View Full Version : two days into my job
Just an update ... just finished my second day at my new job. My head feels like it might explode with everything I need to remember!!
So far I have just been doing human resources stuff at the business office. Tomorrow will be my first day at my actual office. I'm nervous because my supervisor said I won't see clients until I do a 5 day intensive training in two weeks, but then today said things changed and I will be doing intakes next week! She will be going with me and showing me what to do, but I feel like I don't know anything about the job yet, so how can I do that?
I guess I just have to go with the flow. She'll be there and she will be helping me. She'll understand it is my first actual time with the clients following this model and procedure. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
I'm nervous because I knew it would be a lot of work, but now that it is really starting, I am getting really anxious. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can do this and everybody is new at some point.
You're on the right track - keep reminding yourself that you CAN do it, and that, as you said, everyone is new at some point. It's very true.
Take everything one step at a time. If you have a question, no matter how trivial it may seem, ask! If you think it is helpful, or an issue that may come up later, write it down and have it at your desk just in case. I asked questions all the time at my last job, and many of my supervisors remarked that it was refreshing to have an employee that actually asked questions instead of assuming the answer.
Keep in mind that your supervisor knows you are new, and they want you to be successful, but they also know that there is a major learning curve here. They will be there to support you until you feel comfortable - and the more slack you give yourself, the better you will be at learning the information quickly and correctly. Trust me, if you're worried constantly about forgetting things, you'll forget things. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Congratulations on the new job, by the way. I'm sure you'll do great!
Thank you so much, that helps a lot to read. It's nice to hear reassurance that I'm not the only one who feels this way starting out.
I am trying to learn to leave work at work too. I never can do it with any of my jobs, so this is something I need to work on.
Thank you again for your reply :)
Swgrl, I have a feeling they sense that you will be up for it! And it will be a nice challenge for you to sink your teeth into. Sometimes we learn best when we have to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones. Keeps the old brain on its toes, lol! It'll be good for you and your anxiety to have something learning-based to concentrate on, you'll see :D
Marie :hugs:
Most people are very anxious in the first few weeks of a new job so you are doing really well. Everything will soon fit into place. Just take each day as it comes. Your superviser sounds really good so don't be afraid to ask if you are unsure of anything. You can do this, I have every confidence in you. You have achieved so much! Well done.
Thank you so much :) You are all so wonderful and sweet.
I head out for the day in about a half hour. I worry about asking for help TOO much and looking needy/stupid, but then again I guess if I was a supervisor I'd rather somebody ask instead of just do something wrong ... just gotta take some deep breaths and decorate my office to look calming.
---------- Post added at 08:11 ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 ----------
It does feel good to be busy too and trying something new (like you were saying about a challenge, Marie). I am really excited to get a real pay check again and not just picking up shifts working here and there :yahoo:
Yes I would be more worried if someone wasn't asking questions :)
I have such a headache!!! I have had headaches all week, not sure if it is tension, my time of the month, or both. Also had to spend the day staring at my little work laptop reading policies and online trainings with tiny font.
I'm slightly overwhelmed. There is soooo much for me to learn and my caseload, which I was told would be kept small until I am trained and used to everything, is growing by the minute and I haven't even started seeing clients yet.
Everybody says it's hard and it's a learning curve, but that I will get the hang of it. It's just soooo different from what I am used to. I'm nervous that it will move to quickly and I will mess up or not know what the heck is going on. Agh one day at a time!!!
Catherine S
30-05-14, 00:24
One day at a time is definitely the best way. New jobs are always hard, I remember my daughter this time last year startng a job she really wanted but felt so overwhelmed she cried every night for months...I felt so bad for her, but couldn't help her and gradually she found her feet and now loves it. You're doing great, be proud.
ISB x
Thank you for the reassurance :hugs: I'm glad your daughter loves what she is doing now. A few hard weeks or months will hopefully be worth it in the long-run.
So today was day 4 and it was a bit overwhelming.
It seemed like a normal day until my coworker got fired for unknown reasons (to me at least, I didn't ask why). So it was very uncomfortable because his desk is next to mine to sit there while the manager and director took his things and watched him pack up his desk.
I am now inheriting his clients!! My manager says its usually not this crazy for new clinicians but they have no choice. So I am feeling very bombarded and stressed. I wasn't supposed to have any clients until the intensive training in 2 weeks, but now I have an almost full caseload. So glad it's the weekend but I am afraid I won't be able to handle it ...
I am sure they are just relieved that they have you to take on some of the case load. They must be quite impressed with you to be confident for you to do it. Don't push your self too hard though. If you are finding it too stressful tell them.
They seem confident in me and that is what I worry about! lol! My issue is I am not confident in myself. It's always been a struggle for me in that area.
I worry that if I am honest about it being too much, they will let me go or not keep me after my 90 day trial period is up. I actually am not concerned about seeing the clients, but the rest of the job ... their protocol, their documentation procedures, their schedules, etc are so hard to learn and get used to.
