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9doomedtodie's avatar

Has anyone ever been through such situation?

Asked by 9doomedtodie (3113points) April 1st, 2011

I have 2.5 years experience in software testing. Last week, I resigned my first company. I got the job in new company. It has been a week since I joined. I can’t concentrate here since the reminiscence of my first company don’t let me work. The new company is smaller than earlier. There is a guy who is junior and I am the other who is the senior. The entire responsibility is on me now. There are 5 to 6 projects are in progress, I am new to this type of projects. I get demoralized, when anyone says to me, “You will be responsible for this”.
I have never had such type of pressurized situations before. This new company has its new offices both are in different cities. Actually, on first day,the project manager from the office where I work right now told me, “We will have to go at other this Friday office for training ”. I said, “Yes. I don’t have any problem to come with you at new office.” So, Finally we went to new office and met one guy who is leads our team from there. Just prior to training he asked me one basic question and I couldn’t answer the question.He might have been angry with me, he said, “Having 2.5 experience and you don’t know the basic things” Actually, I knew the answer but I couldn’t answer, don’t know why?. Then, he focused more on junior he made him fully impressed. He was looking at him only not at me. I was very very demoralized. I have lost my confidence totally. I don’t want to stay here but I have to stay as I don’t have other offer. I was a bad day for me. How can I get out of it?. I think they are expecting too much from me.
My position in previous company was very good. They valued me, I valued them. They still value me and I too.

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10 Answers

Bellatrix's avatar

Why did you leave your other job and have you been replaced? Sometimes, it is best to put your hand up and say, well that was a bad idea. Put ego aside for a moment, can you go back to your old company? Think though, why did you leave? What was not working for you there that made you leave? Are you sure it isn’t just that you hate this new job so much your old job is now looking great?

If you can’t go back to your old job, or you know it really would be a backwards step that wouldn’t leave you happy in the long term, start looking for something else. Something will turn up and in the meantime, one step at a time. You can only do what you can do and if you have to, speak to your superior and try to get some clarity with regards to what their priorities are for you. Hope it works out.

marinelife's avatar

Take several deep breaths.

I agree with @Mz_Lizzy that perhaps you should explore the possibility of returning to your old company.

If that cannot be done, give the new company time.

As for impressing the boss at the other office., I would call him up and say, “I think we got off on the wrong foot the other day. I was a little overwhelmed at the flow of new information coming at me. I knew the answer to X, but was tongue-tied.

I have now written down all of the projects and their status in a project management software package for proper tracking.”

All you have to do is get clear on what is expected of you. Can you do the coding that you are assigned? Do you have to divvy the work up between you and the junior or does someone else do that?

Just get your arms around the work expected, break it down into logical steps, and move forward. Communicate regularly with your superior. You don’t want him end-arounding you with the junior.

If you have gotten the work expectations down and you don’t think you can perform the work well, then you should probably resign.

Good luck.

9doomedtodie's avatar

Yes. I can go back. The main reason behind the leaving the company was salary hike.
Second thing was the things I used to do were bored. I was feeling stagnation. Repeating the work over and over again made me bored. Nothing new to learn. Just like the yearly exams as they come and go. But what I think now it was better than this. Same time I think, I left that company with proud, appreciation . Received good comments… :(

blueiiznh's avatar

I have changed companies many times in my career. The begining honeymoon period is quite often like this in this industry. You may be nervous and anxious and you certainly do not have a footing there yet. You are apprehensive because you want to make sure you get it right. It is completely normal to second guess yourself as to why you left a comfortable place.
I can recall the first weeks and month often saying to myself, “why did I leave?”, why did I pick here to come to?” when will I find my foothold?”
Just know that good employees are actually hard to find. You were hired on your merit and interview, so unless you sold them a wrong bill of goods, you should be ok.
If you are coming in as a senior, then juniors may be trying to trip you up. They also may have interviewed for the same position and were turned down as not having the right skills. Stay firm, take the time to do it right and give answers that you feel are right. I just joined an organization 6 months ago as a senior and the junior peers acted this same way. They were not helpful in anyway. Once I realized that this was their approach, I just let it go as it is about them. I focused on what I could do. Yes it can be frustrating because you want to be accepted and feel like part of the team.
Your fresh ideas and experience should help you, especially if you are going from larger to smaller company.
The immediate and pressured responsibility can be overwhelming if you let it get to you.
Give it some time. It will come. You will gain experience.
Go Get’em!!!!!!!!!
Rise to the challenge. Put in the extra work it will need to get over this hump and prove your value and worth.

blueiiznh's avatar

@blinkErri while salary is not always a great sole reason to leave a place, stagnation is.
I have moved for this many a time and know how you feel. If a company is not going anywhere or there is no budget for new things, you may be the type that just likes to be challenged and wants for it. This is a good thing.
Going back is tough as people may think you gave up on them. Framed the right way you can go back successfully, but honestly as you list here, you will still be bored and stagnant.

BarnacleBill's avatar

IT teams can be particularly brutal on members until you pass muster. In working with ours, there seems to be pissing contests going on all the time between IT and business areas, and different IT teams. @blueiiznh hit it on the head.

You have to different things going on here: A different work methodology, a different work culture and politics, and added responsibility. Figure out what you are lacking in skills, admit that things were done a little differently at your old company, and forge ahead. Ask lots of questions, and do a lot of listening. Adjusting to the culture and politics will take time. Work methodology can be learned. Remember they hired you because they thought you could do the job; they saw something in you that they throught was a value add to the team. It will be a stretch and growth period for a bit. If you are coming out of stagnation, the unfamiliarity of having to hit the ground running is a bit of a shock.

Cruiser's avatar

I would ask to meet with your supervisor or manager and simply explain you are nervous in your new capacity and acknowledge how you could have handled the situation in a better way and tell them how you would have done this.

Everybody has a “moment” or 2 on the job where they underperformed or mishandled a responsibility and successful employees are the ones who acknowledge their shortcomings.

blueiiznh's avatar

and as @BarnacleBill listed there are different political lines that you may not have figured out yet. Also on the fact that you have to prove yourself. These various teams are going to keep whatever timeline and pressures there may be, no matter if you are a newbie.
If you need to brush up on key technologies, there are plenty of resources on the web. If it is a specific technology you need to brush up on or learn, go sit at a Barnes & Noble style bookstore and spend a day reading.
Take good notes, show good organizational skills, document things where you can as smaller companies seem to forget or don’t have cycles to do this.

Good luck!

AllAboutWaiting's avatar

It can be useful to ask during the interview why the position has opened up. This must be done at the correct time, in a pleasant way with the right tone. You may not even get a chance to ask, but try. Poor morale can be sensed even by how the present staff treat the bathrooms and other areas (graffiti, garbage etc.). It can reveal some core problems with a business and may leave you not wanting the job at all. Toxic leadership is a unpleasant infection that nobody should walk into and tolerate whatsoever. Go back and/or keep looking, then bail when the proper fit comes through.

mowens's avatar

10 years in IT here. Switch jobs roughly every 2 years, sometimes less.

They are giving you crap.

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