My COVID-19 Story - Starting a New Job During a Pandemic

When I applied for the role of Employability Adviser at Sheffield Hallam University we were living in pre-pandemic times. I had what was then considered to be a ‘normal’ interview, face to face with a panel of 3, asking various questions after I delivered a short presentation.

I had wanted to work at the University for a long time and so when the offer came I was more than excited.

Then the nerves kicked in. Will the team like me? Will I be any good at this role? But I don’t know anything about food and nutrition! All this before we even hit crisis point!

Then lock-down landed. I took a common sense approach and called my soon-to-be line manager to double check that everything was going ahead as planned and thankfully he confirmed I would indeed still be starting on 6th April albeit working from home.

My final day in my previous role came, which was both sad and anti-climactic. No celebratory drinking unfortunately but thankfully, no tears (I am NOT a pretty crier).

Having spoken with my future boss several times before my first day, when the time came for our first Zoom meeting I didn’t feel nervous (maybe the fact this took place in my living room and not in a strange building had something to do with it).

So what have I been doing during my first 3 weeks?

I am working in a large team so I’ve had more Zoom meetings and met more people than I can shake a stick at (if any of my colleagues are reading this, I have no plans to shake a stick at you). In ‘normal’ times when people are so busy it can be hard to get 5 minutes with a new employee, let alone spend 30 minutes with me asking about my background and telling me to give them a call if I need anything. In a funny way, working from home has actually meant spending more time with colleagues.

I’ve had my first virtual ‘onboarding’ experience, receiving a comprehensive list of online training and research to complete, which has led to finishing my induction quicker than I might if I was working in the office. 

What I have learnt through my most recent experiences?

Working from home has its benefits. I can make pancakes for lunch and my typing skills have certainly improved. I’ve had time for self-reflection, identifying the self-motivation (daily YouTube workouts) and adaptability I’ve increasingly developed.

Ok so colleagues and job roles can remain slightly abstract without the context of an office and fatigue from too many Zoom meetings really is a thing but I’ve built on my IT skills, using software I haven’t used before, and I’ve almost gotten used to seeing my weird facial expressions on screen while I’m talking to people.

Overall though, having virtually met the most supportive and encouraging team mates, I’m venturing more confidently through what could have been a very difficult and isolating time.