So I’ve been unemployed for about 2 months and a few days. I’m using a recruiting company to find another job. This is a field I am completely uninterested in (accounting/finance); It gives me anxiety that I don’t have much experience in the field. This is what I went to college for and I don’t remember anything I learned in college and my very first real job experience (not a temporary position) was extremely toxic. Long hours, bad training, they expect you to use what you learned in college when college experience and actual job experience are two different things, etc
I have an interview tomorrow. I’m awful at interviews. I’ve only ever used recruiting companies to get jobs because nobody wants to hire anybody without experience straight out of college. Finding a job on you own is also a lot of work and difficult. I did do an interview without a recruiting company all on my own. That was the one and only interview that I actually did well in. I even learned about thank you letters and sent them. There were three levels and I felt like I did great but they didn’t hire me because that role went to somebody else. They promoted somebody internally. I’m horrible at giving interviews and I’m so nervous about tomorrow. I can’t speak on what I did at my last company and there will be tasks that I haven’t learned and I will be doing them for the first time
I’m just hoping that they are willing to train properly. I looked at reviews online and someone wrote that management has unrealistic expectations from you and that scares me because that was also true for my last job. After reading that I stopped looking at reviews because it’s not helpful reading stuff like that. It would only make me feel worse
The recruiting company is doing interview prep with me this afternoon. I’ve done interview preps with recruiting companies and it’s not really the best. We’ll see I guess, this is a new company that I’m using so maybe they might help prepare me better.
I want out of this industry but I don’t know what else to do in my life. I’m so lost. I’m willing to go back to school but there’s no guarantee that I’m going to get a good job that’s not toxic. I don’t want to go to school and graduate only to hate another industry that I have a degree on.
Just for context. I’ve had three jobs in my life The first one I quit within a week because it was awful. I was calling people for 8 hours a day and it wasn’t building my resume at all. The second job, I also hated and it didn’t build my resume because all I did was one task on repeat for 8 hours everyday. The third job I got was a job I actually made progress in. It was a temporary position again and I did it for 3 months. The training was awful and I’ve never audited before and I only got one and a half weeks of training. I then moved on to doing bank reconciliations and this was also temporary. I was only helping them out because they were catching up from a furlough that they had. One person ended up quitting and that opened up a spot for me and they hired me permanently as an accountant. I did that job for almost 2 years. At one point I liked this job and I woke up excited to go to work but the more time I spent there the more toxic it got. They kept giving me more and more work and less training. They just expected me to pick things up extremely quickly and I can’t work like that. It got so stressful because they would Tell you to ask questions if you’re not sure of something but when you ask a question they make you feel stupid for asking and not knowing the answer. That’s when things started getting worse. They wanted you to work late hours and it was a salaried position so it was basically free labor. It gives me the impression that this is very normal for my industry and that’s awful
The reason why I stayed longer than I really wanted to was because I’m so insecure about landing jobs due to my lack of experience and the fact that I can’t speak on what I do on a day-to-day basis. I’m a very straightforward person. You asked me a straightforward question, I give you a straightforward answer. But in this industry I feel like you have to be so fake and pretend. I also really really really liked my co-workers. When managers fail to give any sort of proper training, my coworkers were very helpful. We always picked up each other’s work if they were falling behind. Basically if somebody knew how to do your job and you were falling behind, they would have no problem stepping in and helping you out. I don’t know if I’ll ever find coworkers like that again
Gosh job hunting is such a hard and stressful thing, even when you feel like you’ve been preparing, there can be some nerves about it. It sounds like in the past you’ve been really great at doing interviews. I hope that knowing that is something that helps you feel confident.
Toxic environments are really frustrating, I can totally empathise with management not having more of a support for people working for them. It’s amazing how other employees can ban together to make the work load lighter. I think one thing I started doing more was saying no. When I first started I felt like I had to put in the extra unpaid hours, or fill in shifts etc. I burnt myself out hardcore, does that sound similar to your experience? It can be hard to say no to work loads and extra things, especially when it’s seemingly expected of you.
You’re also not alone in wanting to restudy. I think it’s really okay to change your mind and find new things. I’ve also done that many times as well.
It could be that you stick with something for a while and depend on the great co-workers to pull you through while you figure out what you’re wanting to really look for.
Wishing the best for you with the interview! You got this
I have been a nervous wreck all day. I’m finally starting to break down now. I’ve been holding in a panic attack all day. I had plans to do things today and since I’ve got the news of the interview this morning, all I’ve done is stress about it to a point where I can’t move. I managed to push through and print it out my references and I printed out multiple copies of my resume. I did some research into the company and I looked at the job description and came up with ways to fit my experience into that job description. I still have more research to do on the company and I have to prepare for the questions they’re going to ask me but I feel so emotional and frozen. Since I’ve been unemployed I have no insurance so I’ve been rationing the Xanax that I had and even Xanax is not helping me. I think to myself that I’ll do it tomorrow morning but the last thing I need to do is stress tomorrow morning.
job searching and interviews are always such a stressful part of the working world. it looks like you did some interview prep with your recruiting company - just know it’s normal to be nervous before interviews. and honestly… being nervous is a good thing; it means you care. i hope you can find a workplace that matches your caring nature with the right amount of training, helpful coworkers, and a solid work environment. while no workplace is perfect, you can make a difference in any job you enter by fighting for the change you wish to see.
while a profession may not match your passions, i do hope you can always pursue what interests you outside of work. sending you the best of luck on your interview tomorrow. can’t wait to hear how it goes! you got this, i believe in you!
