One week into the job, I haven’t written much, but last Friday all 30 new hires went out to an izakaya together.
I noticed how much variety there was: liberal arts, tech, undergrad, postgrad, people who had taken gap years or repeated a year. All kinds of backgrounds.
And from high school sophomore year until now, I’d spent nearly all my time in all-male environments (except part-time work). For the first time in about 10 years, the gender split was roughly 6:4. That feels genuinely new.
With no managers present, everyone was relaxed and had a great time.
We’ll be together for another two months or so in training, then everyone scatters to different teams after placement. Feeling like the bonds you form with your new-hire cohort will matter for a long time.