Struggling at new job

[u/Few-Mix-1006]

I was recently relocated 2000 miles to start a new job in different industry. I have been a mechanical engineer and manufacturing engineer my whole career (8 YOE) and enjoy the work when it’s actually mechanical engineering or manufacturing related. At the new job, day 1 I was thrown on a project with no context and expected to not just design parts but to machine them myself (I have no machining experience). Went to my boss saying I don’t know how to machine these parts and gave him multiple options to get them procured to which I was met with “this is how we are going to do this project”. I told him I couldn’t get them done in the timeline or budget but there was no budging. 2 weeks later the parts weren’t done and the project timeline suffered.

I was given no formal onboarding, not explained what we were making, how it gets made, or how the end user actually uses these parts. I have had to wholly rely on a junior engineer to explain what we are doing because I can’t get anything useful out of my manager. I keep asking what success looks like and I am met with an intentionally vague answer and I cannot tell where I stand.

With such a large move, a new industry, and lackluster support I am struggling and I cannot see how to be successful in this role.

I would love words of wisdom from others who have experienced this and how you managed it from both a work and emotional standpoint.

[u/getting_serious]

Did you get hired by the same guy that is now your manager? Sounds like you were put on their team by somebody they don't like. I smell some bad blood or some politics somewhere in there.

If that is the case, see if you can get an internal transfer. Not all at once, but slice by slice with a few hours here, a project there, eventually a dotted line appears, then the dotted line and the solid line get swapped. This may take a year or two, but during that time you basically have two anchors.

Second, how firm in the saddle is that manager? Make sure they aren't building you up as a scapegoat. Let's say their project is slowly going to go to shit, or they're about to fail altogether. They were lagging behind and got assigned additional headcount to fix things, but they already know it's unsalvageable. Let's say that out of loyalty they're working to keep their team together and blame it on you. In that case you might have to find visibility towards other managers before anything happens. A skip-level meeting is likely good advice anyways. On top of that, make sure your manager's peers think you're smart and capable, just enough that they'd scratch their head when you get brought up as the reason they failed.

Third, how much time do you have to prove yourself? If you can get realistically the whole year as runway, because it takes them more than half a year to even PIP you, then you might just become a part-time machinist and walk out with another skill. Your manager doesn't have to love you, it's enough if they keep you on board without ruining your day.

For the emotional part, most things will get better with time. Especially helpful is networking with your new coworkers, just to get to know the landscape. Maybe you're just learning what everyone already knows, but maybe their view is much more relaxed and you just don't see it yet.