been fired for performance reason in the past but I did quit a company at the beginning of my career because I was lagging behind.

I also started my present job in last October and I start to feel comfortable in this new role. And most of all I would dread having to go through another wave of interviews if I lose that new job.

I tried thinking of what I want. I always imagined I'll find a stable, straightforward job at some point in my career. Which I now have. But I'm also underpaid. My compensation used to be higher last year, before being laid off. This setback is causing a significant delay in my savings and retirement plans. That new job pays more than I have ever been paid. I just turned 34 and I feel this might be the last time I have the energy to join a team like that.

I want to jump and try, and if I do it I need to shift my mindset and be prepared to put in a bit more effort.

Any advice?

danielmakestech 3 years ago |

(1) It's ok to want a secure, easy job. If you want it to be high-paid it usually requires some extra effort at least at the beginning. Think about the effort you need to put as a short-term uncomfortableness for long-term comfortableness

(2) There are other valuable things you can bring into the team even if you're initially weaker technically than the rest: caring about details, enthusiasm, humour, curiosity, doing research well, doing extra chores (writing meeting notes and what not), etc.

(3) If you don't meet their expectations while putting good effort it means that they have made a mistake in recruitment - no reason to self blame there.

(4) Usually joining better teams improve your chances of getting hired so the job hunting process, as soul crushing as it can be, will be somewhat easier even if you do get fired (probably you won't).

(5) It costs a lot to recruit a new team member, if you show any chance of being productive, they will keep you.

ggeorgovassilis 3 years ago |

> What I'm most afraid of is to be let go after 2-3 months because I'm can't meet their standard which from the interviews I had with them appear to be higher than my workplace.

High performing teams often (though not always) excel at everything, from speed and technology to mentoring and culture which means you might like it there, too. One approach to the situation is to trust that they know what they are doing by hiring you. I think you should discuss your concerns with them. If they still want to go with you, that's a very good sign (or a very bad one, eg. more skilled candidates smelled the trap and dumped them). If they don't, you probably dodged a bullet and can stay at your current job which you love.

diceduckmonk 3 years ago |

Have a safety net of savings, incase you do need go to on the job hunt again and don't have to worry about living expenses.

DoreenMichele 3 years ago |

Nothing really matters. In a billion years, no one will remember nor care what happened on the third rock from the sun.

If it's just you, go for it if that's what you want.

"At the end, we tend to regret the things we didn’t do." -- attributable to someone, probably several someones