[Have Hope]

Oh gosh. It's been two days of headaches so far in my new job, and I worry about being able to not only survive there, but thrive there.

I have to learn an entirely new tool to do my job - I thought I was told in the interview process that I could use the tool I am familiar with. Then when I proposed to my new boss that we use the tool I know, he turned me down. So now I have to learn a whole new tool for web analytics.

My boss also suggested I help a team member next week with something that is off track from our agreed upon first steps. I was confused about it, asked my boss, then felt like a total fool afterwards for even asking him.

I have to attend a total of 9 company orientation meetings this week, which is overwhelming by itself.

Video calls are required for the orientation meetings, and my video camera does not work on my new work computer, so I've been on the phone with IT several times so far to resolve this. It has not been resolved yet. I have to use my personal computer to use the video camera.

And because it's such a large company, they have many different web applications and various online systems for different functions. I am overwhelmed by how many online applications I have to know and learn. It's confusing and there's far too many.

Then it turns out I won't receive my 1st paycheck until the end of this month! I have to cover myself financially on my own until then. I was NOT counting on this... I was counting on getting my 1st paycheck mid-month on the 15th. This sets me back a great deal financially.

I am really overwhelmed and feel disheartened.

I know any new job in the beginning is an adjustment and difficult.. but I came from a tiny sized company and now work for a HUGE company. That's quite a difference.

I really hope that I can fit in there and thrive after I adjust and learn all the systems, but I am really scared and worried.

What if I don't survive????

[divine1966]

You can do it! “What if” isn’t a good attitude. Do your best with intent to succeed. You might just have to work long hours in the beginning learning all this new thing. In a way it might be helpful to be home all day and not having anyone bothering you.

My nephew moved across the country for a new job right before pandemics. When he arrived he had to work from home because his arrival coincide with a lockdown. They gave him tasks that he didn’t think he’d have to do. It was quite different. Since he was by himself and all alone in his city and on a lock down he just worked 12 hours a day learning stuff he apparently didn’t exactly know. He was freaking out a bit. After awhile he was good. Now a year later he is not having any issues at works all day.

My husband just started a new job this fall and even though it’s the same field, this hospital does many things differently like totally unfamiliar equipment, unfamiliar procedures, different data system, different policies. He was freaking out that he is too old for a change. But he seems ok now. Although he is still obsessing but that’s a given.

New jobs are stressful. No way about it. But every job was new at some point and then becomes familiar and you learn things. You can also ask for help on things, not complaining though. You can do it!!!!

Those of us who have to work for a living and aren’t independently wealthy just have to keep swimming. Just have to. You can do it

[Have Hope]

Just keep swimming, keep swimming.... I keep thinking of Dori from the movie Finding Nemo!

Thanks @divine1966! Those are great examples!

I've now just been pulled into an emergency project of critical importance to my company CEO! And now I have to strut and flex my professional muscles to get the job done well and done right to please the CEO! OMG! I am being pulled out of the remainder of my orientation meetings in order to do this project that has a very quick turnaround - I'm kind of freaking out over it! Talk about being thrown right into the fire in my first week!

[divine1966]

You can do it!!!!

[Have Hope]

Originally Posted by divine1966

You can do it!!!!

Lordy, I sure hope so!!!!!!

And thanks!!!!!

[Have Hope]

I worked 10 hours today and since 6 AM on this project for the CEO. I am EXHAUSTED and want to just pass out.

[Yzen]

Every new job I have started seems to have a 'honeymoon' period where I think I made a mistake. Usually it takes a few weeks before I get into a comfort zone and realize I can survive. I hope that is the case with you. Stick with it for some weeks and reserve judgement until you can look back objectively and see if things are better or worst.

I hope it works out for you!

[Have Hope]

Originally Posted by Yzen

Every new job I have started seems to have a 'honeymoon' period where I think I made a mistake. Usually it takes a few weeks before I get into a comfort zone and realize I can survive. I hope that is the case with you. Stick with it for some weeks and reserve judgement until you can look back objectively and see if things are better or worst.

I hope it works out for you!

@Yzen, thanks and agreed!!!! It will work out, I am sure of it. I just need to get past the initial starter jitters!!!

[Have Hope]

So, there is already a woman in my group who is disrespecting me and my expertise in my field. She is a project manager, and as far as I can tell, she is not above me. But on a team call I was on yesterday, she was explaining aspects of my field to others, when that is MY job to do. Then when she said she had done a search in Google for a company link and she couldn't find it ranking, I told her that manual searches in Google are not accurate. Her response was "I already knew that". Clearly, she did NOT know this, or else she would not have said anything. So, she's a know-it-all who apparently knows my field of expertise inside and out, so why am I even there?

