New year, again

There are many new years in any one calendar year.

Today is another one – Nawruz or Nooruz. I’ve seen it spelt various ways. It’s an old Zoroastrian festival celebrated across the Middle East and Central Asia on the occasion of the spring equinox. It celebrates the new year on the day that winter ends and spring, the season of new life, begins.

I’m also celebrating the start of another new year. If last year’s secondment was a year of transition, this year completes that, as I am not returning to my old team. The recorded interview I went through got me a second round interview, and that got me the job.

I started in my new team on Monday – yesterday. Although it’s a new team, I have worked with most of the people there is some capacity or other over the past years, so there are very few new faces.

What new faces there are, are very new, some only a few weeks (or less) in the bank, and one of my selling points, which I’m sure I mentioned several times in my interviews, was that I already know the bank’s processes, procedures; I know who to talk to to solve problems or find out information. At least one new-new colleague has set up a coffee with me to get some information about how things work in my old-old team and who he should talk to there.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like my knowledge and experience has a value. I may not be a fresh graduate with an MA from a fancy-schmancy university* who can talk the talk without having walked the walk**, but I’m valued for what I do bring.

And I’m surprised how many people I know. Every time I get in a lift (elevator) or go to the coffee bar or the cafeteria, I see someone I am at least on nodding terms with. I feel a little bit like I’ve just put on glasses after being short sighted for a long time and I’m surprised at how bright and clear and colourful the world is.

I know this is very much the honeymoon period. I know that this job will eventually become routine. I know it won’t always be springtime. But for now, I’m embracing the feeling of newness. Happy New Year (again).

*I do have an MA but my university was not fancy-schmancy .

**I have walked the walk, there and back again. And then walked once more around the block for luck.