Really Don't Like My New Role

Lollipops23

Bit of background- I was in Toronto for a year, temped and built up some great experience. Came home to a job and stayed there for a year,until I left for my current role.

4 months on, and I'm really not liking it. It's a Big 4, so the culture is fairly intense. I thought I'd be able for it but the truth is, I'm not. So much of the role is a stretch for me- I don't have a finance background, so I'm doing my best to learn on the job, but still don't feel good enough.

I have some medical issues (thankfully under control for the most part), but it's important to me that I maintain a decent work life balance so as to make sure I'm rested and not burning out, as this could have serious reprecussions for me if I don't.

With that in mind, I simply can't stay in the office until 9pm every night, as so many in my office do. They are in finance roles, whereas I am admin. I feel like it's expected of me to do as they do, and I just can't.

I know trying to find something else will make me look very non-commital and jumpy. I'm just lost and the stress is really starting to get to me.

Lux23

I would give it another couple of months and if you still feel the same way then maybe start looking for a new position. A couple of things, are you getting paid as much as those in finance roles? If not then going home at a decent time shouldn't be frowned upon. Also, have you talked to anyone formally about your performance? If nothing has been said, then they may well be quite happy with you.

Lollipops23

Hi Lux, thanks so much for the advice- I haven't verbalised it a lot, so it's nice to get some support!

Money-wise, no- the "finance types" would be on about 10-20k more than me (besides the very junior grads, and they'd be on track to be on the big bucks in the next 18-24 months). They all would have studied for the area in college, and I have no interest in moving into that area down the line.

Nothing's been said to me directly, but I can feel the judgement/annoyance when I make an error (which isn't all that often, but it does happen as it's a totally new world to me).

TheDoc

Lollipops23 wrote: »

With that in mind, I simply can't stay in the office until 9pm every night, as so many in my office do. They are in finance roles, whereas I am admin. I feel like it's expected of me to do as they do, and I just can't../QUOTE]

Word of advice, it's not expected of you, if your not being paid for it, or receiving overtime.

Part of the US culture that has come over here, but instead here it's just exploited. If you were expected to stay after hours you'd be compensated for that expectation. Otherwise it's just people assuming that extra work will be rewarded or recognized down the line, and I can assure you in most cases it is not.

There are some departments in my company whereby that staying late craic they do is built as part of their bonus, a total nonsense.

I know my immediate reaction when I see people in my department working late or working on weekends, is that they might be struggling with the workload. My first thought is never "oh arn't they doing great"

Don't feel pressured into staying behind extra hours just because others are doing it. It's a culture that needs to literally be stamped out.

I'm yet to ever see it work out for someone, and all I see is burn out and generally aggravation when its eventually not rewarded or compensated

Lollipops23

I do get to bank the time (and I plan on using it over Xmas) so thankfully it's not time down the drain. I'd just prefer to decide when I do and and don't stay til late (I say that knowing that, sometimes, it's just busy. In those instances I have no issue sticking around until the work is done).

I agree entirely that so much of it is to "be seen". I hate it- I have a life outside work, and I've one colleague that openly admits to barely seeing her OH as she's in the office such long hours. There is no amount you could pay me for that life.

kaymin

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I do get to bank the time (and I plan on using it over Xmas) so thankfully it's not time down the drain. I'd just prefer to decide when I do and and don't stay til late (I say that knowing that, sometimes, it's just busy. In those instances I have no issue sticking around until the work is done).

I agree entirely that so much of it is to "be seen". I hate it- I have a life outside work, and I've one colleague that openly admits to barely seeing her OH as she's in the office such long hours. There is no amount you could pay me for that life.

Just stay late if its busy and urgent work needs to be done - and as long as its only on the rare occasion. Having worked in the big4 its only rarely I'd have needed admin staff to stay back late - you're not paid for that!

listermint

Dont stay late, why are you staying late ?

Has someone brought you into an office and said i need you to work late.

At the end of the day those other grads are chasing the money that these big 4 dangle in front of them. Let them, thats not your job.

Work the allocated hours, its an Admin job at then end of the day. If there is a budget or project at the end of the month you need to put hours in for yourself fair enough. But his craic of doing it 3-4 nights a week, no.

Just go home.

Lollipops23

Thanks for the words of support everyone. I think I need to be a bit more firm with my boundaries tbh- and re-assert that I am first and foremost admin staff, and not a consultant/assistant.

I have a performance plan meeting tomo (everyone across the company does it, it's not just for me!) and my appraiser is going to do it with me. I get the impression she's going to use it as a performance review (ick) so am dreading it.

livedadream

i have to add to the others posters ive worked in that enviroment and as an admin you are not expeicted to be there that late.

i get hat your saying in terms of the others and yes no one likes to see a clock watcher or someone who tears out the gap at 5pm on the button but staying for the sake of it is pointless.

start job hunting and stick it out if you can but dont risk your health.

ligerdub

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I agree entirely that so much of it is to "be seen". I hate it- I have a life outside work, and I've one colleague that openly admits to barely seeing her OH as she's in the office such long hours. There is no amount you could pay me for that life.

Well that's her choice, and believe me it is a choice. It's a choice you have too.

It sounds to me that the hours thing is a mental block for you. If that's the case you can rest assured that you do what you sign up for, what's on your contract. I'm not suggesting that you bolt for the door at daily quitting time if something critical but very much rare pops up and you need to do a bit of a longer evening to sort it out. It should be very much the rarity, and by that I'm not even factoring in a couple of hours extra a week here. If you're contract states a finishing time of 5pm then you should be like dust from there by 5.15pm. That work will still be there tomorrow.

To put it another way, you say you're made to feel bad by not staying late. I'd flip that on it's head by saying that people who expect you to stay late SHOULD feel bad about themselves. Your time is none of their business outside of the working day.

A bigger issue once you've freed yourself from that one is seeing if the career is right for you. You can afford to give yourself a bit more to figure that one out though, unless you've already written it off.

Lollipops23

Thank you for the advice- one of the senior managers actually took me to lunch the other day "to catch up". I think she might actually have an inkling that I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all, and she was asking if people were dumping work on me.

I'm going to do my best to stick it out for a while longer- I suppose I need to just get into the habit of leaving with 10-15 mins of my actual finish time.

beauf

Perhaps you need to establish ground rules in your own head. Don't try to do everything.

witchgirl26

OP as someone who's been in the finance side of the Big 4 environment, there is no way that the admin support staff (who generally keep everyone sane!) would be expected to put in the same hours as the audit/tax teams. Unless there were accounts due out that the admin was helping to get printed etc but that is generally rare. I know our team admin was never really there past 6pm any night except those rare ocassions.

A lot of time the overtime put in by the finance teams are to accrue up study leave if they're in a junior role (otherwise it'll be unpaid & that is not good) and also because jobs are a bit understaffed sometimes so requires a few extra hours.

My suggestion would be to start leaving around your official end of day but if you think that something else might be needed, pop a head into one of the partners/directors/managers in your team and ask if there's anything they need you to do this evening before you head off. They'll appreciate the offer (well they should) but you've made it clear that you're leaving too.

ligerdub

You don't need permission to go home, just go home.

If your manager or whatever needs you for something it's up to them to bring it to you. By going yourself you're asking for trouble (oh it's quitting time and you're willing to do more work, I'll just take this opportunity to exploit this offer so), and makes you vulnerable to become the office doormat.