So I might have mentioned that I started a new gig recently. A regular, full-time, office-based gig.

I’m pretty excited about it. Actually, I’m really excited about it for a bunch of reasons — smart people, great energy, interesting, challenging work, a somewhat family-friendly environment, and an incredible office space. (I know, the last one sounds kind of strange, but if you saw our wide open, bright, sun-filled office that’s right on the river, you’d know what I mean.) Not to mention the fact that I’m pretty damn excited to have a good job  like this during the current recession.

But in all my excitement about it I completely forgot just how stressful it is to start a new job. Wow. Everyone and everything is new and my brain is working in double overdrive to learn what I need to as quickly as possible while also beginning to get to know my co-workers, develop some relationships, and start to figure out the various aspects of office politics. To be honest, it’s pretty overwhelming, and some of my energy is spent trying not to show my new colleagues to degree to which I am overwhelmed.

I’ve had my share of new jobs in my career and I’ve tried to be smart this time by sticking to some things I learned. I like to bring my lunch to work but I’ve intentionally not done it yet because I noticed that many of my colleagues are taking advantage of the nice weather to go out for lunch. I think it’s important to do this with them as I get to know everyone and I can always start bringing my lunch later. (I remember a colleague who joined another company I was with a few years back who would always say no to lunch invitations during her first few months. I didn’t know how to tell her that she would make her new-job life much easier if she just went with us.)

I’ve also been pretty focused on making sure that I meet everyone in the office, even if for a minute. If nothing else, it helps me feel more at home. And I’ve been asking many, many questions. I think it’s one of the worst mistakes I’ve made before  when starting a new job. I’d think that asking questions would make me seem stupid but I think it actually does the opposite. (Career experts agree.) People like to feel like they are knowledgeable and are more than happy to help out and I avoid awkward situations where I should know something but don’t because I didn’t ask.

Still, it’s been a pretty stressful few weeks and I’m kind of looking forward to feeling more settled. If you have good new job tips (or hey, I’ll take some cheers!), share in the comments!