By Sarah Elazar

My very first job was at a frozen yogurt shop. There, I learned how to operate a cash register, follow a cleaning schedule, and chop cookies, candy, and fruit into teeny-tiny, topping-sized pieces. More importantly, I figured out how to prepare the ultimate cup of fro-yo (i.e., skip the M&Ms, and don’t forget the sauces!). Since then, I’ve worked at a number of other jobs, both part- and full-time. However, whether I was working as a retail employee, barista, or Speech-Language Pathologist, one factor remained the same: there was always a period of transition when starting a new job.

My most recent transition occurred back in August, when I joined the Thinking Organized team as a full-time Speech-Language Pathologist. Although I had worked at a similar clinic back in Boston, I still needed to adjust to a new location, schedule, and team. Here are three tips/tricks I followed to make my transition as smooth as possible:

1. Remember what’s NOT changing. In periods of transition, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by change. When starting at Thinking Organized, I reminded myself that even though my setting had changed, my ability to do therapy hadn’t. This was comforting, especially as I began to meet new students and families.
2. Jump in. The thought of doing something is often much more frightening than the task itself. In my second week at Thinking Organized, I helped run an executive functioning program at a private school in DC. While I had worked on these skills in a 1:1 setting, I had never taught them in a classroom. This left me with two options: spend the week observing the program from the back of the room or help run the program by leading classes. Choosing the latter was certainly more daunting, but after leading my first class, I realized that my imagination was far scarier than reality.
3. Build relationships. New jobs mean new coworkers. Luckily, the Thinking Organized team made me feel welcome right away. When I had questions, I chose to voice them sooner rather than later. Not only did this ensure my questions got answered, but it also helped me feel more connected to my coworkers.

Before I knew it, I was in the swing of the new school year, and I could finally begin enjoying the comfort of a familiar work routine. There’s no denying that transitions can be overwhelming, but the good news is that, by nature, they always come to an end. Whether you transition to a new school, camp, or job, take these tricks with you and let them guide you toward a smoother, more confident start.