I am rubbish at my job

[muchtooshy]

and so scared about it. My probation period has been extended and I am really stressing.

I just don't seem to be good enough at anything. I really am trying and want to do well but it seems like it isn't enough and I keep getting picked up on things.

I am so scared as I can't afford not to have a job. I don't know what is holding me back from doing well but I need to fix it.

I don't know how to make changes that those above me can see. I feel like I am wrong all the time.

The lady above me gets along so well with the business manager and she does say the right things about being aware that I have a lot on at home.

Other staff eg lunchtime staff really don't like her though. Not sure what the teachers make of her.

Oh God she sounds awful - classic horrible boss. No wonder you feel shit, she is undermining you!

I would agree with aunt petunia and dragons above.

When people ask me to do something simple I tell them I will have it done for end of day and let them tell me otherwise. If it comes to me in the PM I tell them lunchtime the next day or even close of following day. Being assertive like this does help cover yourself as it sets expectations and puts it on them to come to you with when they need it by if the time you set doesn't work for them.

Oh and your business manager sounds awful. What they have said is management failure 101. If you tell someone their are terrible they will be terrible! Stupid person.

The other lady is always getting praise from the manager.

The manager tells me to ask for help but when I do it is like I should have figured it out by myself.

I really think it is me rather than her as it just seems to be me having the issue.

I don't know what to do. :( I can't afford not to work.

What's a typical day like for you, muchtooshy?

Some good advice above on generally getting organised, what else do you do in the day and what do you think you're slow at? Have you asked your manager what specifically she thinks you need to speed up at?

It may be that some of the things YOU think you need to improve, are fine - and others need working on so that's where your focus need to be. Unless you know exactly what your performance is like, you can't improve it.

So, starting at 0800 or whatever time you start... :)

Ok forget sbm sounds rubbish she sounds like a Shite horrible bully! Next time she says your not as quick as x, say "obviously with all her years of experience she's quicker then me! But comments like that don't really help anyone do they?" Then just look blankly at her. Next time she asks to speak to you, say "great I need to speak to you about x or y when is convenient ?" Have a couple of things on standby that you're struggling with or need clarification on in the longer term. What are your daily jobs?
If you go to education section and then staffroom there is a thread for us admin types put more information up and we'll help you handle the bullying and her mate

I would tell them to poke their job. There are plenty of admin jobs out there; ones which you could cope well in. School admin is a bloody nightmare. Start looking around. And good luck.

I start at 7.55. School starts at 8.40. I do attendance (waiting for the sims registers, checking who is missing, ringing all children who aren't in and who don't have an appointment / parents haven't called them in sick. So this needs to be done quickly but some days take longer as there are more children off) Then recording dinner money payments. Then chasing up any who are behind. Then placing any orders that are needed. Then any letters that need to go out have to be formatted and approved by the SBM. Plus first aid / incoming calls / visitors that need to make appointments to be taken to where the meetings are. Emails also need to be dealt with and forwarded. Plus booking trips, recording permission slips / payments. Also recording uniform sales / ordering uniform. Some days there is a lot of first aid and others there are a lot of calls to make or meetings in school. Plus attendance reports. And some finance stuff. Plus deliveries have to be signed in, checked off and put away / passed out. Plus changes to school meals.

The thing is that term time is such a bonus and the location is quite handy.

I have done that job and it was the hardest, most stressful job I've ever done. My advice is to keep it and try to be the best you can be at it so you can use it as a reference for another non-receptionist office job.

I found 90% of it was outward appearance - not just your look but confidence in how you handled the job. You don't have to be a beauty queen but I found if you looked extremely professional and acted confident and very professional you got bullied less. I'm not saying I was the confident one, I wasn't, I was the one that got bullied.

It also helps at the same time you are very professional to be bubbly and helpful to all employees and visitors. I found I played psychiatrist to most of the employee and while on break they would come up to me, to 'shoot the shite' with me while I was trying to work, etc. They would drape their arms over my desk top and it so felt like a invasion of my personal space! Ug - it was very hard as I was and still am not much of a people person.

I know there are courses (one day) you can take on your career and I think that can be extremely helpful. I know everyone hates you being gone because then they have to cover the phones don't they? You are the lowest on the totem pole but if you are out it's as if the office goes into emergency mode.

If you can't do a course research on the internet how to present yourself professionally and implement it asap. Do a complete change - attitude, clothing, etc. if needed to make you at least appear super professional (I'm not saying you aren't!) and confidence will grow for you. People give you more slack if you appear super confident in this role and then if you get behind they will be more understanding. All this professionalism talk is because you represent your office. If you provide a 'sleek package' (sorry but it's true) the office staff takes pride in you because you represent them, this in turn makes them treat you better and cuts you more slack. I doubt you are rubbish at your job, I'll bet more it's that your fellow employees are more than demanding so you need them on your side.

I was the little bookish mouse at the receptionist desk and was treated like crap although I tried hard and churned out good work. The woman after me was super professional, bubbly, etc. and dressed the part and the employees expected less of her, treated her so much better, and saw her as a representative of them. I'm not saying it was a fantasy job for her, but it made it endurable for her until, she too moved on.

Don't just give up. I don't know what the job situation is like where you are, OP, but even if it's fairly buoyant, if you don't get a handle on this one it will prey on your mind and you'll start from a 'deficit'.

So, can you e-mail absentees or is it just the phone? I'm thinking that maybe you could put together a template asking why x-name isn't in school today?

