S Stands for Spring but also a New Start

Spring has sprung and it has signalled new beginnings. Nature is more colourful, the people are happier and me? I got a new job. And I cannot think of a better way to mark a new beginning than by finding a new source of joy and happiness. Have you found yours?

I decided to write about my new job because of this euphoria I am experiencing right now and fear that will disappear after a few weeks, once the daily routine kicks in. I am not going to go on about what I do, how I found it and why I was looking for it. To be honest, it all happened all of a sudden, continued organically and up until the last minute I could not really believe it.

So here I am at the much-celebrated co-working space called WeWork in the City of London, getting briefed on how my new company operates and observing people (mostly young men) enjoying (FREE!!!) drinks with their mates. It is a paradise. Nobody seems stressed, under pressure or dissatisfied with their job. Furthermore, there are meditation, yoga and healing classes on site for anyone who might feel overwhelmed (or not). Oh, and did I mention the unlimited tea and coffee supply (drinks do not appear to me since I am still detoxing).

Oh dear, I am in love with my job.

Here I am, overlooking the office of 12, with my boss sitting in a cubicle next to me, watching software developers working hard on god-knows-what, and me tidying up documents, arranging meetings and just being bubbly and positive as always. Yes, this workplace really needs a feminine touch. Makes me wonder, why the heck is the startup industry so male-dominated?

The staff is well balanced (though, asking people’s pronouns would probably prove me wrong). But the workers here? Mostly men. Good? Bad? Unfair. I ended my first day in the office on the top floor enjoying a cup of tea, watching the other guys getting drunk. Correction: watching the sun setting down over London. Oh, did I mention the view? And there’s a rooftop garden, too.

You get the message, I am in love with my new workplace. And my boss? He is forcing me to bill for every single hour I work. Quite a contrast to my never-ending freelance struggle where I felt guilty for invoicing half the hours I actually worked for. Besides, I can still do this freelance and can WFH or OOO (sorry, my major project has influenced my word choices) whenever I choose to.

Oh dear, I am in love with my job. And it is not just sorting out files. I am fully encouraged to take online courses (to remind myself of what I used to study at the top business school in the country) and apply it to practice. In this way, I will soon be going back to balance sheets, profit/loss accounts, cashflow and sales forecast. Thought I’d never use this again and here we are!

I am just so grateful for this opportunity that arose in front of my eyes all of a sudden and seems to be a much better fit than anything I would ever intentionally look for. I hope this euphoria will last for long, but even if not, I will always remember these (not so) brief moments of happiness and smile.