It is easy to view the transition from student or paraprofessional to librarian as the end of a journey. While in reality, this transition is more analogous to a hiker reaching the summit of a mountain. At first the hiker is filled with a sense of relief and victory - which quickly fades as the hiker realizes that the trail continues. This panel will discuss three differing perspectives on the first-year librarian experience. Discussion topics include the ambiguity of job requirements, uncertainties regarding personal abilities, shifting administrator expectations, and coping with feeling both under- and overwhelmed. This discussion will demystify the new academic librarian experience for prospective librarians. It will offer seasoned librarians ideas regarding mentorship, and it will provide library administrators insight into managing new librarian perspectives.