In trouble

[gonewiththe_wind]

Hi everyone

 

I'm in a bit of trouble here and would like to hear your opinion. I've started a graduate position at a reasonably large firm since last year freshly from university. So I have been working for a year now. The thing is while I don't hate my job, I do not love my job either and so I never put enough effort into it and embraced it like most fresh starters did, e.g. lots of mistakes that should not be there, like spelling... This from hindsight is purely an attitude problem. Thus, it may have come across as i never took the job seriously. I thought the company was okay with it, as naive as it may sound, until in Feb, after our yearly appraisal I was asked to take actions in response to my negative review. During that time however, I was doing a temporary rotation in a different department. In that department I really disliked the work there, and a month later, I got an equally shocking appraisal. Well, i know what you are thinking.. any right minded person would say its my fault, i mean who's to say one has to love their jobs? Most people are just in it for the money eh? After all a job is a job. Well the realization never really hit me until when I was spoken to by the boss, that I am being formally warned.

 

First it didn't hit me, i didn't take it as a big deal. But a few days went by, I became more and more worried. The company only gave me ten days to show my improvements. How is that possible? Is that an insincere attempt to provide me with an opportunity that doesnt actually exist? Also, my seniors may have already formed the view that I am bad at my job, so how is it possible to change people's opinion in little more than a weeks time? Should I quit? or try my hardest to improve? I am also asked to write a response to the second appraisal, but in my opinion, it would just be the same response to the first appraisal since they closely followed each other. Should I still write a response to show I sincerely want to change? Has anyone being in the same situation? Also how do you improve? I mean I just seem not able to avoid all these things that i've been doing wrong over the past year... I don't know how to do it right in such short time span and making sure it is noticed.. please help!!!

[quankanne]

like a job or not, you simply have got to put your best foot (and face) forward. Attitude is everything. Not sure what you can do to say you'll improve, but you can change your attitude. Yes, it's just a job, but for a lot of people, you're the one who represents the whole workplace, so if they see you uncaring, bored, etc, they're not going to get a very good image of you ... or the place

[JLee26]

About a year back i was in a very similiar position, wasnt excited by my job, didn't care for co-workers, blab.blab, blab. An then i got my review, boy oh freaking boy, does it hit home.

 

So i sat myself down, and said "Jamie, what the hell are you doing??"

Why do i take this job, what do i want o t with myself, where am i going, what is in it for me???

 

It took me a bit but i came to some conclusions, i needed a plan for myself, i needed to see where i was going, not this job. i needed to know what my plans were for me not what my plans were for a job.

 

So i grabbed a pen and paper and brainstormed, where would i be in 1 month, 3 months 6 months a year, 5 years. then i took my brainstorm and i put it on some posterboard with BLACK MAGIC MARKER, and hung it on my wall so i had to look at it every single day.

 

i took a smaller copy of this in to my boss and had an elightening conversation about my expectations of MYSELF and how i planned to accomplish them.

 

A year later i couldnt be prouder of my self, i work on commission and went from barely making a dime to top agent 3 months straight. Not because my job changed or fellow employees, but because i changed. i found the reason i started this career, the reason i wanted to do my job and my boss found in me the reason he hired me.

[gonewiththe_wind]

Thanks for your reply guys. So in my next review session, should I admit to attitude problem? Or should I just put forward another plan for changing? Do you think saying things like external relationship problems might have affected my performance sound like i'm shifting the blame or it is really a legitimate reason to put forward?

 

or perhaps i should only focus on the changes I can make rather than telling them the reasons why i think i didn't perform well? I feel so new to the work place, i really don't know what i say might be detrimental for me...

[You'reasian]

Thanks for your reply guys. So in my next review session, should I admit to attitude problem? Or should I just put forward another plan for changing? Do you think saying things like external relationship problems might have affected my performance sound like i'm shifting the blame or it is really a legitimate reason to put forward?

 

or perhaps i should only focus on the changes I can make rather than telling them the reasons why i think i didn't perform well? I feel so new to the work place, i really don't know what i say might be detrimental for me...

 

You state its an attitude problem.

 

 

Are you cut out for the type of work?

Can you work exceedlingly long hours?

Do you get enough sleep?

Do you have balance in your life? Support?

Any external relationship problems?

Any sudden changes - having to move?

Did you work part-full time while putting yourself through college?

Are you getting stale?

 

Even the best of the best can go through low periods of performance if the above begin to take their toll.

 

Best of luck! Keep on plugging!

[gonewiththe_wind]

You state its an attitude problem.

 

 

Are you cut out for the type of work?

Can you work exceedlingly long hours?

Do you get enough sleep?

Do you have balance in your life? Support?

Any external relationship problems?

Any sudden changes - having to move?

Did you work part-full time while putting yourself through college?

Are you getting stale?

 

Even the best of the best can go through low periods of performance if the above begin to take their toll.

 

Best of luck! Keep on plugging!

 

Yes. I am going through relationship problems. But I find it hard to justify my lack of performance, because even if there is a relationship problem, it really shouldn't be affecting my performance. To me, and I know it, its not professional. I find it hard to raise the issue in front of my bosses (who are also men btw.) that I have man problems and so I cannot do my job properly. And I am concerned that it might just sound like another feeble excuse trying to shift the blame away... So i don't know if its a good idea to mention it... any suggestions?

