First job: Is this normal?

Okay, hi guys.

So I got hired at this far out library place about three months ago (only doing saturdays) and i feel i suck at it so terribly much! i'm only good at shelving books. I can't remember how to use the cashier ever, and when doing stuff on the computer (admin stuff) i'm always asking my co-workers what to do and i feel they're getting annoyed, and thinking: "what is wrong with this girl? why can't she remember anything..". I'm actually worrying about myself! When i tell my friends and family that i still can't remember stuff from the job i've had for nearly four months, they actually tell me they're worried ! I feel something is wrong with me :frown:

Is this normal? Has it ever taken you THIS long to get the hang of things? I really don't like the environment of the library, my duties, or the hrs I do there (9-7). I really want to quit, but i'm trying to 'grow' as a character, and stuff....
advice, and what ya think please?!

Reply 1

Moosferatu

Continue with the job. The glorious free market will decide your fate.

Reply 2

Applepie:)

Original post by Moosferatu

Continue with the job. The glorious free market will decide your fate.

Not sure what you mean by that..

Reply 3

Unfair Life

From personal experience, I settled down and got the hang of things much quicker. Although, I did Monday to Friday, so the fact it's taking you longer does make sense, since you're not doing it on a regular basis. Just stick at it and you'll be fine.

Reply 4

UKBrah

Original post by Applepie:)

Not sure what you mean by that..

A rather economical way of saying that you could lose your job with the current state of the job market, so don't quit.

Reply 5

RaHiNa

Keep at the job and be more confident.. You never know maybe you're actually doing ok but you're expecting too much of yourself. You might think there is a certain amount you need/should know but people do make mistakes at work even though they have been there a while!. :smile:

Reply 6

Moosferatu

I meant stick it out and milk as much from the job as you can. In time you'll build experience and get more comfortable. And if you're bad at the job... well you're bad at the job. Count your losses and move on. You'd find jobs you were good at even in this climate.

Reply 7

Applepie:)

Original post by RaHiNa

Yeah; I suppose :smile:

I get really nervous when I'm dealing with the customers.. I think I just haven't really stored, and accepted in my head that I'm now employed, and working somewhere and have customer's needs to tend to! I think I need some growing up to do too! :rolleyes:

and nerves need to be calmed down at work.

Thanks :smile:

Reply 8

J_W-x

Yeah haha, I was so bad at my job for the first 3 months. It's normal OP

Reply 9

Applepie:)

Original post by Moosferatu

Mmmm, I like that. :smile:

Quite real, and honest, and I think that's the case; I'm bad at the job. It isn't one for me, but yeah, I'm gonna keep at it. I think that's the reason for this post. I'm pretty sad that I know I'm not gonna quit it, and that I'm therefore gonna have to go there weekly! I'm sure I'll gain good stuff out of what I feel like I'm enduring..
- so you're saying, hang in there, do the job, and just go with the flow till its my time to leave?? - I just find it embarrassing at how bad I'm doing! ah, i'm going back on myself. :rolleyes:

Reply 10

Applepie:)

Original post by J_W-x

Yeah haha, I was so bad at my job for the first 3 months. It's normal OP

haha; good to know! Although, i can't actually believe that anyone has taken as long as me to grasp things at work! Where was your first job?

Reply 11

RaHiNa

Original post by Applepie:)

Yeah; I suppose :smile:

and nerves need to be calmed down at work.

Thanks :smile:

That's most probably the reason, just remember that as long as you're polite and you are doing your best then you don't need to worry about a few mistakes here and there because they most likely are not as serious as you think.

Reply 12

J_W-x

Original post by Applepie:)

haha; good to know! Although, i can't actually believe that anyone has taken as long as me to grasp things at work! Where was your first job?

In a supermarket, we have a till and it wasn't a scan one, we had to push buttons according to what they buy and remember where the buttons were, it took me MONTHS to grasp that and i'd forget because I only work 3 days a week :tongue:

Reply 13

Applepie:)

Original post by J_W-x

haha, oh! well, thankfully the people i work with are really nice and i get along with them well, so they bare with me well! - Jobs- hope we find ones that we actually enjoy, and are good at! sometime in the future that'l be :redface:

Reply 14

Moosferatu

Original post by Applepie:)

Mmmm, I like that. :smile:

Well it's only a Saturday job right? So you haven't had time to build the experience of someone working 9-5 5 days a week anyway. So don't beat yourself up too much. I think if you truly were bad at the job you'd have got the boot by now.

Just chill. It sounds extremely cliched but you can only do your best. And if the best you can ain't good enough then it's not really your fault, you did all you can.

/cliche. Oh the pain.

I think the best thing to remember about jobs is that they're about what you personally can take from them. I'd try and make the most of the environment, learn as much as you can about the industry, the staff, etc. Maybe even find out about the politics of the workplace (though I'd strongly advise getting involved in that sort of ****) if there is any. Stuff like this has always made menial jobs bearable for me, even if the job itself is boring as hell. You never know when seemingly meaningless bits of info can randomly become useful later in life.