First New Job... Need Advice Please

jamie124

Hi There,
So I am posting here as I am looking for some advice on my first ever job which I started yesterday.
I have SEVERE anxiety and social problems but I am overcoming them but here's the thing:
I won't name it obviously for certain reasons, basically it is a fast food restaurant in an extremely busy building with swarms and swarms of people.
Yesterday was my first day on the job and I was shown around, daily tasks that I will be doing/carrying out and also shadowing other employees.

I was put with a certain employee on the tills where orders and payments are taken and my job was to go and get her all of the items on the receipt, for this particular job it seems you have to be an incredibly fast-paced person, she kept telling me 'Your going too slow...Your WAY too slow... Why are you so slow??? HURRY UP!!!! OH MY GODDDDDDD JUST BE QUICK ALREADY WILL YOU!!!"...
That really knocked me backconsidering it was my first day but I just said "yes i'll try my best,sorry about that".
I was also asked to carry out certain tasks that I wasn't properly trained for yet and I made a complete mess of it and spilled stuff ALL OVER THE PLACE and the manager just asked me to get a mop and clean it - so I did and that was grand.
Then, returned to the front to continue getting these orders and was constantly being told "you need to go faster, you need to go faster,you need to go faster, your so slow, hurry up, why are you like this?"

This was a 7 hour shift so you can imagine how I was feeling, I must say it is incredibly stressful and my heart was RACING (not exagerating) the whole way through my shift, I got a 30 minute break to finally sit down and eat and I could barely eat due to the stress of it all, I was sweating...

I honestly felt like leaving and quiting on the spot, but I didn't ,I stuck through it.
I have to go in again tomorrow for an 8 hour shift which is even worse and god only knows what i'll be doing then... I think I'll have to try my best to find another job and get out of there...

What would anyone else do?
Thank You x

JakeBell

I think you have a fantastic opportunity here to help your anxiety and social problems. You've also learned what it's like to be the new person on the job and how it feels before you get up to speed, in the company of a poor team player. When you're experienced and pick up some speed (which will come) and a newbie comes in you'll be a much better mentor.

If somebody asks why you're so slow you respond that it's because you're new and that you haven't been working here as long as them. If they keep it up you mention it to your manager.

The first day is ALWAYS the worst. Well done for sticking with it and best of luck with tomorrow.

Senna

Yeah I'd agree with above, a crappy first job is probably the best start in your working life, if it was an easy job, you would not appreciate that a good jobs takes training and education.
Stick at it and take it as personality building.
Also, you will speed up, you will probably even notice a difference on the second day, the mentor was probably going over board, but it's usual to be pushed hard at the start, but not abused.

Tasden

Yeah I would just be polite and say "sorry it's my first day/I'm new, and only learning, I'm really trying here" and if they don't back off a bit maybe say it again later-"listen I know you're under pressure too but telling me to hurry up like that isn't helping, I'm trying my best". If they don't chill out after that then you know they're just a dick so ignore them.

We all started new somehwere and had to learn the ropes. It's a big step starting a new job especially when you have anxiety so don't let a rude idiot make you feel nervous on top of that. They are probably feeling under pressure too but if you remind them that you're new and trying hopefully they'll realise they're being ridiculous shouting at you like that. Once you learn how to do everything and pick up the pace a bit you'll be less stressed. But it does take time, don't let people be mean to you just because you're only learning what they already know. They went through the learning process just the way you are so keep that in mind. You won't learn without making mistakes so don't sweat all that stuff. Just give it your best and explain it to people if they get frustrated-"sorry I'm new, trying to get the hang of it, just bare with me thanks". Also, people like helping people generally so if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. Obviously during a rush when things are stressful and hectic isn't the best time to ask but generally speaking

Best of luck. Try not to get too stressed about the job, if you're doing your bet it's all you can do so don't worry about other people.

ligerdub

You're going to be working with arseholes for the rest of your working life. I can't think of a workplace I've been in where there weren't at least a few of them.

It'll be especially prominent if it's somebody who has managed to gain a bit of seniority but outside of their job they've never had it before. They'll probably prey on the fact if you seem to be very submissive to them, so don't fall for that one. I suggest you say to her that you just want to do a good job, and that you're going as fast as you can. That the speed you'll do the job will improve with time.

You can control how these people impact on your working day. The important thing to remember is that you can't control how others are, but if you're true to yourself and you do your best you can go home happy. Don't be afraid to push back a bit.

tinpib

Sounds like you did ok. How did today go?

Ursus Horribilis

A busy fast food restaurant as a first job is a baptism of fire for most people. You've been treated, over the course of one day, to two of the toughest things most people meet in their jobs. Pressure and horrible colleagues.

Most people will tell you that their first day on a new job is tough. Even if everyone they meet is nice. It takes a while to get settled in any job. A fast food restaurant job isn't particularly difficult to get a handle on but it is one with a lot of pressure. New jobs get easier with time so don't jack it in yet.

Now your colleague is a different kettle of fish. Welcome to the world of office politics! Unfortunately, many workplaces have at least one waste of oxygen on their books. Learning how to deal with them is a useful skill to hone. Your colleague was bang out of order in the way she behaved. My guess is that she picked up on your nervousness and anxiety and went to town on it. This is behaviour that needs to be nipped in the bud. If you don't stand up to her, she's probably going to get worse. Now, I remember your previous posts and how you had problems with your horrible stepfather. Whatever you do, do not take this approach with your colleague. You need to learn how to hide your fear behind a cool exterior and to prepare some answers if she starts up that Hurry Up stuff again. You are never going to be her friend so don't try to ingratiate yourself with her. If it was me I'd be saying things such as "I'm still learning the job" and "shouting at me isn't going to make me go faster". Is your manager around when she's at this? Perhaps a "I need to have a word with X (the manager) might soften her cough".

Perhaps though, a pressurised job in a fast find restaurant isn't the right move for someone with severe anxiety? If you're seeing a therapist, have you discussed it with him/her?

1moo345

I was exactly like you and my first proper job was fast food. It has been ny experience with fast food in particular that I got treated worse by the staff ten times more than a customer.... Although people are right, starting there means when you get a goos job you love it because working hard in fast food makes most other jobs easy. Good luck and you will grow harder over time. It will help with the anxiety because one day you'll be so sick of it you'll stand up for yourself.

jamie124

tinpib wrote: »

Sounds like you did ok. How did today go?

Terribly bad They had me on the tills taking orders and I really wasn't ready for that! If you get me, there are a thousand headings and sub-headings on the system and they expected me to press them all in 20 seconds!!.
Again, THE MANAGER said "you need to hurry up" and some of the stuff ran out (food) and I used my initiative to re-fill it and the manager (who I only met yesterday) said "NOOOOOOOO!!!" "NOOOOOOO!!!" and pulled me back by the arm (literally) oh lord I just want to leave it!

JakeBell

You seem terribly pessimistic about it all. I'm not saying it's not tough but we can only guess how bad it really is. It does seem that you are going through great efforts to point out the negatives. I'm sure you're not making them up but work isn't always sunshine and rainbows.

What you've told us about your second day of work is:

• It was your first day on the tills and you weren't used to the layout
• Your manager told you to hurry up
• You incorrectly refilled food and your manager said "No, no".

Nobody is going to be shocked that a new fast food employee experienced any of those. You also say the manager grabbed your arm. Only you know if this is a proper issue.

It's your first job and I'm sure it's a bit of a shock to the system but you have to start looking at the positives too. Almost everyone here has had bad days and bad jobs. Most of the time you just have to get on with it and get stuck in. Work isn't always easy, especially starting off.

You will get quicker at it. People will have no more need to tell you to hurry up. You will learn the correct protocols and procedures. It might never be a nice job, many aren't, but you may be able to put your experience in it to good use in the future.

jamie124

JakeBell wrote: »

You seem terribly pessimistic about it all. I'm not saying it's not tough but we can only guess how bad it really is. It does seem that you are going through great efforts to point out the negatives. I'm sure you're not making them up but work isn't always sunshine and rainbows.

It's your first job and I'm sure it's a bit of a shock to the system but you have to start looking at the positives too. Almost everyone here has had bad days and bad jobs. Most of the time you just have to get on with it and get stuck in. Work isn't always easy, especially starting off.

You will get quicker at it. People will have no more need to tell you to hurry up. You will learn the correct protocols and procedures. It might never be a nice job, many aren't, but you may be able to put your experience in it to good use in the future.

I know and see where you are coming from but I am just finding it incredibly difficult and they are expecting me to learn everything really fast.. My heart was racing all day yesterday and now I have a massive headache as a side-effect of the stress I am currently looking for somewhere else to work but there doesn't seem to be many jobs advertised at the moment...I also worked an 8 and a half hour shift (11:30AM-8:00PM) and got a 30 minute break...

JakeBell

jamie124 wrote: »

I know and see where you are coming from but I am just finding it incredibly difficult and they are expecting me to learn everything really fast.. My heart was racing all day yesterday and now I have a massive headache as a side-effect of the stress I am currently looking for somewhere else to work but there doesn't seem to be many jobs advertised at the moment...I also worked an 8 and a half hour shift (11:30AM-8:00PM) and got a 30 minute break...

By all means look for a new job. A lot of employees are always looking for new positions, that's a good thing.
But I think that you need to start believing that you are there until you find a new job. It's likely you're making things tougher for yourself by viewing it so negatively.

Did you improve on the till over the 8 hours? Did you get more familiar with the layout?

jamie124

JakeBell wrote: »

By all means look for a new job. A lot of employees are always looking for new positions, that's a good thing.
But I think that you need to start believing that you are there until you find a new job. It's likely you're making things tougher for yourself by viewing it so negatively.

Did you improve on the till over the 8 hours? Did you get more familiar with the layout?

I was put on the tills for the last 3 hours of my shift and I just had fellow employees shaking their heads and getting frustrated with me and managers saying "Okay, you can serve customers now, you are a strong BOY" ????
I really don't get it...
I was just thinking though, If I could ask the manager's/recruitment team if they could roster me during quieter times? or let them know that I am finding it incredibly difficult (particularly on the tills) ? or would that be wrong of me? I am severely stressed about it and really feel like not going in tomorrow it's really bad.. I'm not sure I can handle it but i'm going to have to until I find somewhere else...

jamie124

Okay, look i'm looking at it this way:
Positives:
- Money (I'm getting paid)
- Skills ( I can develop and learn new skills )
- Customer Service
- Getting to work as part of a team ( well sort of )
Negatives:
- Stressful/Severe Pressure
- Fellow employees can be tough to deal with
- Customers can get angry
- Some (I repeat SOME) managers not very understanding
- Long Hours
- Physical Demanding Work

Overall, If you look at it all, there are more negatives than positives...

RossieMan

Physically demanding work?

I don't think you understand what that is. All.work is stressful, you've been there for 2 days.

I really think you need to suck it up and work harder. It'll come in time, but you've got to stick with it.


I think tough love is the way to go here. No point telling you you're doing brilliantly. You need to be fast with customers, it's what you're paid to do.

Ursus Horribilis

Nobody goes into a new job and hits the ground running. They're asking a lot of you, seeing as you're only out of school and have never worked in a place like it before. There's fault on both sides here. Expecting you to learn how to operate a till while all hell is breaking loose is not fair. It sounds like the place is operating with a bare minimum of staff and that they can't spare someone to sit down with you for a while and bring you through it without a customer on the other side of the counter.

You said you suffer from severe anxiety. This may be feeding into your negativity about the job. It really shouldn't be this hard. It's a tough job physically but operating tills and cleaning floors and such like aren't rocket science. You should be starting to get the hang of it now. Have you been in touch with your therapist recently?

JakeBell

jamie124 wrote: »

Okay, look i'm looking at it this way:
Positives:
- Money (I'm getting paid)
- Skills ( I can develop and learn new skills )
- Customer Service
- Getting to work as part of a team ( well sort of )
Negatives:
- Stressful/Severe Pressure
- Fellow employees can be tough to deal with
- Customers can get angry
- Some (I repeat SOME) managers not very understanding
- Long Hours
- Physical Demanding Work

Overall, If you look at it all, there are more negatives than positives...

Now you're just extracting the urine. Anyone in customer service can tick off all of those.

Stick with it. Fair play to you for going back the second day. An 8 hour shift on a Sunday in a fast food restaurant is a tough ask for your second day in so again fair play. It WILL get easier.

L'prof

jamie124 wrote: »

Okay, look i'm looking at it this way:
Positives:
- Money (I'm getting paid)
- Skills ( I can develop and learn new skills )
- Customer Service
- Getting to work as part of a team ( well sort of )
Negatives:
- Stressful/Severe Pressure
- Fellow employees can be tough to deal with
- Customers can get angry
- Some (I repeat SOME) managers not very understanding
- Long Hours
- Physical Demanding Work

Overall, If you look at it all, there are more negatives than positives...

This far outweighs all the cons! You need to give it more time. You will improve and get quicker and settle in. If after a few months it genuinely still hasn't improved then start to look for a new job. All the best. You can turn this around if you stick with it

XxMCRxBabyxX

jamie124 wrote: »

Okay, look i'm looking at it this way:
Positives:
- Money (I'm getting paid)
- Skills ( I can develop and learn new skills )
- Customer Service
- Getting to work as part of a team ( well sort of )
Negatives:
- Stressful/Severe Pressure
- Fellow employees can be tough to deal with
- Customers can get angry
- Some (I repeat SOME) managers not very understanding
- Long Hours
- Physical Demanding Work

Overall, If you look at it all, there are more negatives than positives...

There are very few jobs out there that won't have most, if not all of the above. 8 hours would also be considered average for any role.

You're suffering from new job anxiety, added to by your existing anxiety problem. You have two options: quit the job now and have to go through the same anxiety again in your next job or stick it out and learn your way around so that you won't make any more mistakes. I'd go for the second choice if I were you. Chances are that you'll get used to it and will realise that there was nothing to worry about. If not, then you can quit but at least you stuck it out long enough to know that it doesn't suit you (that's how I learned to never waitress again).

shootermacg

In a few weeks, of work, it will be so routine, that you'll be able to do it whith your eyes closed. For now just put up with it. My first custormer service job was a nightclub barman, I freaked the first day or two but after a week I thought I was god! The free drink definately helped there ^ ^.

JakeBell

jamie124 wrote: »

Negatives:
- Stressful/Severe Pressure
- Fellow employees can be tough to deal with
- Customers can get angry
- Some (I repeat SOME) managers not very understanding
- Long Hours
- Physical Demanding Work

Which of these were you not expecting?


There are interviews for the Civil Service taking place (and being discussed in great detail in this forum) and do you know what kind of questions they are asking?

Q. Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague.
Q. Describe a time when you had a difficult experience with a customer and what actions you took.
Q. Tell us about the most high-pressured job you worked in.

Everyone has answers for these.


You came here looking for advice and I feel that you may have expected/hoped that we'd tell you to jump ship. Accept that the general consensus is that you should stick with this. Stick with it (I'm sure you would have anyway) and let us know how it is after a few more days.

BoatMad

The nature of any customer facing role is that it gets intense, especially when faced with lots of simultaneous customers. Smile, try to be calm , agitated staff make for agitated customers, Being a customer of fast food joints, very few are in reality " run off their feet : ,busy yes, of course

The skills you need will come with repetition , thats why they put you into those situations , the best way to learn a cash register , is to use it, not to be told how to use it . ( cause your brain wont remember anything )

Just calm down , and take things as you find them, apologise for your mistakes and move on to the next task

soon youll be hassling the newbie and complaining at the state of new staff !!!

seamus

jamie124 wrote: »

Again, THE MANAGER said "you need to hurry up" and some of the stuff ran out (food) and I used my initiative to re-fill it and the manager (who I only met yesterday) said "NOOOOOOOO!!!" "NOOOOOOO!!!" and pulled me back by the arm (literally) oh lord I just want to leave it!

