Joining Sourcesense: First Impressions and Thoughts That I Made a Mistake
A New Beginning with Sourcesense
March 2021 was a time for fresh starts. I joined Sourcesense as a DevOps Engineer, eager to dive into the world of automation, cloud infrastructure, and deployment pipelines. But within the first week, I found myself questioning my decision. Was this the right move? Did I just make a mistake?
The Excitement of Starting Fresh
Joining a new company is always exciting. There’s the promise of learning, new challenges, and meeting talented colleagues. Sourcesense offered me a chance to work on automation using tools like Ansible and to explore environments far removed from my previous experiences. It was a shift I had been craving—or so I thought.
The Reality Check: First Impressions
Here’s the thing about new beginnings: they’re not always smooth. From the start, I realized this wasn’t going to be like my previous roles. Some of the challenges I faced: - Small Teams: Coming from an agile team structure, Sourcesense’s small team setup felt isolating. We were just four people, with one weekly alignment meeting. It was a stark contrast to the fast-paced stand-ups and retrospectives I was used to. - Unclear Tasks: The lack of clearly defined tasks and processes made it hard to stay focused. The work environment felt a bit… old-school. - Night Shifts: Night shifts became an unexpected reality, and let me tell you, they don’t pair well with early morning enthusiasm.
Second-Guessing My Decision
By the end of the first month, I was having serious doubts. The role wasn’t what I imagined, and the work felt monotonous. Automating environment setups with Ansible and handling infrastructure problems was valuable, but it didn’t ignite my passion.
To add to the mix, the lack of team collaboration and structure made me feel like I was floating without a direction.
Lessons from a Tough Start
Despite the challenges, this experience taught me a few valuable lessons: - Adapting to Different Work Styles: Not every job will have a perfect structure. Sometimes, you have to create your own. - The Importance of Alignment: Clear communication and task definition are critical for productivity, something I missed dearly. - Knowing When to Move On: It’s okay to admit when a role isn’t the right fit. Three months later, I moved on to a role better aligned with my goals.
Moving Forward
In hindsight, Sourcesense wasn’t a mistake—it was a stepping stone. It gave me clarity about what I wanted in my career and taught me to value work environments where collaboration and structure thrive. Sometimes, the wrong fit helps you understand what the right one looks like.
Have you ever taken a role that didn’t meet your expectations?