Woman’s First Real Job Is Turning Into A Major Source Of Stress, And Things Aren’t Going As She Hoped
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As someone who’s been in this position before, let me give you a word of advice: if a job is making you lose sleep at night and is making you physically sick, it’s time to try to find a new place to work.
Because no job is worth that kind of grief!
Trust me on this one, okay?
In today’s story, a woman explained why her first professional job isn’t what she thought it was gonna be…and it’s not going well.
Read on and see what you think.
My first job at a charity is making me physically sick and the expectations are impossible. Need support.
“I am a 23 y/o fresh psychology graduate in my first proper professional job at a charity doing donor care and administrative work.
This doesn’t sound good…
I was grateful to get it due to the terrible job market, but a month and a half in, I am so stressed that I am physically sick and nauseous every day.
The work systems are unoptimized, my laptop is incredibly slow, and priorities change constantly. Everything is treated as urgent, but because I handle donor records, I cannot rush or make mistakes.
About a month in, my boss gave me harsh feedback. He told me I am learning too slowly, that he “wasn’t seeing the person he interviewed,” and gave me what felt like a warning that things might not work out.
She’s feeling the pressure…
Now, I constantly have a voice in my head telling me to work faster. He keeps talking about “adding value” and compares my speed to his, saying tasks should only take 15 minutes, ignoring the troubleshooting and record-checking required.
They also criticize me for being too “robotic” and tell me to “break out of my shell” and be more chatty. I feel like I’m being evaluated on my personality rather than my work.
When criticized, my fawning response kicks in and I act like a doormat just to survive, which weighs on my soul.
The biggest issue is weekends. I’ve been told to monitor communications and respond to donors on weekends so they don’t “lose momentum.”
Oh, hell no!
My boss claims it “only takes 15 minutes” and isn’t “real work,” but I don’t know the answers automatically, so I am forced to be on high alert 24/7. I can’t even reply to my own friends because of the anxiety. He even suggested I take my laptop home, which no one else does.
This weekend he covered the messages before I woke up, and I am terrified I am going to get blasted on Monday. I plan on telling him I cannot do weekend work, even if it risks me getting fired.
They expect me to be simultaneously fast, highly accurate, personalized, casual, and always available.
My boss makes things sound reasonable in the moment, but then makes “jokes” and acts frustrated at my desk, making me feel stupid.
I am completely overwhelmed and don’t know what to do.”
Reddit users shared their thoughts.
This person didn’t hold back.
Another individual weighed in.
This Reddit user shared their thoughts.
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Another person made a good point.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier who got annoyed with a group of friends who insisted on returning their items separately.
And this person weighed in.
This is really too bad!
You gotta feel sorry for her if she’s this broken up about her job.
Let’s hope she finds something else soon!
It’s pretty obvious that this job is not a good fit for her.
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