I am used to having a normal 9-5 schedule every day and this job is different. We come and go based on when we have to see clients, and that means some days will be longer than the 8 hours and some days will be shorter. I like structure and feel very uncomfortable with this ... I have to get used to it. My husband is the opposite. His schedule is like that - come and go as you need to - and he loves it that way.
It is like you say a matter of getting used to a different routine and you will get used to it. Like I said before a new job is a stressful time for anyone and it is early days yet. I am sure they will understand if you let them know if you are struggling in any area. Otherwise they will just think you are Wonder Woman :)
Woke up really anxious today ... not sure why. Tried to meditate a little and it helped with actually feeling butterflies and the racing thoughts, but still ruminating over a few things ...
I am worrying because my husband told me he weighed himself at his hotel and was 10 lbs heavier than last time ... he thinks it's the scale, but I am nervous because I know he eats so poorly when he travels. So if he gained 10 lbs in the month since he last was weighed, that's pretty bad and scary.
I am worrying because since my dentist 3 weeks ago an area of my gums has been really irritated. I thought it was because of the assistant really deep cleaning with the metal thing but it hasn't gone away and I've been keeping my teeth clean, flossing, listerine, etc and so it can't be gingivitis. So I am jumping to oral cancer (ulcer that isn't going away). Granted I haven't been gentle with the area. My new plan is to be gentle with the area and use hydrogen peroxide 50/50 mix to see if it helps but I keep thinking ORAL CANCER.
All else fails I have my fillings on Friday and can ask them then.
I'm worrying, of course, about work. I am getting overwhelmed just thinking about the next two weeks. It's a 40 hour work week, but it seems like they expect you to pull more hours for the company's productivity because they can only bill clients for hours we spend with them ... so me going to trainings doesn't pull in money. So when I am training all the next two weeks for full days, they are expecting me to go see clients after. Then when do I document? It's a 2 hour appt with a client so then I have to doc it after. Documenting intakes takes a long time because it's like 50 pages.
ughhh I'm stressing myself out. I think my manager is stressed too and maybe isn't really sitting down to think about the time it is going to take on top of my mandatory trainings. I'm nervous to say something though because that guy just got fired and I know he was slow with his documentation ... I don't want to get fired myself ... eek.
I'm sorry, I know this sounds so repetitive but I had to get it out because I woke up with all of this on my mind. Trying to relax now with a heating pad on my shoulders, as they have been so tense this week.
Well, just an update. I am on my 5th day at the actual site and 7th day overall working. I am really overwhelmed and just trying to keep up right now. I talked to some people at a training yesterday who were about 4 months in and said they still feel new and uncomfortable... so it made me feel a little better, but also nervous.
I'm trying to just do one day at a time but it is really hard. I need to interrupt my negative thoughts that jump to "I am not cut out for this" and I can't seem to do it. I guess I thought things would move a little slower in the beginning, but it's all coming at me really fast.
That all sounds really stressful, pressures from every angle.
You sound like you have a great attitude and are coping despite.
It will surely settle down.
Do I remember rightly, is it counselling ?
If so, what sort of counselling is it ?
Yes, it's intensive in home therapy for adolescents who are coming out of juvenile detention centers and transitioning to their homes. So I work with the family and the individuals in the family alone too.
Thanks for the support. Sometimes I think I need somebody to just reassure me that I'm not failing but just new. It's a little scary too because even the seasoned clinicians say they struggle and its stressful so I find myself wondering if it's for me. It's a good job though in terms of pay and getting experienced and licensed. I hate being new though!
Everyone will be and has been new at some point in their lives but it won't be long until you are one of the 'oldies' in the job :) You are doing great and seem very dedicated to the job.
Today was a rough day ... I had to go do an intake at a school, then go to court for a client, then drive to the juvenile detention center, back to the office, then across a few towns for a home visit, then back home. Also was told I have to fit in more intakes next week (each one takes two hour at least, plus a few hours of paperwork outside the session) on top of my daily 7 hour trainings that are required. All this on top of a coworker telling me my supervisor is overloading me and that it doesn't get better and she expects everybody to work over their 40 hours.
So I broke down in the car and called my husband crying. I must have looked a mess all day because a coworker called me at 5 asking if I was okay and how I was managing things. My supervisor is going to sit down with me and help me do the paperwork tomorrow.
Now I'm concerned that she thinks I can't handle it and will fire me. Ugh!
Work to live, not live to work.
In the big picture it's just a "job"... no more, no less. If you truly love what you do, then the extra hours and work are not an issue. I played music for a living for many, many years. The hours, travel etc. were extreme but I loved what I did so it didn't matter. When I joined the corporate world, I had bosses like you describe and worse. If you have the inner fortitude, lay it on the line with your boss. You're being paid to do abcd... not abcdefg. Two things can happen. You're gone or you stay and your boss respects you and stops piling on. It's been my experience in life that it's one of those two things that happens.