I was pissed to say the least.

Then when I handed in my part of the assignment for the CEO? She wrote me a personal email saying how well organized I am and how good my part of the assignment is - she said she read it and was smiling.

Yeah, so there... Looks like I am going to have to flex my muscles in this job, be very assertive and really prove myself.

My goal? To knock their socks off with successful outcomes and results and get anyone who thinks they can disrespect my knowledge and expertise to back the F off.

Don't worry, I will have a positive attitude about work overall, but this woman really pissed me off.

[Have Hope]

I'm going to leave this company. F them. I am SO livid about what happened this week, I cannot even speak about it. I will keep the job until I find another.

[divine1966]

You just started. Give it a chance. There are no perfect jobs out there. What happened? That woman said something? It’s just one woman and she doesn’t even know you yet. And you don’t know her. Give it a minute. Or something else happened?

[Have Hope]

There was another woman who completely violated my role, completely usurped my role, and who completely disrespected me and I am going to leave. I cannot comment any further right now.... I am too upset.

[Have Hope]

I've calmed down a little. I realized I cannot afford to leave my job and so I have no choice BUT to stick it out. I researched if I could quit based on "good cause" and I researched the employment laws in my state regarding being able to get unemployment again if I quit. And it's far too much of a risk to take. I would have to prove "good cause" which has a pretty clear definition. I would have to prove my case to the unemployment office that the job I was hired to do is in fact drastically different than the reality - which is what has happened here. I also owe far too much money right now, I would have to use the bank loan to survive, and then I would go deeper, far deeper, into debt. It would be most stressful for me if I took that route.

And based on what happened Friday, I am now very worried I will be fired.

On Friday, a colleague inserted HER own recommendations into MY work that has MY name on it. She and I had spoken on the phone that day to finalize a few details. I thought from that call that my document that I handed in to her was finalized and was the final version of what would be submitted to the CEO. She did NOT mention to me in that call that she was going to add her two cents to MY WORK AFTER WE HAD JUST SPOKEN ABOUT IT. This was MY portion of a project that I was hired to do. I was told I am the solo expert on the team in my field of expertise. Her own personal recommendations were completely erroneous and if followed, would defeat the entire objective and goal of the project - and the project would fail - and this was MY WORK and MY DOCUMENT WITH MY RECOMMENDATIONS.

I involved my boss, and I also approached her about it too. My boss called me directly about it, and while I did not get a talking to per se, he informed me of the company spirit involving collaboration. So I said, if I was hired to be the solo digital marketing expert on the team, and if HER ERRONEOUS recommendations are allowed to be included in MY WORK, then why I am even here?

YES - it was a really awful situation to be faced with IN MY VERY FIRST WEEK OF WORK!!!!!

So now I am scared. I have a call with the B (HER) on Tuesday AM to talk about it further and to explain why I removed her recommendations from my final document.

Facing a career change isn't easy. Taking all the things I know about working through a project both scientifically and instinctually, and now including a laundry list of new possibilities to be considered. Maybe I don't deserve this opportunity and experience and maybe I will never reach the fast track to a new life, but I know I need to keep telling myself to do what I would normally do, as difficult as that is sometimes.

[divine1966]

I am sure you’d not be fired. You can’t be expected to know all ins and outs the very first week. It’s an old established company and they built their spirit, which might not be your style, but you can’t possibly know! It takes a minute. If it becomes a pattern, then it’s a different story. But I’d not worry about being fired. Not happening

I don’t think you could or should quit right away. Good cause is impossible to prove in this case and I am sure you’d not get unemployment after quitting a job in few days after being hired. I don’t see that happening.

Having said that, if you do not think it’s a good fit, there is no harm in looking for a different job. Plenty of people quit jobs soon after being hired if they find out it’s a bad fit, but you gotta find something else first. Perhaps looking into being a consultant, it’s more solitary job I’d think.

Personally I’d give it time to see how the company runs and not do or say anything drastic. Nothing wrong with being assertive. I am certainly not a wallflower so I don’t suggest people become one. You need to be strategic about it though.

You can do it.

[Have Hope]

Originally Posted by divine1966

I am sure you’d not be fired. You can’t be expected to know all ins and outs the very first week. It’s an old established company and they built their spirit, which might not be your style, but you can’t possibly know! It takes a minute. If it becomes a pattern, then it’s a different story. But I’d not worry about being fired. Not happening

I don’t think you could or should quit right away. Good cause is impossible to prove in this case and I am sure you’d not get unemployment after quitting a job in few days after being hired. I don’t see that happening.

