Transitioning from Old Job to New One
I just signed an offer with one of my dream tech companies that significantly increases my comp. I'm excited to be starting, but nervous about hitting the ground running. Will be making liberal use of Taro courses to guide me!
I have 3 questions:
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should I tell people on my team where I'm going? I don't see how I get around this. My concern is I don't want people to be envious that I'm leaving for a better opportunity that pays a lot more. I think it's unavoidable, and I imagine this just comes down to being as considerate and professional as I can be.
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This is about balancing finishing up at my old job and preparing for my new one. I know good practice is to prep an offboarding plan and try and tie up as many loose ends as possible. Regardless, there are simply things I won't be able to do in the 2 weeks I have left. Then there's prepping for my new job. I don't have familiarity with a bunch of the tools we're using and want to do anything I can to prep for it since I want to make a good impression when I start and I know the pace of my new job will be at least 2x what it is in my current one. Basically, this comes down to should I take time out of my remaining 2 weeks to prep for my new job the way I did when I was interviewing and trying to get my new job? I feel like there's no right answer here, just a spectrum. What I'm thinking right now is I'll try working with my current manager and getting a reasonable amount done in my old/current job for every day I have left, but no more than that. All other time will go to prep.
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Should I post that I got my new job on LinkedIn? Similar to my first question, I'm sensitive to how others may feel. Equally important, I don't feel secure in my job and feel like I only want to post about it or switch my status after I feel a certain level of comfort there (if it ever comes) or time spent there (more deterministic). If I were not to list it on LI, I would either need to have myself still working at my old job or appear to be unemployed.
Thanks!
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Discussion
(5 comments)- 16 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
What I'd do is:
- Share publicly that you really enjoyed the time at the company, and here's your email/LinkedIn for people to keep in touch.
- In private 1:1s with folks (which I'm sure you'll have a bunch of as you depart), tell them you're going to Instacart and offer to help in any way. By offering to help or share your advice, you reduce any sting of envy.
Yes, I think you should absolutely post about the new job on LinkedIn! Unless you have reason to believe that your employment will be short-term, come into it with confidence. You have support from Taro and the intentionality to do well. Even if you fail, no one will remember or care.
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6 months agoData Engineer [OP]Financial CompanyThanks Rahul! Just a quick follow-up, you said "Unless you have reason to believe that your employment will be short-term." In my case, I'm on a 6-month contract to start. The contract could be renewed or I could be converted to FTE, but nothing is guaranteed. This isn't a case of having reason to believe it will be short-term, right?
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6 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero6 months is a long time, definitely not "short term".
- 16 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
On the topic of balancing wrapping up your current job vs prepping for the new job, define success criteria for your old job:
- You want your manager and coworkers to feel like you made a good-faith effort to offboard.
- You don't want it to take more than ~30 hours in the week. (Ideally less since you want to talk to people.)
Time-box how much you can get done and set clear expectations of what you can commit to on your way out.
- 06 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
should I tell people on my team where I'm going?
You're going to update your LinkedIn right? I would just tell them, especially if they're people you like and want to maintain the bridge. If someone is truly on your side, they will be happy for your success, not jealous.
This is about balancing finishing up at my old job and preparing for my new one.
I understand wanting to succeed at a new job, but don't overdo it. The priority in between jobs is to relax and clear your head. ROI on preparing for a new job technically is very dubious, especially at a big company where everything is custom.
Focus on flourishing with strong learning ability, not winning by pouring copious amounts of time with preparation. Learning how to learn is the most important skill growing to senior and especially staff. But if you succeed with brute force preparation time, you aren't pushing your brain to learn how to learn.
If you want to prepare for a job beforehand, focus more on the people: "What's the best way to prepare 'before' joining the next team/company?"
Should I post that I got my new job on LinkedIn?
Seems like a good idea to do this after you start (make sure that the offer doesn't get reneged or something).
