When you start a new job, you don't have a group of people you feel comfortable with yet. You may feel like an outsider if you see groups of people talking about shared experiences.

Starting a new job is exciting but can also feel uncomfortable.

You feel awkward because you don't know what to expect and can't forecast what will happen. When we're uncertain about what will happen, we revert to inaction, convincing ourselves that not doing anything is less likely to cause bad outcomes.