Cant do new job

star56 · 13-01-2015 9:06pm #1

Hi there

Started new job start of this month. There is some things I can do in the job. But there is some stuff that has been explained to me that I know if I had to do on my own I would not be able to do.
I had been unemployed for a while before getting this job and so do not want to leave it.
I asked the manager did he think I would be able to the job he said that I would.
But if I cannot do the job should I just leave?

Advice would be appreciated please.

davo10 · 13-01-2015 9:10pm

star56 wrote: »

Hi there

Started new job start of this month. There is some things I can do in the job. But there is some stuff that has been explained to me that I know if I had to do on my own I would not be able to do.
I had been unemployed for a while before getting this job and so do not want to leave it.
I asked the manager did he think I would be able to the job he said that I would.
But if I cannot do the job should I just leave?

Advice would be appreciated please.

Before learning to run, we first have to learn to walk. No one knows how to do a new job from the start, stick with it, you might surprise yourself.

efb · 13-01-2015 9:14pm

star56 wrote: »

Hi there

Started new job start of this month. There is some things I can do in the job. But there is some stuff that has been explained to me that I know if I had to do on my own I would not be able to do.
I had been unemployed for a while before getting this job and so do not want to leave it.
I asked the manager did he think I would be able to the job he said that I would.
But if I cannot do the job should I just leave?

Advice would be appreciated please.

You sound like you lack a bit of confidence. Your boss seems to have faith in you, have a little in yourself. Your boss's expectationsfor you don't Senn to be as high. Is their formal or ongoing training included?

Dubl07 · 13-01-2015 9:15pm

star56 wrote: »

Hi there

there is some stuff that has been explained to me that I know if I had to do on my own I would not be able to do.

Jobs are difficult to find and it's more difficult to train an employee than some might imagine. If you haven't confidence in your ability to carry out a task, ask yourself a few questions:

Is there a company handbook to study the steps in the procedures that are difficult?
Will you be putting someone's health or well-being in danger if you goof?
Can you ask for help the first few times you're doing the tasks in question?

Writing out your own understanding of what you think you should do and asking your mentor to appraise your version may help you and anyone coming after you.

Boskowski · 13-01-2015 9:16pm

You got the job didn't you? And your manager thinks you can do it. So your manager and the people who interviewed and hired you are thinking you're capable of doing it. At least they think you're more capable of doing it than all the other people they interviewed.

Very few people are capable of doing their job to the full extent after a week or two. In my industry ramp up time can be quite significant as things can be fairly complicated.

Stick with it. Do not let yourself down and run. In a few months you'll be thinking 'Christ, to think I almost legged it after 1 week'. Seriously. Knuckle down and apply yourself. You'll be fine.

star56 · 13-01-2015 9:16pm

On going training. It all just seems over whelming. Like when he explains it I don't fully get it and would be worried when I have to do it on my own that I won't be able to do it.

efb · 13-01-2015 9:18pm

star56 wrote: »

On going training. It all just seems over whelming. Like when he explains it I don't fully get it and would be worried when I have to do it on my own that I won't be able to do it.

If you don't fully understand ask them to explain the bits you don't get further

Boskowski · 13-01-2015 9:20pm

Its normal. If its anything more than stacking up shelves chances are you may need more than one explanation. Try to remember as much as you can, take notes if you have to. We all are out of our comfort zone in a new job.

mada82 · 13-01-2015 9:20pm

Take detailed notes on everything that you are shown.

At least then if you are struggling they will know you are interested and trying your best.

star56 · 13-01-2015 9:20pm

I have asked him to do and this and sometimes it still confuses me. That's what worries me like surely I should get it after someone explaining it to me after a few times?

Sometimes I can't ask all that I want because he has his own work to do and is on a deadline and doesn't have time to explain every little thing to me.

mada82 · 13-01-2015 9:22pm

What job is it?

star56 · 13-01-2015 9:23pm

admin / accounts work its the accounts that i find hard.

username2013 · 13-01-2015 9:23pm

What type of job is it? I know in my profession (software engineering) there are always loads of things at the start of a job that I don't understand. Luckily though for software there are numerous blogs, youtube videos etc explaining new technologies etc in depth so in my own time I study these and get an understanding of them. Would it be possible for you to do something similar? Depends on the job I know.

IamtheWalrus · 13-01-2015 9:24pm

Give yourself a break. You're new. Everything's daunting. Everyone who starts any job finds it hard at the start, then as time passes you pick up stuff.

I started a new job recently and found it difficult to begin with. I was afraid because I felt like the stupid one. Am I going to give up? F' no. It's made me more determined to succeed and things have gotten easier already. I've done nothing so far (not much) and my boss told me today he wants to keep me long term, so bosses know starting a new job is difficult.

