I've gotten pretty good at transitioning from one job to another, but it is never easy. This week I said "goodbye" to some colleagues as I left one job and said "hello" to new colleagues as I began a new job.
Every transition brings with it some excitement and some sadness. There are usually some good things and some bad things you leave behind and good things and bad things that await you. There are people you hate to leave behind and others you are very glad to not see regularly. There are projects you wish you could keep working on and projects you're glad someone else will take over.
I'll admit that I don't particularly like the transition period. I want to know what I need to do off the bat. I hate spending all day trying to figure out how to complete one project because I don't know how to send a fax, or don't have the copier code, or I have to figure out the filing system.
I am among the few fortunate ones who have had opportunities to move into a new job when the time comes. In this economy, that is a luxury. Thankfully, I've made some wonderful professional contacts in the past year and a half, which led to more prospects than I ever expected. I got to choose the job with the decent salary, the window office, and a position with some authority instead of settling for something that was just available. While I wish circumstances were different and I could have stayed on doing what I enjoyed in an environment that had great potential, I'm happy for the new challenges and opportunities that wait for me.
My old office served me well for a year.
But I'm looking forward to what awaits me in my upgraded office.