Surviving as the New Guy
Starting out new in anything can be difficult, be it a new team, school, group, etc. So in the seemingly ultra-conservative world of banking, it’s no surprise that coming in as ‘the new guy’ can be… difficult.
This past year, I’ve gone through the experiences of being the new guy in a smaller group. Read on to hear about the ups and downs of my experience and jump in on the comments to share yours.
At first, I went through a bit of a culture shock as I’m used to going my own way, but there were a few key new guy moments that stuck out.
First, I've never been a big fan of eating out for lunch or getting coffee multiple times a day. I understand that this is a fairly common occurrence in any job let alone banking, but I’m a bit of a penny pincher so I've always brought a lunch and passed on going for coffee. Of course, as a new guy it’s often a good idea to attempt to bond with the group over little outings like this, but I preferred to bond over beers after work.
Speaking of eating, I also try to stay healthy (minus the drinking) so when it came time to order dinner I always got crap for looking to the greener side of the menu. In a smaller office without Seamless, dinner time is a little different as we all generally order from the same place, so this new guy moment reared its ugly head on a daily basis.
Though there have been some pains along the way, I've survived so far with (hopefully) a decent reputation among the group. There have even been subtle moves towards healthier eating, though they won’t give me any credit for it.
If you take anything away from this, I guess I would hope that it’s that you don’t necessarily need to come in and conform to the culture of the group. If it is a good group, you will eventually find your fit while still maintaining a level of individuality and not falling into the fold as just another banker in the bullpen.
What do you guys think? Should you try your best to fit with the culture of the group or stick it out doing your own thing? Or have your experiences been different?
You're a unique snowflake, but it's important to play nice with others as well. #KindergartenLessons
You go out for lunch? Are you at a regional bank, or what?
Note to self: never hire energyalberta.
That is all. Thank you!
Going out for lunch? Real men eat lunch at the desk or just skip it entirely. Might make an exception for Fridays occasionally and lunch meetings. Sounds pretty laid back overall. My experiences haven't been nearly as leisurely as you make yours sound. Judging from the username, you in Canada?
My apologies, I should have been more clear. By "eating out for lunch" what I meant was going to pick up lunch to eat at the desk. I am in a regional office though, yes.
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