1 year at my "new" job 🍵 #51
the highs and the lows, all the tea.
when I meet my friends they still ask, “so how’s the new job going?”
I correct them that hey it’s been a year so not new now - internally thinking oh and I do feel like it’s a new job!
yesterday when our automated HR bot pinged me on slack to congratulate on my one year anniversary - I was like perfect, I now know what to write about this week.
how it started
if you are new here, I moved to london and joined bumble in 2020 - and was there for a bit over 3 years. it was absolutely my dream job and leaving it was a journey! 🐝
Ash, our amazing recruiter, actually first reached out back in may - but it was only in early august that we started chatting and I ended up joining Preply the following january. here’s a ama I wrote in july.
what took so long? I think I was just navigating this transition with a lot of trepidation. I absolutely loved my comfort zone and my work besties. so in my head, anywhere I go after this could very much end up being a disappointment.
…and ONCE AGAIN i am reminded and shown that magic happens just outside your comfort zone.✨
how it’s going!
I set very high standards for my next gig, and preply has met and a few more. it has been challenging - but these were exactly the challenges I was seeking.
{an unordered list of above said challenges}
moving into a lead role: from being tied to a single agile team, when I joined I was across 4 teams as a design lead. and that required me to very quickly uplevel my time management and context switching skills, being articulate and decisive + stakeholder management max.
transitioning into a manager: while it felt organic, it did come with some logistical and emotional challenges I had not encountered before. I am in a hybrid role, so I still am very deep into figma - and it’s required intentional effort to keep up on both fronts.
working remotely: this is my first gig where technically it’s remote, but I am not where most people/HQ is! and let’s just say it’s a bit of an adjustment for a people person like me.
work x life balance: hmm I have realised this balance is a myth and there are seasons where you are optimizing one over other. and it’s a constant optimization! last year did require a lot of my focus and mental energy, and that meant a few things had to give on personal front.
if not for these challenges, I would have not liked preply at all. so even if I crib and complain about it, I really really wanted them and when I complain, no you are not allowed to tell me that I am the one who wanted this.
the absolute highlights
looking back this year it’s really hard to point out a big feature launch or design artefact I created (unlike all my years being a designer). what I have now is slightly less tangible but so much more special.
my team: I’ve always had strong ideas on how a team should feel and work like, and to finally be able to build a team around those ideas has been so fulfilling. I was also lucky to have an amazing set of designers for it!
I love that it was a process, and with each weekly huddle, monthly retro, quarterly planning - we built each other and the team up together.
opening up our london hub: we have a small but very warm set of humans working out from here. a personal goal for me this year is to show up more at office.
meeting everyone IRL + trips to barcelona: I travelled to barcelona to spend time with team and I can very confidently say that my early gut instinct about people is usually spot on!
tutor conference: loved the opportunity to present and chat with our tutor community in our annual conference.
improving my spanish: i have taken weekly lessons since I joined, and I absolutely adore my tutor. my spanish is A2 level I would say - but it has allowed me to talk to an old spanish grandmom while waiting for bus and explain to the mexican immigration officer my visa situation. that’s enought para mi.
what I am looking forward to
building out my leadership style: it’s been a discovery process since day 0 and I am excited to keep fortifying my ground principles and adding/removing/learning/unlearning.
trying out more new stuff: not just the changes AI is bringing, I also wanna try out newer ways of working and collaborating and actively architect what the role of product design can evolve into.
creating more stuff: at the end of this year, I do want something tangible to look back and point at!
thanks for sticking around and reading my career/job ramblings like always. when I moved on from bumble, a few of you messaged me how it felt personal - and that honestly is my hope when I write these. 🫶
my favorite tea this week 🍵
📕 reading: just finished reading slow dance by rainbow powell. if you are into long-term friends into lovers trope, this one is for you.
📱 scrolling: my favs this week were how to be organized in 2025 (goals for me!) + if you are looking to find ways to do something after your 9-5 like I am may I suggest this very actionnable guide by
on the perfect anti-rot.📺 watching: been watching a lot of day in my life kinda vlogs on youtube recently - if you have favs, please share your recs!
📸 moment: am back to london from india, and there is a moment when you realize you are back to home from home. it’s bittersweet, and it never misses to hit hard!
next week is my birthday week, so I will try my very best to share what’s on my mind. see you then. chhavi xx
Yay!!! Congrats on the work anniversary!!! ❤️
love this from india :)