To be really upset at how my first day in a new job has gone?

[meeroolla]

I started a new job today. It's working school hours in an office-based telesales role.

At the interview I was told I would get full training, and that I would be shown fully how to use the phone system, the computer system, and would have two days of work shadowing my boss so I could learn how to make the calls properly (they have a very distinct system for doing their sales, it's different to the way I've sold in the past).

I duly turned up for work at 9am, only to be told my boss is off on courses all week, so my training will be next week, and for this week I will just have to muddle through.

I got no training in how to use the phone system and literally was expected to sit down, log onto the computer and start. They didn't even provide me with a script for the calls! My boss had asked a colleague to keep an eye on me, but this colleague was very huffy and puffy and didn't want to answer any questions or help me in any way. I really was totally on my own, and really struggle. I've probably done everything wrong.

I felt really out of my depth and hated every minute today. It was capped off by my boss phoning me 10 minutes before I was due to go home and telling me that I need to make more calls per day. I expressed my concern/disappointment at not getting any training and she glossed over it and said that I will get some training next week but that I "will know what I'm doing by then anyway".

I'm an intelligent woman, but I can't just magic up the ability to know what to do. I was really looking forward to the training but feel like they just think I'm a nuisance.

Are they a proper business? As in, do they have an HR dept? If so, go to them. It sounds a bit dodgy to me

Sounds grim, Meerolla, but your employers are at fault, not you. I'd be deeply unimpressed and not hide it.

Go in tomorrow, knowing the situation and take charge. Is the boss who called to complain you didn't make enough calls the one who is away on a course? If so, can you phone him or her and put them in the picture? Or is there someone else in authority who is physically present? Plan what to say, be non-moany and professional, repeat that you cannot be expected to perform professionally with no training, and say that you are only damaging the company by doing calls in this way, and that you need more than the supposed overview from the huffy colleague. They have responsibility for the welfare of new staff. Or begin with the colleague and tell her exactly what you need in the interim before your real training starts. It's not good for either you or the company to be flailing around in this manner, but it's not your fault and not your responsibility, and entirely unfair you are being blamed.

Good luck tomorrow.

yes, it's the one who's on the course that phoned me. She seemed quite surprised that I expected any training and seemed genuinely put out that I couldn't just arrive and start the job with no fuss. She's made me feel like I'm some kind of idiot who is incapable of doing anything, as she alluded to the fact that the other telesales staff didn't really have any training. It was as if I was asking too much.

jumperooo, they don't have an HR department as such. I think one of the managers just deals with the HR amongst other things.

They sound deeply unprofessional. If you aren't already disgusted enough to say 'I'm off, thanks for the good times', call the 'boss' and say that as they clearly have a specific in-house system, you need information on how the technology works and a script for the calls, otherwise you will underperform through no fault of your own, as 'muddling through', as you did yesterday, is clearly not satisfactory to them. Ask them what steps s/he will put in place to ensure that doesn't happen again. Politely cut through any attempts at glossing over by repeating that, even if your main training is next week, there is certain information you need now in order to do your job.

i had one job like that and i walked out at lunchtime, was awful and i felt so stupid on the phone

I'd love to walk out but I've been jobhunting for ages for something sales-based and in school hours.

I'm wondering perhaps whether to send an email to the boss, so that they have in writing that I require some proper training?

Tomorrow won't be as bad after today's experience. You probably did better than you think. Unreasonable of the boss to say you didn't make enough calls Hang on in there

I hope it's better tomorrow; I honestly felt like crying several times today.

Huge sympathy! In my last job, my boss was elsewhere on my first day, so I turned up at the office (late - I got hopelessly lost), was handed a laptop and basically told to get on with it, not even given any help connecting to the network, etc.

I had walked out on another good job to take that one and was really worried I'd made a big mistake.

I got training in week two and all was well. I stayed for 9 years.

I hope the same is true for you. Good luck tomorrow!

That's good to know, NormHonal!

Hopefully mine will all work out fine in the end too, fingers crossed

First day in my job, as I was leaving I hit another car in the car park. The most expensive one of course. Did several hundred pounds' worth of damage to the two cars combined- I have no idea how as I was going less than walking speed pulling out of my space!

And let's face it, that was entirely 100% my fault, whereas this is your bosses fault for not organising any training till next week. Just bear that in mind, and if you are getting grief from others just remind them that you are a trainee that hasn't even had any training yet.

I've heard McDonalds are becoming child friendly because they can rely on students to do the non-child friendly hours. Worth a go?