Is it normal to feel underutilized during the first month at a job?
I started a new semi-corporate role (more corporately than my last role) about a month ago with a pay increase, and I’m struggling a little with feeling like I’m not doing enough.
I’ve been trying to stay busy and take initiative with some of the easier tasks (ordering, decor, maintenance, etc.) but I still feel underutilized, especially compared to how hard I worked in my last role. Part of it is that I’m still waiting on access/permissions for certain systems, so things have been dragging a bit.
My boss seems super busy, and communication has been kind of lacking. I check in every so often and keep them updated on what I’m working on, but it’s also been hard to actually catch them for a real conversation. I’ve been trying to be self-sufficient and motivated without being annoying.
I’m also hesitant to start asking other departments for work because part of me worries I’ll suddenly get slammed and become overwhelmed. In my previous role, I was a very high performer, but I was also insanely stressed and basically killing myself for a company that didn’t really GAF about me. I was just making them money. This role is more operations based.
The company itself seems great and I like the people so far. I just can’t shake the anxiety that I’m not contributing enough and that eventually someone’s going to think I’m underperforming.
Do I just need to chill and give it another month or two? Or should I have a more direct conversation with my boss about expectations and workload?