I don’t know why I’m reacting so emotionally. I also don’t have anybody to talk to. I don’t want to talk to my sister or my mom because I feel like they’re not going to be able to help and I’m just going to make them feel bad. I also don’t have the energy to talk to anybody. I don’t know why I’m panicking so much
This is a temporary job for 5 months. The person I’m replacing left for a maternity leave. It’s only until the person comes back from maternity leave and then I’m going to have to job hunt again
Hey Stuck
All of what you have spoken about I honestly think is how virtually everyone feels unless of course you decide at school wht you want and never waver which I imagine is pretty rare.
Its is darn hard making decisions about something you want to do for the rest of your life, you want to decide if you are going to enjoy it, are you going to earn enough, it is going to fit in to a lifestyle you choose etc etc, then you do it and you find it wasnt what you thought and you start again. Its all part of growing up.
You sound like you are doing all you can to prepare yourself for both deciding on new things to do and the way forward in doing them, you have a company of specailists helping you too, I honestly dont think you can do more than that.
All anyone can ask of a person is for them to do their best and if you can look in the mirror and say to yourself that you are then you have got it.
Be proud of yourself and keep doing what you are doing. LIsa
I am sorry that you are struggling with your job/career works and goals. Working through the trials and intricacies of the workplace, career aspirations, and how much of your life is intertwined within it all, is one of the biggest challenges a lot of people face in their lives. What you are experiencing is very valid, and it stinks that it’s become a persistent struggle for you.
Unless you are one of the very, very few that don’t have to work in order to… you know… live, having to work in environments and situations that aren’t fun/pleasant/apparently helpful is a skill that will be needed through life. As you make your choices in the next adventure, I encourage you to try to be the co-worker that you want to see around you. Act the position you want down the line. Persevere through the annoyances the best you can (but don’t sacrifice your mental and physical health!), and strive for that next goal. If you feel your current position has run it’s course, line the next one up before you quit the current one if you can.
So, I am going to jump away from the immediate interview and comment generally.
Where I started (college) and where I ended up after years of working? Completely different places.
One doesn’t have to be stuck in what they trained for.
I also didn’t have such great jobs starting out either, and didn’t have some great ones along the way.
However, each step I learned about myself and picked up skills. I also thought about where I might want to be. What skills would that require.
And I looked for chances at work to grab those. Even if it wasn’t my job, as long as I still did my job.
Example, at one point I led a strategic planning program. Wasn’t my job, I wasn’t paid for it really, but now I had it to add.
I thought I might want to teach at college level; and my job was not teaching. So I took a part time job adjunct teaching in evening for a bit. Now I could say I had run a course and all that entailed.
Another job, I was doing a lot of the business side.
These examples are to say; I made the best of what I had to work and deal with.
I also strive to be a contributing part of work team. Sometimes your coworkers will be your references or one day a boss.
So, keep working on getting the job. Then when you get it; try to make the best of it to benefit where you want to go. Not all jobs are great. But I think most in great jobs would tell you that they…well how to put it…kissed a few job toads before they found their job prince.
I wanted to start off by saying thank you for all of your kind replies.
I was responding to people in this thread when I was in my car. Usually crying makes me feel worse, dehydrated, give me a headache but I let out some emotions in the car. I tried to control it and not let it get too far to a point where I wouldn’t feel well physically. After I had my manic moment, I wiped my face with a wipe and I went inside my house. My mom my dad and my sister were all in the living room and I managed to keep it together.
I just took a shower and I feel better. I used my sugar scrub because it’s my favorite scent. I’m going to go downstairs and try to read. I’m not big on reading but a goal of mine is to start. I’ve gotten halfway through this young adult fiction novel that’s interesting. So the plan for tonight is to read and hopefully I can fall asleep…
I’m going to wake up early tomorrow and finish up the rest of my interview prep and hopefully I can keep my emotions at bay and get it over with. It doesn’t really help that it’s an in-person interview but I can’t control that so I just have to make the best of it.
Thank you all again and I’ll keep u posted on what happens
So I just had the interview about an hour ago and I think it went well but after I got out, I checked my phone and I had only been there for 15 minutes. For some reason my interviews don’t last very long and I feel like that’s a bit of a red flag. They didn’t ask me for references but I did go in there with references and mentioned that I had them.
Congrats on the job! That’s wonderful and I’m so glad that you got this! I know that job searching and interviewing can be stressful, so I’m proud of your persistence as you worked through that – you’re awesome!
Great job on getting hired hope your doing all well congratulations though its wonderful you got it!
Interviews can be stressful but its good you go through and worked through that.