Having said that, if you do not think it’s a good fit, there is no harm in looking for a different job. Plenty of people quit jobs soon after being hired if they find out it’s a bad fit, but you gotta find something else first. Perhaps looking into being a consultant, it’s more solitary job I’d think.

Personally I’d give it time to see how the company runs and not do or say anything drastic. Nothing wrong with being assertive. I am certainly not a wallflower so I don’t suggest people become one. You need to be strategic about it though.

You can do it.

Thanks @divine1966.

I am thoroughly depressed about this right now. I worry I really screwed up, and I hope I can have a better week next week.

What's confusing is they say I am the in-house solo digital marketing expert, yet it's a collaborative culture. It's a fine balance I need to find and strike between being both collaborative and authoritative/managerial and a leader within my role. It's kind of new to me. A collaborative culture is not what doesn't work for me. It's people (a-holes) stepping on my toes and usurping my work in the manner that it was done.

I am going to keep my eyes open for other opportunities while I feel this place out more.

[Have Hope]

So, I am uncertain of how to handle things on Tuesday.... I need some advice, please. Because the wrong recommendation was already sent to higher ups, it will defeat and mess up all of my own efforts, and this is an assignment from the CEO himself. And I was not copied on any additional email sent with my finalized and revised copy, so I am assuming my final version was never sent to the higher ups.

In order to prevent a HUGE mistake from happening that makes ME look really bad in front of the CEO, should I follow up with my boss on Tuesday when we return to work again to ask if my final version will be sent so as to make sure the work is done correctly?

[divine1966]

Did you save your copy of the project? You should always save your own copy and maybe even print it. If something goes wrong and CEO says that’s a crap work, you can always say that’s not how your version looked like.

If the copy already went there, there is no point in asking about another version being sent. Is yours the only name on a project? If it’s group project then it is what it is. I’d probably not be asking for yet another version being sent in addition to what was sent already. Just see how it all plays out.

Who are you supposed to talk to on Tuesday?

[Have Hope]

Thanks @divine1966! I did already send my revisions and final copy to my team members to forward to the higher ups, after HER version was already sent out. Then I spoke with my boss about it on Friday and made it clear that her recommendations will ruin my own efforts, when really it's all MY work that should be submitted. Yes, I saved my own copy. But the problem is that I may not even get a chance to explain anything to the CEO himself. It's a 20,000 person company. The CEO will only just see that the work submitted did not accomplish his goal, and it will look really bad for me.

[divine1966]

So do what your boss tells you. So you told your boss that other colleague added wrong comments. What did your boss say you supposed to do now?

[Have Hope]

@divine1966. At my boss's suggestion, I'm now meeting with the woman Tuesday AM to "smooth things over" and clarify to her where I was coming from. Should I just point blank ask if she's going to forward my final recommendations? Or not ask at all? Or ask my boss instead of her if my final recommendations will be sent to the higher ups?

[divine1966]

Talk to her about where you are on it but also ask her what are her views. She must have some reasons for including her recommendations.

They already sent recommendations, didn’t they?. I’d not be asking to send yours again.

[Have Hope]

SHe does have a reason why but she never checked with me or consulted with me on the recommendation when it is MY job alone to do, it was MY document of recommendations that I put together myself, and when MY name is the name on the work. She's going to make me look really bad if I not speak up.

Thanks, divine. I think I have my answer!

[Have Hope]

WOW - jus WOW.

I got on a call with that woman. I not only got a talking to, but she was very punitive towards me, used very negative terms to describe my tone and my initial approach to her, and she was corrective towards me. The call left me feeling quite small, which I'm sure was her goal. Mission accomplished. She even told me what my job is, and corrected me on MY understanding of my role. This woman is superior to me, but she is NOT my boss! Then when I tried to describe and explain exactly why I had to remove her recommendation from my own work and recommendations, she told me she doesn't need to be "schooled" about my field of expertise.

I was really taken aback by her tone and nasty words.

I already hate this woman!

[divine1966]

Now you know to keep your distance from her (politely). The thing is that perhaps you misunderstood your role on the projects or how they do things, but it’s a new job for you and she’d catch more flies with honey by simply explaining it to you nicely. Honestly if she is a higher up and was there for awhile (even if she isn’t your boss she likely knows how things are being done) it’s better to not get into confrontations with her and just keep doing your job. It doesn’t sound like you’d win with her or be able to change how they do things.

Document your contributions and go with a flow. I hope you don’t have to see her every day. Focus on work tasks and save your own contributions for your records in case something ever goes wrong