Switching companies is far more complex than simply getting a new position with increased information intake and authority.
I first experienced how drastically different changing companies could be when I moved from my first company to my second. Since the industry, position, work content, and company culture were completely different, I felt a tremendous shock in just the first week and deeply understood that I could no longer operate the way I used to.
【Change One: Communication Style】
The biggest change was the "communication method" between the two companies. My first company primarily used "online communication". We had different "functional" Facebook groups—some for discussing work details, some for task assignments, some for organizing handover information. Many things could be solved by typing, posting, and tagging the relevant person. Since it was my first job, this work style gradually made me, apart from trusted colleagues, averse to talking with people. Sometimes, even when coworkers came by to communicate face-to-face, I'd say I'd reply to their message later.
The advantage of this work style is "efficiency," and it allows different departments' announcements to be recorded online, with posting times and version changes all documented. However, conversely, coworkers can easily form small groups, or even people sitting nearby might become strangers. Moreover, text lacks emotion and easily leads to "different interpretations". But there's no absolute right or wrong—it depends on whether you "like" it or can "adapt" to it.
After switching companies, everything, big or small, required "face-to-face communication". This job is primarily in the event planning industry, so from ideation to execution, there are countless details that need to be discussed and debated to ensure we make the best arrangements for clients. Of course, the overall event purpose, timing, direction, and goals all require initial meetings to be established. For detailed planning, two or three colleagues might write a proposal together, so tone and content require significant communication, with continuous corrections as you write. Sometimes, after completion, one comment from the client might require starting from scratch (sigh).
With this communication style, you can clearly understand what each colleague cares about and values—some prioritize efficiency, some prioritize formatting, some prioritize word choice and other details. With these different demands, complementing each other's strengths, reports can easily approach perfection. Of course, nothing can be perfect all the time, so you must communicate to complete a task well. Another benefit is that when confirming what needs to be corrected, you can communicate face-to-face and confirm each other's true thoughts, without having to interpret or speculate. My company environment happens to be a place where everyone likes helping each other, so in such an environment, I can more boldly express my thoughts. This is the communication style I prefer.
【Change Two: Industry Transition Requires Complete Personal Transformation】
Some people change jobs within the same industry—like tech, food service, or finance. When switching companies, the adjustment might just be different administrative systems, and the overall work style won't feel too unfamiliar. The cultural impact might not be as significant. However, once you decide to change industries, you need to change your thinking from head to toe. There are many industry types. I'll try to use broad categories to encompass them—like startups, traditional industries, or multinational corporations. Each industry has vastly different work modes and cultures.
My second company was a "multinational corporation," which had a very different overall atmosphere and structure from my first company. What struck me as particularly special was the "timesheet" system. Because multinational corporations need to assess global "human resources" costs and expenses, they require employees to fill out weekly timesheets indicating how many hours of their eight-hour workday were spent on different projects. This allows the parent company to quantify costs for budgeting decisions for the next year or quarter. According to an interview with the CEO, she initially couldn't understand this approach either. But after discovering that the annual financial reports were quite consistent, she found this method to be more practical.
For example, suppose I had three projects: A, B, and C, and each project might require "client meetings," "on-site execution," and "proposal writing." These activities would also have different English abbreviations like Meet, Onsite, Plan. Then in "timesheet" entries, a day would be "block-divided" like this ↓
As far as I know, timesheets are submitted on a weekly basis, with submissions due every Friday. But of course, it's impossible to remember exactly how many hours you spent on what project activity each day, so you can only estimate. Overtime hours aren't necessarily logged accurately either, so it's more of a reference. Personally, I find it quite unique how multinational corporations quantify human resources this way—it gives the feeling that employees are just small cogs in a machine.
From this small detail alone, you can see how company structure significantly influences a person's workplace culture and values. Therefore, when changing industries or companies, there are many things to adapt to—administrative systems, payroll methods, even leave policies can have various different regulations. Every person changing companies must re-adapt to these things. I deeply experienced this when I first changed jobs.
【Change Three: Work Atmosphere】
Switching companies also means getting new colleagues and placing yourself in an entirely unfamiliar environment. If the company is lively and open, willing to welcome new employees and even host welcome dinners, new employees can open their hearts from the start. If the overall atmosphere is more serious, with new colleague dinners perhaps just routine, new employees might become hesitant to express opinions from the beginning.
Once you're actually in the work environment, every company has a different rhythm—some fast-paced, some slow. Some companies even still use mentorship systems with strict respect for seniority. Each person adapts at different speeds. The key is whether you're willing to put in the effort initially to integrate into the environment rather than being unconventional. As I've emphasized before, work isn't about you alone—it's about the organization. Once you choose to enter a company, you integrate into it as best you can, which will also make your career path smoother.
This section can also serve as a reference for companies and existing employees. When new employees arrive, management and senior staff should actively welcome them, introduce them to the environment, and help them integrate into the workplace rather than leaving them to figure things out on their own or creating a harsh atmosphere. This can slow down how quickly new employees become productive, which can also delay the team's original plans—not beneficial for either side.
Of course, there are many other aspects to adapt to when changing companies. How much time it takes to fully adapt depends on your own adjustments. If your mindset doesn't shift, you can easily burn out. The above three points are what I've identified as more concrete major directions. I've shared my thoughts and personal experiences. Do you have similar feelings?
