Ask HN: I started a new job and I'm scared

They hired you and have to take responsibility for training you. Don’t let they’re Byzantine development practices scare you. In all places that I’ve worked in like that - Jira sweat shops - the product was a tinderbox of disaster code waiting to burst into flames and nobody noticed. Everyone is chained to their Jira tickets - including the whole management hierarchy - and nobody bothers to look up to take a fresh look at the big picture. You have out-of-the box, novel experience and can help them far more than I think you realize… They need you. “Hey guys, do you really think this is a good idea..?”

I have felt this every single time I've switched jobs, and I've been at this for over a decade. It's normal to be scared, and to worry about doing a good job. It's normal to be slower when you ramp up at a brand new company. It sounds like you are introspective and proactive in analyzing your own progress and improving, which is a great sign. For me, there was no "overcoming" of this feeling. It abates over time and eventually you relax into the role as you get a handle on things.

In practice, for me those first months of stress always result in a lot of reading/brushing up quickly on new tech, a lot of digging around the code, debugging, late nights to finish tasks I feel I'm behind on, asking teammates about tools and processes, etc. But while all of that might help, in the end it's usually just a matter of waiting it out and knowing that this is a mental pattern I've dealt with before. Meditation sometimes helps.

Good luck! I really think you'll be just fine.

Why do you think it should take you a day? Set the bar lower. Under promise and over deliver. Don't say "it'll take me a day" when you aren't sure.