☕ navigating the first month of a new job: a personal reflection

a new chapter

It’s already my sixth week at the new pharmacy — over a month has passed, somehow.

Everything still feels new and unfamiliar, yet at the same time it’s like I’ve been here for at least three months already. I guess that’s what happens when you get thrown right into it.

The first week was slow. In the best way, honestly.
I had time to arrive, meet the team, and figure out my role — something not all of my fellow pharmacy graduates experienced. For that, I’m really grateful. There was room to breathe.
But that breathing space didn’t last long.

By week two, the team was already short-staffed. People on sick leave, people on vacation — the usual. So more work for the rest of us, more tasks landing on my desk. And that rhythm hasn’t changed much since. New week, same chaos. It’s now week six, and we’re still very much understaffed.

I’m doing what I can.
And people are starting to notice. My responsibilities are growing, my confidence too — which is nice. But at the same time, I’m so exhausted. And to top it all off, I’ve been feeling a cold creeping in for two weeks now. Just a matter of time.
Thing is: if I called in sick in my first month, I would have lost part of my salary.
Apparently that’s how it works during your first four weeks. So I’ve been holding on. Somehow. Coffee and the quiet hope that I’ll make it through my first month – which I did.

Week six started with me catching a full blown cold – which was not fun. I had to call in sick for three days and honestly, that was the best decision I could have made for myself. I’m now almost healthy which means I stared working again. I kind of wished that my sick leave was longer but I also didn’t want the pharmacy to be short-staffed because of me. So here I am, working again with far too less coffee.

between gratitude and burnout

There’s a part of me that’s glad I chose this pharmacy.
It’s a challenge — that’s true. But I can feel myself growing. I’m learning a lot, and I know that this place will shape me into a better pharmacist.
And yet, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about my previous job.
The familiar faces. The slower pace. The sense of knowing exactly what I’m doing.

But that’s not how growth works.
You don’t grow in comfort. You grow when it’s uncomfortable — and that’s definitely the case here. So no, I don’t regret it. Not really. Even if I miss the calmer days.

what’s next

The second half of my PJ year (practical year) is officially sorted.

Finally.

That had been quietly stressing me out for weeks — the uncertainty, the applications, the wait. But my interview a few weeks ago went better than expected, and I got the spot right away.
So at least that’s one thing off my mind.

For anyone wondering: after passing the second state exam, you spend a year working — six months in a public pharmacy, six months in a hospital or in the pharmaceutical industry (your choice).
After that comes the third and final exam. And then… that’s it.
My pharmacist journey, officially complete.
It’s strange. The closer I get, the more unreal it feels.

But one step at a time.

in between everything

In theory, I wanted to use my evenings to study.
Catch up on things, read more, prepare myself. In reality? I come home and I’m done. Completely done.
And still, I’m trying to be the best version of myself — at least the most awake one. Sometimes, that means surviving the day. Sometimes, it means asking for more.

By week four, I planned to talk to my boss about a small raise. I rehearsed what I wanted to say, waited for the right moment. That moment came last week. I’ve got great feedback. We’ll see about that raise.

I don’t know what this chapter will bring.
I’m only one full month (and a half) in, and already it feels like so much has happened. I’m trying to stay open — to learn, to rest, to push when I can, and pause when I need to.
The truth is: this part of the journey is hard.

But it’s also part of the reason I started this blog. To remember what it feels like to be in the middle of something — not at the start, not at the end. Just right here.

With too much responsibility, not enough coffee, and somehow still — hope.

See you in the next one. 🤎☕