Best wishes on whatever you decide to do.
Positive thoughts
I take these 7 hours of trainings are gonna end at some point ?
Why don't you hang in there until that ends and frees up more time and see for yourself if it's more manageable or if it's true that she will overload you again to a point were you are stressed. If she does, look for something else while still in that job.
Fishmanpa, you're right. I am being paid for 40 hours a week, not 50+. And Oosh, the trainings are for 5 days (all next week) so after that, hopefully it will be easier to fit in my actual job duties. I'm trying to just get through next week. Maybe after that it will be easier.
I don't have to stay, you both are right. I can look for other opportunities if I can't get the hang of it. I'm having trouble adjusting. But I'm not going to give up right away. I guess the harder it is now, the easier it will be down the line.
I have to remember to fit in my workout. I was finally able to go again last night and felt so much better after ... less stressed and overwhelmed. I didn't have time the two days before that because I was pulling 12 hour days and I guess I can really tell now the affect it has.
Thank you both for the advice and support.
---------- Post added at 08:05 ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 ----------
Also... TGIF! So happy it's Friday, even if I have to go get cavities filled before work right now
Today was a better day ... had a good conversation with my supervisor, who made me feel reassured. She said not to worry because she doesn't want me to feel pressured as I am so new. Also got paid, which was GREAT!
Training week is almost over. I had a panic attack last night because I started thinking there was something I forgot to do this week, but nothing I can really do about it because I haven't been taught how to do it yet. I haven't actually been in the office anyway because I've been at the trainings and on the road going to people's houses.
One more day until the weekend. I'm hoping each time I update this I will start to notice it getting better. I still feel like I'm walking around in the dark.
I think after all of that training/working I'd feel in the dark too. But you've done it !
Hopefully things will be a bit brighter in the next two weeks with that training out of the way.
Enjoy your weekend. Give yourself a pat on the back for getting through that training.
jimbobrooney
13-06-14, 14:31
Training week is almost over. I had a panic attack last night because I started thinking there was something I forgot to do this week, but nothing I can really do about it because I haven't been taught how to do it yet. I haven't actually been in the office anyway because I've been at the trainings and on the road going to people's houses.
One more day until the weekend. I'm hoping each time I update this I will start to notice it getting better. I still feel like I'm walking around in the dark.
you do sound better, stick with it. it will be worth it
Thank you, I appreciate the support and positive words! I am proud I got through the anxiety last night and still got to sleep without taking anything. That's not something that comes easily for me all the time.
Well, it's July now. I haven't been on much because I haven't had any free time. I'm either working or sleeping. It's really hard. Most days I work over the scheduled 8 hours. We are "told" that if we work over 40 hours to take comp time, but then if we actually do take comp time, it's frowned upon. We are on call from 8 AM - 8 PM and if a client needs something during that time, we have to be available regardless of if we have worked 40, or in my case, 50-60 hours. The documentation is ridiculous and redundant. It takes away from the actual work. My supervisor hasn't been around to help me that much and I am just exhausted. I drive all over the state in a day visiting clients, fighting traffic, and leaving no time to get my documentation done so I just do it at home after.
This weekend my husband and I went away to a wedding in Boston and on the way back, I just broke down sobbing the whole drive home because I dreaded coming back to work that much.
I don't want to quit. Jobs are hard to come by, especially full-time jobs. I'm looking around for other options, but I'm afraid it will look badly if I go for an interview and am already looking to leave the job I've been at for a month and a half. My husband says just be honest about it and most people would understand, but I don't know. I reached out to my supervisor from school and she said to be strict about my hours and document them all the time. This type of job is hard and i knew that going into it. I just don't want to let people down ...
I will try my best to be on to check this later if anybody responds. Please don't take offense if I don't get to it right away, but I will. Just needed to let off some steam.
Ugh I really feel for you. I've been in jobs I loathe.
Is there a probationary period ?
You've worked so hard. I think you should get something positive out of it for you. If jobs are hard to come by then I'd do it for 6months or something so it becomes a bit of a positive achievement on your c.v as opposed to 8 weeks then quit.
6 months then use it on your c.v to jump into a better job.
Maybe play their little games until a probationary period is over then you can speak up about your various issues without fearing for your job.
Say an interview is a docs appointment. They won't know surely.
Master the power nap. Ten mins with your chin on your chest snoring and you'll feel a million dollars (and the crowd staring at you snoring and asleep in your car, will disperse in no time ! )
Thanks, Oosh, for responding. I keep telling myself to get through long enough, like you said, maybe 6 months or something. We have a 90 day probationary period, so at the end of August I will be out of it. I have been poking around looking at other job opportunities.
I am really, really going to try to get through 6 months. It just feels so far away!! But I feel like I need to just be thankful that I have a job.
I love the power nap, haha! I just have to make sure I don't set an alarm so that it doesn't become a 2 hour nap lol
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