One Month Into a New IT Job and I Still Feel Completely Lost
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VelvetOrbit42
I started an amazing IT job about a month ago, but I still feel like I barely know what I'm doing. I usually pick up lower-priority tickets and spend a lot of time working with MECM. I'm learning, but I'm slow and often need help from the person training me, even though they've been very patient.
I take detailed notes in OneNote and document each ticket so I can refer back to it later. I'm gradually learning more, but some days I don't accomplish much and feel like I'm not contributing. Most of my coworkers have years more experience, and the role is definitely above my current skill level. I sometimes review tickets or study after work to improve, but I'm worried that I'm wasting time and not helping the team. How can I get better without constantly feeling incompetent?
Answers
It’s normal to feel mentally exhausted when you’re learning unfamiliar tools, procedures, and customer interactions at the same time. Keep using your notes, look for beginner-friendly training on MECM and the surrounding fundamentals, and ask whether you can help with smaller tasks such as follow-up calls or shadowing more experienced coworkers. Those activities can teach you how the team works without putting you under pressure to solve everything alone.
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Don’t compare yourself to people who have years of experience in that exact environment. It can easily take a year to understand how a business, its processes, and its systems fit together, and longer to become consistently effective. Ask your manager whether there’s a lab or test environment where you can practice safely. That’s better than spending all your evenings experimenting in production or burning yourself out trying to catch up immediately.
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You’re actually doing the right things already: asking questions, taking notes, documenting your work, and trying to understand the systems instead of blindly changing things. One month is a very short time to learn a new environment. Keep track of what you discovered on each ticket so you gradually need less help with repeat issues. When you’re stuck, investigate first and then bring your findings and theory to a teammate instead of only asking for the solution. That will help you learn much faster.
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