We live in crazy times! Remember the times when we could just hang out with people without fear of being infected by a life-threatening desease? Me neither. Fasim asks a question that must be keeping a lot of us up at night:
First day on new job in quarantine…what do I do?
Dear Fasim,
First of all, be happy you actually landed said job. In today’s market that is always good cause for celebration.
Second, don’t panic. Starting your new job in quarantine can obviously be quite depressing. Thankfully, technology is on your side! My recommendation for a seamless and social start of your new position in this quarantine era are:
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- Find your favourite local brewery and order a six-pack of their finest beer to be delivered at home (replace beer with your favourite drink here).
- Zoom, people, Zoom! Chances are you know at least some people in your research group. Invite them for a virtual welcome drink, and ask them to invite the rest of the group so that you get to meet them. If your new boss/supervisor is a human being, chances are they might be the one actually offering to organise something like this for you.
- If you already have a scientific project for the new job, share it with the group. If not, a virtual welcome party can be a good opportunity to find your future science pals and what project they have that you could work on.
- Now that the work stuff is done, don’t forget to eat! Go back on the internet and order your groceries for home-delivery
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All this can get easier if you already have friends and colleagues that leave close-by: ask them to get you what you forgot to put in your online basket when you were shopping online, for example. We all were stuck at home at a certain point, so, assuming you did not accept to work in a group full of schmucks, someone will help.
Finally remember to take your me-time, even (and especially) when working from home.
Best of luck on your new job!
Yours truly,
The Sassy Scientist
PS: This post was conceptualised on the couch, and written at the kitchen table. Quarantine stinks!