Maybe you have imposture syndrome. I know I have.

mada82 · 13-01-2015 9:26pm

I've never worked in those sectors so I can't help. Plenty of notes is the best advice I can give

shavins · 13-01-2015 9:31pm

You need to do a few examples of the accounts etc that you are unsure of. Mess them up and learn how you messed them up, there should be an example of how to do it somewhere online. The best way to learn is do.
Take notes of the areas you find difficult.
Are there old accounts on file in the company that you could take a look at?

star56 · 13-01-2015 9:39pm

Yes I suppose that would be a good idea to look up the old files. I would be just afraid that I would mess the accounts like that I would put in the wrong amount to be paid to supplier ect or like trying to understand why our account on the system does not match the amount sent in the supplier says we owe on a statement

Boscoirl · 13-01-2015 9:52pm

If its an accounts package, like sage or something, there is normally demo or practice data that you play around with, you won't interfere with the live data

syklops · 13-01-2015 9:56pm

star56 wrote: »

On going training. It all just seems over whelming. Like when he explains it I don't fully get it and would be worried when I have to do it on my own that I won't be able to do it.

Can you give us a clue as to what the industry is?

Maybe its not for you, but dont quit! Find something better and then make the move. What did you do before?

star56 · 13-01-2015 10:06pm

syklops wrote: »

Can you give us a clue as to what the industry is?

Its office / admin type work. Afraid to say industry in case someone might recognize me!

Maybe its not for you, but dont quit! Find something better and then make the move. What did you do before?

I worked in office admin before but not accounts. Accounts are my downfall

Humour Me · 13-01-2015 10:10pm

OP, I used to train people in my last job and always told them it would take 6-8 weeks to get an understanding of how and why things were done. I was showing them the steps in the program to complete separate tasks but let them know they would need experience to see how each task would link up.

Try and break it down into individual tasks, logging an invoice, paying a bill etc. Make notes that make sense to you, ask them to talk you through the steps while you do the processing on the system, don't just watch while they do it.

If its any consolation, I started a new job as well at the start of the year and am in the same position as you, learning brand new systems and ways of doing things. I understand the frustration of having to go back over something a few times but it will payoff in a few weeks, you will get the hang of it.

The_Chap · 13-01-2015 10:10pm

star56 wrote: »

I worked in office admin before but not accounts. Accounts are my downfall

If your employer has confidence in you, then suggest going on an accounts course to get confidence in yourself, any employer worth working for will be happy for you to do this

heldel00 · 13-01-2015 10:12pm

Look at each task you have to do on individual basis. Write down every step, word for word, in a notebook. When you happy with that move on to the next one, write it down too and so on ...
Hopefully your boss will be impressed with you showing an interest and being keen to learn.

Roselm · 13-01-2015 10:17pm

Don't forget the guy explaining them to you just might not be good at teaching.
Maybe he goes too fast, is unaware of the amount of knowledge you have, uses overly technical language, doesn't explain fully what to do and why (and because it's all new your brain can't work out the gaps in what he's said)...

TimeToShine · 13-01-2015 10:58pm

There are people all over the country coasting through their job without having a clue or giving a feck. The fact that you have a conscience and are willing to look for help is half the battle. There is nothing wrong with asking people for help.

my teapot is orange · 13-01-2015 11:13pm

Takes time OP. I'm starting to get the hang of my new job now. (week 6 or 7) And that's apparently fairly normal I'm told.

SimonLynch · 13-01-2015 11:23pm

star56 wrote: »

I worked in office admin before but not accounts. Accounts are my downfall

If it's chasing people for money you're worried about, don't worry. People will stretch credit terms as much as they can but won't hold it against you personally chasing it when it's due :-)

star56 · 13-01-2015 11:35pm

SimonLynch wrote: »

If it's chasing people for money you're worried about, don't worry. People will stretch credit terms as much as they can but won't hold it against you personally chasing it when it's due :-)

I'm worried about example if I post wrong invoice to wrong account if the amount I work out that is owed to a supplier is wrong if I can't match the amounts on the system with the statement supplier has sent. If I can't figure out where a certain figure came from.

TallGlass · 16-01-2015 8:21pm

Same boat here. Started a new job two weeks ago. Totally new field.

Everything is new, what you know and what you do in the real world are completely different. I get some amount of brain farts a day, it is and IT role and the most basic things I could do on my home computer go out the window. This panic just sets in. I will stick it out, but people trying to explain about 15/20 different new things to you a day then putting time frames of you'll be grand in 3 months time etc.. Is not great.

Then there's the hierarchy of teams, then on each system the teams maybe called something else, add into the fact the main guy that knows most of the stuff is leaving. Also the other guys have fluent English but it's not there native tongue so can be hard to understand there way of saying things. I will keep on pushing at it until it becomes more stress than it's worth. You don't know where it's going to go, worst thing that could happen is it dose not work out!

Cant do new job

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