That's fine, and there's nothing worse than being knocked back when you've used your initiative, but don't let it discourage you from using your initiative in future.

The one thing, which is hard to do, is to try and not take any of this stuff personally. When the manager says "you need to hurry up", just nod and say "ok", he'll move on to something else, and you keep going. You can't make yourself get faster, it'll come with time.

It's a tough one for a first low-wage job, as it's high pressure and everyone around you (including management) is usually too young to have enough experience to understand the importance of being nice. Remember that everyone else around you has dispensed with niceties because they're feeling stressed and under pressure too.
There's likely also a "baptism of fire" culture in these workplaces where people are unashamedly hard on newbies in order to "toughen them up".

A lot of the negatives you're listing there can also be positives. No matter where you work, you will encounter a tough colleague or two and an asshole manager or three. Spend some time dealing with it now, when the stakes are low and you can just walk out one day and give them the finger, and you'll gain experience on how to deal with these people when you're 35 and have a mortgage to pay.

YiddoOConnell

Well I was in a similar position a month ago but it wasn't my first job but yet it was my first time in a fast food outlet and all staff were nice. I was making pizza's and nothing else and I really enjoyed it but learning off 30 plus pizzas was not easy and after 4 weeks manager calls me and tells me name and list what in each pizza and I told him could I write down and call them out to him as it be easier for me to do it that way but he said he wouldn't do that in the real world. So then he said not good enough and then said I never answered the phones but I was told just stick to my area in work place when I started and don't go near till or phone or cooker so I thought it was unfair to say I didn't do something which I was told not to do. So he left me go and said he would give me a P45 which I thought was a joke for only a months work. All staff were shocked to hear I was going. There is some staff in that place maybe a year or longer and still don't know half the pizza's.

Anyway things will get easier but if you find it a struggle give it a time framw until you think that it is worth staying around for. It's not worth getting paid just to get grief all the time. Also it's easy to get another job when you have a job so apply for a few on the side.

ligerdub

Your colleagues sound like a bunch of gimps in my opinion.

Anyway, try and stick at it as it sounds like any sort of experience is good for the CV.

jamie124

So guys,
I decided to leave altogether..
I know that you are all probably thinking oh he chickened out bla bla.. but honestly, I clearly wasn't able for it and it was incredibly stressful and pressurising and messing with my anxiety.

I will need to find something more up my street e.g. - office work or something... or somewhere not near as busy....

I've e-mailed them so i'm hoping to hear something back soon...

Thanks for the advice/help, I've made my decision.

My family agreed with me and advised me to see someone about my anxiety/stress problems once again, I'm living in a different location now so I have a new doctor to talk to to see if he can refer me on to someone.

Thanks again x

Ursus Horribilis

I see elsewhere on boards that you were hoping to work as cabin crew with an airline. Perhaps this experience will send you back to the drawing board on that. While this job sounds like it would've been tough for anyone, it has a lot of things in common with any job where you deal with the public.

minalaury

Good for you OP. The fact that they were trying to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of you before even bothering to train you in tells you everything you need to know about that workplace. And i promise you not all jobs are like that. Good luck with the next one!

RossieMan

Perhaps you might give your next job a real chance. You can't have given it much in 3 days.

I know it's not for everyone, but you do need to atleast try.

Edit:

This may have been a little too harsh. But i don't know anyone who liked their job and was brilliant at it within a couple of days.

ligerdub

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I see elsewhere on boards that you were hoping to work as cabin crew with an airline. Perhaps this experience will send you back to the drawing board on that. While this job sounds like it would've been tough for anyone, it has a lot of things in common with any job where you deal with the public.

To be fair to him the issue here seems to be about arsehole colleagues and a lack of compromise in the training from management. Customers weren't mentioned as an issue.

