Landing A Dream Job - Yay or Yikes?
A friend of mine is at his personal mecca, Cupertino, CA. That's the home of Apple for those who aren't as involved in the techie world as some of us.
As long as I've known him, he's worshipped at the altar of Jobs and wanted to work for Apple. He just got his chance as he's starting a contract position with them this week.
Is he excited? I'd say terrified is more like it. He's so worried that he's not going to be as smart as they are, that he'll disappoint them somehow or that he just won't be able to keep up.
I don't think he has anything to worry about. I've been lucky enough to work with some good software people over the years and he is the smartest, most intuitive, mostly innately skilled of all of them.
He'll do just fine.
But, I can completely relate to his anxiety. While there are some personality types that are confident they can succeed no matter what the situation, I think most of us are apprehensive of change, worried about underperforming, or worse, looking stupid and a new job anywhere stirs up that apprehension.
When I started my current job, I was sitting in my boss' office on the first day and he was dumping information on me right and left and I thought I was physically sick. I even contemplated telling him I needed to go home but I stuck it out. It was only later that I realized I wasn't sick, that it was anxiety I was feeling. I guess that's a sign that I don't extend myself very often if I can't even recognize those symptoms.
I was switching from Accounting to I.T. which was a big change. However, I wasn't doing it at the place that I'd dreamed about working at for a good share of my life. I can only imagine how much more anxious that would have made me.
There's no Apple-like company for me. One that I've fantasized about working for. One that I'd be afraid to try to work for in case I couldn't make the grade. Google is close, though; I do love me the Google.
I think my friend is very fortunate. He's getting to follow a long-time dream and I know (even though he doesn't seem to) that he's going to succeed. Life doesn't get much better than that.
As long as I've known him, he's worshipped at the altar of Jobs and wanted to work for Apple. He just got his chance as he's starting a contract position with them this week.
Is he excited? I'd say terrified is more like it. He's so worried that he's not going to be as smart as they are, that he'll disappoint them somehow or that he just won't be able to keep up.
I don't think he has anything to worry about. I've been lucky enough to work with some good software people over the years and he is the smartest, most intuitive, mostly innately skilled of all of them.
He'll do just fine.
But, I can completely relate to his anxiety. While there are some personality types that are confident they can succeed no matter what the situation, I think most of us are apprehensive of change, worried about underperforming, or worse, looking stupid and a new job anywhere stirs up that apprehension.
When I started my current job, I was sitting in my boss' office on the first day and he was dumping information on me right and left and I thought I was physically sick. I even contemplated telling him I needed to go home but I stuck it out. It was only later that I realized I wasn't sick, that it was anxiety I was feeling. I guess that's a sign that I don't extend myself very often if I can't even recognize those symptoms.
I was switching from Accounting to I.T. which was a big change. However, I wasn't doing it at the place that I'd dreamed about working at for a good share of my life. I can only imagine how much more anxious that would have made me.
There's no Apple-like company for me. One that I've fantasized about working for. One that I'd be afraid to try to work for in case I couldn't make the grade. Google is close, though; I do love me the Google.
I think my friend is very fortunate. He's getting to follow a long-time dream and I know (even though he doesn't seem to) that he's going to succeed. Life doesn't get much better than that.
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