Anxiety

Hello. I haven't been on this forum in several years due to having been working in places that had veteran machinists working alongside me and because I made a career shift to manufacturing engineering/laser turret programming. I recently was laid off from the laser turret programmer engineering job and was offered a job as a machinist in a tool room for a plastic extrusion company. I am having major anxiety taking this gig because I haven't touched a machine in years and the tool room has no veteran guy there to learn from. I'm th most experienced guy there and it's in an industry that I know very little about. Does anyone else deal with anxiety like this when starting a new job? How do you deal with it if you do? And also anyone know of any plastic extrusion die makers on here I can ask for advice? Or wire EDM programmers? Or surfCAM programmers? I've also never used any of these machines or this program. The company is aware of this because I told them so in the interview but they still offered me the job.

so , sounds like they are having problems finding someone period. You had some knowledge, and probably seemed like a smart guy to them. They are banking on your ability to figure things out. They believe you are a guy that will stick with them and grow into the job. Relax, do what you can. They are betting that you will do your homework as you need it. Congrats on the new job. There will be lots of advice here and on you tube (yes youtube) many good and not so good videos out there. Consider it another reference.

Just be truthful with them. If they tell you to let it eat then they know what they are getting into.
Don


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Congrats on your new job. I'm sure you're feeling extremely stressed but if they already know how unfamiliar you are with the technology, you just need to try your best to learn as quickly as you can. There's a few books on wire EDM out there and a variety of Surfcam tutorials on youtube. Just take things one step at a time and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Be happy that you know what you don’t know!
This is so much better than being unaware of what you don’t know.
Employer probably realizes you’ll take some time to verify stuff before you ram the GO button home.

F-a-i-l-u-r-e

Hi HelpImLost:
I sympathize with your anxiety, it's normal for the situation you describe, so I concur with those who advise you to suck it up, swallow your misgivings and get busy learning your new craft.

As I see it you have three unfamiliar new tasks to get up to speed on.
First is programming in Surfcam
Second is learning the wire EDM (I assume you will be expected to run it)
Third is learning the design and construction of extrusion dies.

This is a fair mouthful to swallow, but it would be for anyone.
So cut yourself some slack, don't try to be omnipotent, and get down to your new tasks.
Spend a few evenings cuddled up with the machine manual and then spend a weekend with the machine when you have no interruptions.
That will at least get you familiar enough with the controls to jog the machine around.
Do it a few weekends and it'll all become pretty straightforward.

Next get some books or on-line articles on extrusion die design and manufacture and do some poking around so you can learn the ropes.
Get them to allow you to take a copy of Surfcam home with you and start figuring it out.
Before you know it, you'll be a whole lot more comfortable than you are now.

Once you get to that point, you can really start to learn.

Oh yeah...last thing...don't be, or become an arrogant asshole to your co-workers.
Life will be so much easier for all if you're not.

A month from now you'll be wondering why you ever felt stressed about taking this on.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

HelpImLost said:

<snip> <all good>

I'm th most experienced guy there and it's in an industry that I know very little about.

Does anyone else deal with anxiety like this when starting a new job?

How do you deal with it if you do?

And also anyone know of any plastic extrusion die makers on here I can ask for advice? Or wire EDM programmers? Or surfCAM programmers? I've also never used any of these machines or this program. The company is aware of this because I told them so in the interview but they still offered me the job.

Click to expand...

What you are trying to combat is a sense of "Overwhelm" and 'Panic"

Best thing that you need to do is devise a learning path for yourself.

BUT it's unrealistic to be able to learn everything at once.

So you are going to have to prioritize which things you learn first AND be things that you can separately begin to master piece by piece rather than having six things going on at once that can turn into a bit of a sh*t show.

After a couple of weeks you can derive a schedule for what and how you are going to handle learning the different techniques and processes that you need to accomplish.

I.e. set goals for your learning path and techniques.

At the same time that means setting boundaries with your bosses etc. as to what you are currently learning / figuring out and not get sucked into having to master everything in one go. For your own sanity.

