me and my part time job- help

Hi,

So i am 18 and I'm resting my a levels. I don't go to a school, I resit from home, teaching myself the content with online tutors. I got this job at a local independent family-owned pharmacy as a retail assistant. I work into different branches at two different locations. I am not going to lie and say that this is this job, is so bad and that they treat me so badly. Basically, I have social anxiety and this is my first ever job, I don't have many friends, I don't really have a social life. This job included answering the phone, organising things and being an assistant to the pharmacist. The pharmacy is owned by husband and wife. They both have one branch each. When I work in the wife's branch it is so stressful. She has this sense of stress that she always gives off and it comes on to me. She will make me to do something and then leave me to do and go and do something with a patient, what I mean by this is she doesn't give me clear instructions and I'm just left in the dark. Then she tells me to do, a lot of things and i don't know because she still hasn't given me a proper induction, as she's always busy with patients. One situation with really pushed me was, when a customer complained about me, she said there were a few complaints, regarding the way i speak on the phone. I was really confused because, i have always answered and addressed the concerns of the patient, so i don't know where this has come from. She said that i sound quiet and that if i am insecure to not show it. But yeah after that i lowkey cried because every time i go to work, or the day before, i just feel "sick" as in it feels like when you go to school on the first day, just stressing and that on top of how i am meant to manage my workload regarding my a levels which is in 4 moths. I just dont know what to do where to be, because i prayed for a part time job to do whilst doing my studies and i feel like i should be grateful and not be so weak.

Reply 1

Chronoscope

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Anonymous

Ngl it sounds like you've bitten off more than you can chew, and you're trying to do too much:

- trying to resit your A Levels
- you're teaching the A Level content yourself
- you've taken on your FIRST job at 18, in TWO different locations
- you've been placed in a social situation you're not a fan of causing anxiety (trust me I hate making phone calls too and will avoid them at all costs)
- the job is causing anxiety

>
:bricks:

Your options:
- if you want to work term time: quit the job and find another job that's more student-friendly e.g. grocery stores, fast food, pot washing, serving, pubs etc. with reduced/flexible hours. Also, some places will offer staff discount or a free staff meal (I will assume pharmacies don't offer any interesting staff discounts :colondollar:

)
- work in the same or somewhere new in the summer either full/part time after you've finished your A Levels

There's the ENTIRE summer after A Levels to get job if its a uni costs related thing :smile:

Other stuff I picked up from the post
- how many hours are you doing part time/how many shifts per week?
- the induction you need as it's affecting your performance (which you can't help bc they haven't inducted you properly). I'd probably keep reminding them of this regularly.
- how far are 2 locations? are they manageable to get to? A first job can be stressful and I think most 18yo's with a part time job find it easier to stick to one location :yep:

My advice and I don't say this often is to stuff this job, and as it's making you anxious find a new one ASAP. Other places train new starters waaaay better than this. You'd probably feel more confident with other people a similar age to you, e.g. fast food/pubs, grocery etc. Plus you'd hopefully feel less anxious without this particular job and its many phone calls and it won't affect your studying so much :h: