Starting a new job is an anxious time for anyone, the sadness of leaving behind colleagues, the nervousness of meeting your new team and the excitement of new opportunities. So, take those feelings and add a global pandemic into the mix. Scary right? The coronavirus outbreak has driven all businesses to adapt the way that they work. For DNS this has meant that the team have set up home offices to work from. Despite this being an inconvenience for many who thrive off the social interaction with their colleague or maybe beneficial for those who typically sit in hours’ worth of rush hour traffic a day. No matter how anyone feels, being at home means that everyone is safer. However, starting a new job from home is a completely different ball game all together and our new Marketing Manager would know all about this. Georgia accepted the job offer towards the start of the pandemic. Handshakes were discouraged and holidays were beginning to be cancelled but little did anyone know that the country would end up in the this devastating situation. As stricter rules began to be implemented it became apparent that Georgia would have to start the marketing magic from the comfort of her own home.
“I am so grateful that I am able to start a new position in amongst the strange times that we are living in. It is nice to get thrown into a new role and have something to focus on. In a way it is a great distraction from what is happening throughout the world. Side note: I was also beginning to run out of box sets to binge watch!”Despite starting a new job remotely having some pros, such as no distractions from colleagues, no rush hour traffic and more time at home to spend in slippers. As you can imagine there are also many drawbacks. Joining a new company from your home means that you can’t be introduced to your new co-workers, can’t get an answer to a question instantly and being distracted by anything and everything in your home environment. It is hard to work when you know you have washing to do or meals to prepare!
“I have never worked from home in the past so I really didn’t know what to expect. Firstly, Microsoft Teams is something I have never used before, so the first learning curve was definitely upskilling myself with this platform.The Microsoft website has heaps of great training videos to help you learn how to use Microsoft Teams from how to collaborate to managing your activity feed. Learn more about Microsoft teamsIt is such a great program and has enabled me to meet members of the DNS team (albeit on a video call) very successfully. Despite this, it is very hard to understand the ethos and values of the business through a computer screen.”
Not only is learning a new business from home challenging in itself, trying to keep cabin fever to a minimum is also something very difficult.“Even though I began my new role at the beginning of May it still hasn’t sunk in that I have started a new job. I think when we return to the office it will feel like my first day again… I can already feel the nerves kicking in!”
“I am a very active person and am always out and about, I enjoy an office environment and love a morning chat over the first coffee of the day, therefore being at home continuously is really testing. One way I am trying to make working from home a little more exciting is spending a couple of hours a day in each room. Although working on just a laptop and not having the luxury of two screens is difficult, it also has its benefits as I can move around the house as much as I like. I begin my day in the kitchen, take a lunch break outside (weather permitting) and then finish up in my bedroom. I find this as well as an evening walk has helped me feel a lot less confined. “Starting a new job is such an exciting time and a real milestone in your life. I would love nothing more than to be able to go out and celebrate with my friends over a cocktail and some nice food but obviously that isn’t an option right now. “Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to celebrate and finally get to see my new desk in the office! But for now its continuing with video calls, working in every place possible in the house and having regular cuddles with my pooch throughout the day… I am really going to miss him when I am in the office full time, maybe I could sneak him in?”