Unless he moves to working in a place with continuously demanding deadlines then his next venture will be much different.

Tasden

All the best with your anxiety treatment.
Hopefully your next job goes better for you

Hrududu

My advice would be to give your next job a bit more of a shot. When things are stressful on day 1 tell yourself that 2 weeks from now it will be easier. It always will be. After 2 weeks you'll know your way around. You'll know how to work the till. You'll be faster. You'll know how to handle your colleagues. All you have to do is keep the head down, keep learning and know that it will improve.

Throwing in the towel so early will never do you any good.

JakeBell

We'll never really know how much of this was your mental issues and how much was you simply not liking work. But I really don't think it was just your anxiety. I don't think you liked being faced with the reality of work and wanted out straight away. I think you were looking for justification here from the start but that didn't go to plan.
You worked in a fast food restaurant for 2 days (a 7hr shift and a 8.5hr shift) and you listed 'long hours' as a negative! You also listed 'physical demanding work' as a negative. It doesn't sound good from here. "Customers can get angry"? No sh1t.

You sound very soft and maybe there is a more suited role for you. But best of luck finding a role where you find nothing to complain about. Customers will get angry, managers will tell you to hurry up, you will have to lift stuff, you will have to work for 8 hours, it will get stressful.

A very large part of me thinks that your family should have given you a boot in the hole and told you not to dare give it up. Too many families wrap their precious boys and girls in cotton wool. But as I said I don't know exactly how much of this was genuine mental issues. Best of luck finding something to suit you.

GirlOutWest

Firstly, I think the attitude & behavior from your work colleagues and manager in charge was a disgrace. They can not expect you to be fast and efficient with no or little training. Had you received a little more patience from your work colleagues, I think you might have found the whole experience a little more rewarding. And maybe even still be in the job.

But that's the past, on to the future....

I know a lot of the other forumites will disagree with me but my first reaction would have been the same as yours, just leave the job (and the A-holes). There are other jobs out there (if you are willing to take anything) and for the stress and anxiety it caused you, I really don't think it was worth it. Life is too short. Yes, of course you have to work and first days in new jobs are NEVER easy but they shouldn't be THAT difficult and stressful either.

I think you did the right thing

jamie124

GirlOutWest wrote: »

Firstly, I think the attitude & behavior from your work colleagues and manager in charge was a disgrace. They can not expect you to be fast and efficient with no or little training. Had you received a little more patience from your work colleagues, I think you might have found the whole experience a little more rewarding. And maybe even still be in the job.

But that's the past, on to the future....

I know a lot of the other forumites will disagree with me but my first reaction would have been the same as yours, just leave the job (and the A-holes). There are other jobs out there (if you are willing to take anything) and for the stress and anxiety it caused you, I really don't think it was worth it. Life is too short. Yes, of course you have to work and first days in new jobs are NEVER easy but they shouldn't be THAT difficult and stressful either.

I think you did the right thing

Finally someone who actually understands! Thank You x

JakeBell

JakeBell wrote: »

I don't think you liked being faced with the reality of work and wanted out straight away. I think you were looking for justification here from the start but that didn't go to plan.

GirlOutWest wrote: »

I think you did the right thing

jamie124 wrote: »

Finally someone who actually understands! Thank You x

It took a while but you got it!

RossieMan

This thread is a train wreck. If the OP doesn't get the justification they ate looking for they ignore it.

jamie124

Ok so i'm not ignoring anyone AT ALL but a lot of people on here are being slightly harsh if I must say... Anxiety is an everyday struggle particularly if you have it severely... anyways, just wanted to get that out there...

Senna

Yes but everyone has issues, I could write pages on the what I've went through and what is currently going on in my life, but who cares?
It's up to you if you want to use that issue as a crutch in your life or get on with it regardless.

Only YOU care about your anxiety issues and it will be only used as justification for YOU not doing something, YOU not experiencing something or YOU giving up on something.
When you look back on your young adulthood, will you say "well I didn't do x, y or z but it's OK, I have an excuse".