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Starting your first job can be exciting, but learning new skills can also come with a few awkward mistakes.

In this story, a teenage girl was training at a restaurant for her first-ever job.

She wanted to become more hands-on, so she started carrying trays of dishes and drinks to the kitchen.

Unfortunately, she accidentally spilled a glass of water and later toppled a champagne glass while carrying another tray.

Now, she’s wondering if she is too incompetent for her first restaurant job.

Read the full story below to find out more.

Please tell me I’m not incompetent

I (18F) am training at a restaurant to become a server.

This is my first ever job, and frankly, a job I’ve been really excited about.

Yesterday, I was doing my second follow shift, and decided I wanted to be a bit more hands-on.

That being said, I decided to take a tray full of bussed dishes and glasses back to the kitchen to put in the wash.

It was a rather heavy tray for a person of my stature. I’m 5’2″ and barely pass 100 lbs.

This teenage girl spills water on the floor.

Literally one step away, a water glass topples off the tray and spills on the floor.

Okay… not a huge deal. I try not to let it affect me.

However, as I try to carry a drink tray with two waters and two champagne glasses, I could barely get it off the table before one of the champagne glasses topples over.

Needless to say, I didn’t carry another drink tray that day.

My trainer of the day said that it seems my hand naturally holds the tray with a slight slant.

Now, she’s wondering if she was being incompetent at her first job.

I’ll definitely try to do that, but I’m also quite anxious now.

Am I in over my head for this being my first job?

If I (I feel like—inevitably) spill another glass, will I be seen as incompetent?

Please someone tell me this isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. 🥲

Honestly, this sounds much more like a normal learning experience than proof that OP is incompetent.

Anyone who is carrying heavy trays can accidentally make a mistake or spill some drinks. It really takes practice.

And the fact that her trainer identified what she was doing wrong gives her something specific to work on.

Do you also agree? Let’s read the responses of other people to this story.

This person shares some advice.

Don’t stress too much about it, says this user.

Short and sweet.

Here’s another suggestion.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who cleverly shuts down customer arguments about closing time.

Finally, this one says she’ll get better.

Every server has to start somewhere before they master the art of balancing heavy trays.