[BUENG1]

Hi everyone

 

I'm in a bit of trouble here and would like to hear your opinion. I've started a graduate position at a reasonably large firm since last year freshly from university. So I have been working for a year now. The thing is while I don't hate my job, I do not love my job either and so I never put enough effort into it and embraced it like most fresh starters did, e.g. lots of mistakes that should not be there, like spelling... This from hindsight is purely an attitude problem. Thus, it may have come across as i never took the job seriously. I thought the company was okay with it, as naive as it may sound, until in Feb, after our yearly appraisal I was asked to take actions in response to my negative review. During that time however, I was doing a temporary rotation in a different department. In that department I really disliked the work there, and a month later, I got an equally shocking appraisal. Well, i know what you are thinking.. any right minded person would say its my fault, i mean who's to say one has to love their jobs? Most people are just in it for the money eh? After all a job is a job. Well the realization never really hit me until when I was spoken to by the boss, that I am being formally warned.

 

First it didn't hit me, i didn't take it as a big deal. But a few days went by, I became more and more worried. The company only gave me ten days to show my improvements. How is that possible? Is that an insincere attempt to provide me with an opportunity that doesnt actually exist? Also, my seniors may have already formed the view that I am bad at my job, so how is it possible to change people's opinion in little more than a weeks time? Should I quit? or try my hardest to improve? I am also asked to write a response to the second appraisal, but in my opinion, it would just be the same response to the first appraisal since they closely followed each other. Should I still write a response to show I sincerely want to change? Has anyone being in the same situation? Also how do you improve? I mean I just seem not able to avoid all these things that i've been doing wrong over the past year... I don't know how to do it right in such short time span and making sure it is noticed.. please help!!!

 

I hate to be negative,but to it sounds like the ten days to improve is in fact them trying to cover themselves in response to a lawsuit. I wouldn't quit if I were you but I would start searching now as its easier to find a job when employed.

But that doesn't mean you should slack off more at work, its possible they'll give you more time if you do alright in the next ten days, and even if they don't you'll have to do differently in your next job to get ahead.

[You'reasian]

Yes. I am going through relationship problems. But I find it hard to justify my lack of performance, because even if there is a relationship problem, it really shouldn't be affecting my performance. To me, and I know it, its not professional. I find it hard to raise the issue in front of my bosses (who are also men btw.) that I have man problems and so I cannot do my job properly. And I am concerned that it might just sound like another feeble excuse trying to shift the blame away... So i don't know if its a good idea to mention it... any suggestions?

 

Its ultimately up to you to pinpoint what it is that's causing you to not do so well and then take responsibility for that.

 

If you have several major changes in your personal life it can affect your work performance. Sit down think through it and take action.

[gonewiththe_wind]

I hate to be negative,but to it sounds like the ten days to improve is in fact them trying to cover themselves in response to a lawsuit. I wouldn't quit if I were you but I would start searching now as its easier to find a job when employed.

But that doesn't mean you should slack off more at work, its possible they'll give you more time if you do alright in the next ten days, and even if they don't you'll have to do differently in your next job to get ahead.

 

 

Originally I thought quiting is an option, as it is easier to find a job knowing you quit rather than being dismissed... Or am i mistaken?

[BUENG1]

Originally I thought quiting is an option, as it is easier to find a job knowing you quit rather than being dismissed... Or am i mistaken?

 

Will you need to collect unemployment?

[spookie]

Here's what I would do if I wanted to keep the job.

 

I'd make a list of all my projects, and spend all my time, between now and the review, in getting them in order. I'd come in early, stay late, do everything I possibly could so that marked improvements in my work were evident.

 

Then, I'd be honest during the review about the attitude problem, where it was coming from, and explain how the formal warning was a wake-up call. I'd say it made me re-evaluate my life as a whole, and where the job fit in it (which hopefully would be true) and explain that the experience has made you stronger as a whole, more motivated, and a better employee.

 

I think this needs to be honest to sound genuine... but I also think all is not lost... as far as you being able to keep working there, that is. But it needs to be what you want.

[gonewiththe_wind]

Okay.. I have been thinking about this. I'm thinking of submitting a response saying that I don't consider the second review was entirely fair because it closely followed the first. I was pretty much given very little time to improve and the the review was based on my performance before I was informed of my first bad review. So basically there has been an overlap for the performance period to which both reviews had been based on, and therefore resulting the second review being negative as well... Is a rebuttal as such frowned upon by employers? Am I better off not submitting the response? Please help...

[OpenBook]

I think you should follow spookie's excellent advice, to the letter, if you want to keep your job. You are not in a position to complain about fairness here. You have received lousy reviews from two separate depts along with a formal warning. As far as your company is concerned, you're already halfway out the door. They don't want to hear whining or excuses. They want to see improved performance. Period. And the best way to do that is to work your @ss off for them.

 

Of course, if it's not worth it to you, then do just enough to meet your job requirements - and redouble your efforts to get the hell out of there & find another job. Pronto.