Piece by piece you will figure it out and if time is dragging on maybe you can budget for friendly consultant (Skilled in the relevant arts/ techniques processes) to come on site over a weekend and point you in the right direction maybe.

Just through anxiety you will probably be taking books and manuals etc. home with you over the nights and weekends , making notes and maybe watching relevant you-tube videos.

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* As a gen X'er smoking and drinking was the "normal" way to handle anxiety back in the day. I don't drink or smoke anymore so taking one type of task till it's finished almost Marie Kondo style helps deal with "Overwhelm". One set or specific type of tricky tasks to master one at a time, not all at once. You can overlap related areas to a certain extent.

Good luck! (I'm sure you'll be fine).

implmex said:

Hi HelpImLost:
I sympathize with your anxiety, it's normal for the situation you describe, so I concur with those who advise you to suck it up, swallow your misgivings and get busy learning your new craft.

As I see it you have three unfamiliar new tasks to get up to speed on.
First is programming in Surfcam
Second is learning the wire EDM (I assume you will be expected to run it)
Third is learning the design and construction of extrusion dies.

This is a fair mouthful to swallow, but it would be for anyone.
So cut yourself some slack, don't try to be omnipotent, and get down to your new tasks.
Spend a few evenings cuddled up with the machine manual and then spend a weekend with the machine when you have no interruptions.
That will at least get you familiar enough with the controls to jog the machine around.
Do it a few weekends and it'll all become pretty straightforward.

Next get some books or on-line articles on extrusion die design and manufacture and do some poking around so you can learn the ropes.
Get them to allow you to take a copy of Surfcam home with you and start figuring it out.
Before you know it, you'll be a whole lot more comfortable than you are now.

Once you get to that point, you can really start to learn.

Oh yeah...last thing...don't be, or become an arrogant asshole to your co-workers.
Life will be so much easier for all if you're not.

A month from now you'll be wondering why you ever felt stressed about taking this on.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Click to expand...

Just read this...

Yup ~ seems that independently on the same page. :-)

Most people experience some level of anxiety when they start in a new job. Ideally that anxiety is tempered by self-confidence, a sense of optimism, and anticipation for the positives that will come from the new role. New challenges always come with risks and rewards.

Sounds like an element of your question involves figuring out the extent to which your anxiety is founded in legitimate worry about things you can address (picking up new skills, the job, applying what you know, etc.) versus to what extent it's founded simply in self-doubt (anxiety, depression, phobia, lack of self-confidence).

Either way, self-doubt and generalized anxiety can interfere with sorting out the legitimate steps you need to take to know what you don't know and fill in the gaps. If you can sort that out with reflection and talking to others, great. That's ideal.

But if you're finding that difficult, maybe a therapist and some atavan taken temporarily during the transition can blunt some of the worry and anxiety. Take it off the table while you navigate the logistics of sorting out the new role.

You have the best sense for whether the anxiety you're experiencing is out of the ordinary. Is there a spouse, partner, or relative who knows your history? Knows what your affect around challenges is usually like? Can help you calibrate the extent to which what you're experiencing is a skill-crisis or a mood?

Be thankful that you were truthful in the interview process, that makes it much easier to come into an unfamiliar job. Much worse when you fed them a line to get in the door.

There are only two things you need to be successful with the new technologies... humility and grace. Be humble about what you don't know, and be kind and friendly to every single person that works there. Everything else will work it's way into place... that and work harder than any other person in the company.

I know a guy at the gun club who works for an extruder, making dies.
I'll ask if minds fielding questions.

digger doug said:

F-a-i-l-u-r-e

Click to expand...

I thought I could smell an incurable optimist when I clicked on this thread.

Dumpster_diving said:

Most people experience some level of anxiety when they start in a new job. Ideally that anxiety is tempered by self-confidence, a sense of optimism, and anticipation for the positives that will come from the new role. New challenges always come with risks and rewards.

Sounds like an element of your question involves figuring out the extent to which your anxiety is founded in legitimate worry about things you can address (picking up new skills, the job, applying what you know, etc.) versus to what extent it's founded simply in self-doubt (anxiety, depression, phobia, lack of self-confidence).

Either way, self-doubt and generalized anxiety can interfere with sorting out the legitimate steps you need to take to know what you don't know and fill in the gaps. If you can sort that out with reflection and talking to others, great. That's ideal.

But if you're finding that difficult, maybe a therapist and some atavan taken temporarily during the transition can blunt some of the worry and anxiety. Take it off the table while you navigate the logistics of sorting out the new role.

You have the best sense for whether the anxiety you're experiencing is out of the ordinary. Is there a spouse, partner, or relative who knows your history? Knows what your affect around challenges is usually like? Can help you calibrate the extent to which what you're experiencing is a skill-crisis or a mood?

Click to expand...

^^^ I think this is a useful and valid caveat.

I did have one employee that had serious anxiety issues and substance abuse / undiagnosed depression related disorders, he got himself into a lot of trouble. LATER on he did get help and meds and therapy and actually did OK - Somewhere else , later on he said he was grateful for the training he received from us (enabled him to score other work he was happy with), after he found the means to straighten himself out.

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Going to gym : especially in the morning before work can really help with anxiety. So if you have a thousand things that are starting to knaw away at you and really prey on your mind bit by bit, I find the gym really helpful. Clears your mind and gives you a more "I got this !" kind of attitude/ calm approach. I used to swim 40 minutes a day, do the sauna, scamper on a treadmill do a few weights etc. Recent back injuries have curtailed that somewhat but looking forward to getting back into the rhythm of that eventually. - Very chill.

Only way is to put in the extra time and push through it. I've had 2 decent panic attacks before and in the end that was my only solution, refocus, prioritize and put in the 100+hr weeks to climb out of the hole, and when you do, you can count on something else falling on you, but you deal with it, its all part of the fun eh. When I was still new to the trade and had a day job I'd sometimes show up around 4am to do 3-4hrs of practice on scrap and figuring it out before start time to try to put the odds on my side and not screw up the real thing. It's also good to try to sort out the stuff that matters from the stuff that adds stress, but doesn't matter at all, and push that crap aside or it all piles up.

digger doug Always the negative side of anything.
For such a smart guy, you are not.

Thanks for the advice good sir. I have been taking it one day at a time annd have been trying to stay positive and yes the overwhelming panic is real. This place was a month behind schedule when I showed up and while Ive def become much more familiar with all the aspects of the job im still waaay behind and it doesnt help that the older extrusion operators come in everyday with stuff that needs to be fixed on the already existing dies. I cant get anything done when i have to stop running a new die im working on to fix the old stuff. Add the fact that this place keeps taking on really big jobs that (in my opinion) we dont have the time or machining capabilities to do. We have one cnc machine and one of the dies is gonna be an 8 hour run using a ball endmill to cut a 27degree taper at .005 steps. Then they have an "estimated" 200 hours runtime on the EDM for another job. Honestly i think the people running this place have eyes bigger than their stomachs.

digger doug said:

F-a-i-l-u-r-e

Click to expand...

And Baalam's ass spoke........


To the op, good job hanging in there.

If the company knows that you didn't work on such machines before, and still offered you this job, it means that they are concerned about this thing and they really trust you. I can imagine how stressed you are, but try to relax and get into the new job as soon as possible. Remember that it is normal to feel uncomfortable at the beginning, but keep focusing on the work. If you feel that you can't deal with anxiety anymore, search for kratom extracts for sale . This product is extremely efficient in releasing stress. Hope it will help you!

Charall said:

If the company knows that you didn't work on such machines before, and still offered you this job, it means that they are concerned about this thing and they really trust you. I can imagine how stressed you are, but try to relax and get into the new job as soon as possible. Remember that it is normal to feel uncomfortable at the beginning, but keep focusing on the work. If you feel that you can't deal with anxiety anymore, search for spam in a blender . This product is extremely efficient in releasing stress. Hope it will help you!

Click to expand...

And this is a better posting ?

Greg White you want this instead ????