Dinner money payments - how do these come in? Cash? Online? How long does it take?

Template letter for dinner money stragglers - to go via e-mail?

How does other secretary do her job differently from you? How long do you take to do these things and what do you think you could do to free up some of your time?

What do you think are your slowest tasks? Which ones do you think you could change?

I really like auntpetunia's advice; you are not this other secretary, you are you and you don't need to apologise for that. If things are this awkward for you then you have nothing to lose by being straight when you're told that 'x is so much better blah blah'.

I think if you can tell the person who was rooting for you at interview that you really want to make a success of this job and you'd appreciate some support to do that rather than 'put downs', which really don't help. How can she help you? Can you have a list of things ready that you need help with? If you can prepare in advance - and show that you have - it will present you in a positive light.

Don't be a pushover, don't get painted into a corner - and make the job yours because it is.

Looking the part is very important. Do you wear a jacket? What size are you and what colour bottoms do you wear?

If I may... Do you think your line manager may be expecting you to be more pro-active when she says she expects more from you? More can-do and self-motivating rather than sit back and do things as and when you are told (even though it looks like you have a set list of jobs to do)?

I say this because my administrator who is currently on maternity leave was very slow and unresponsive. At first we didn't know why... And she used to say well I need to do reception work as well (so when students come to the desk she needs to respond to them) so we thought ok maybe it's the work load.

We got a maternity cover and she has been really brilliant. Emails get responded to, things get done... If she doesn't understand she asks. She is cheery and well generally just gets things done.

I now believe it had to do with attitude. She took this job because it was convenient - her partner works in the same company, they drive in together etc. he was also a senior person and so people couldn't or didn't want to say anything to her. It really isn't her type of job as well. She has v openly said she didn't like this sort of job and was looking for something else but frankly I don't think she's up for it.

I'm not saying that this is you... But have you thought whether you really can do this job? Not necc in terms of ability but attitude. For example I know that if I changed industry I could earn 2x my salary. But I know the added stress wouldn't be worth it.

Attendance queries are all by telephone. Dinner money is cash with chase ups by phone.

Attendance takes longer some days than others but it needs to be done quickly which is tricky when parents don't answer their phones. The same with dinner money.

I need to keep the website up to date too.

I don't know how the other secretary stays on top and what she does differently. The SBM really likes her which I think helps.

I am not sure how best to ask for help which is tricky as I don't want to go in and say I don't know how to improve but I really don't! I am trying to be proactive but some days all I seem to do is the basics then first aid and constant phone calls coming in. Nothing I do is ever quite right or quite good enough.

I need to be more can-do and self motivating. :( I just am lacking in confidence and am dreading my review.

1. Do what Tower says above.
2. Don't look at your phone or email except outside working hours.
3. Come in earlier than you are required to and stay later. Don't take any lunch break. Go in at weekends if you can to catch up.
4. You are very lucky they have not got rid of you on the probation period so now is your chance to be a lot quicker at everything. As soon as you finish one task move on to the next - you might well already do that of course.

Think it's important too not to talk about personal problems from home in work as they may form the opinion that you have a lot on your mind. Also be so friendly to everyone that they won't complain if something is not done as they will feel bad complaining about such a nice person. Make sure you are not bringing any bad mood into the place even if things are difficult as people pick up on that and don't like it.Maybe you are doing all of this but just in case as they are the sort of things that would put me off hiring someone ..

Are you a physically quick person, OP? I'm sure we've all seen people who seem to take forever and a day to do anything, and other people who are naturally more brisk. If you're the first type, could you pretend to be the latter?

It seems you have several tasks that involve going through lists of things - absentees, dinner money etc. Do you have a speedy technique for this, so you're not fumbling? Part of my job sometimes involves repeated phone calls, I find I'm much quicker if I get all my ducks in a row at the start so I know exactly who I'm phoning, what info I need, and can get through them at a lick.

Right your jobs sounds like mine, before the registers come down can you do some of the orders/uniform stuff/website. I'd make one afternoon a week for uniform and website unless it's a breaking news type thing. get registers to office by a set time, make sure all staff know that time, if staff are supposed to do it on sims make sure they are, does the school use parent mail for text which would be easier way to contact parents, if not suggest it. Dinner money payments need to be done by lunchtime, but chasing letters can be once a week, or again text email service would help. First aid is a nightmare and one reason why I am only one of 15 first aiders and not the main one the interuptions would be too much.

If you are placing orders then what the hell is the "super woman" and BSM doing? Again this can be done on a set day not every day, I think you need to start taking control of your time. Not everything neEd's to be done every day.

You've had some brilliant advice on here. I would add that on Mondays you chase all absences by text only. There are just too many to phone. Wear heels - this does wonders for me when I'm feeling that I'm losing control. Say that from now on you only sell uniform one afternoon a week, and on this afternoon don't even try to do long-running tasks.

The only way I can manage when I'm doing interruptions, is to divide my day into 3 - before break, after break and afternoon. So I can fit in 3 strategic jobs on top of the interruptions.

Then insist that someone else has a first aid duty once a week. You are not superwoman!

I would ask though if the school is open in half term and arrange to go in for one day to sort out some backlog and organise some spreadsheets/templates etc. This will get you back into control. You can do it I'm sure.

If you're struggling with specific tasks feel free to pm me - I've got a template for every possible scenario!

Snap, like hazel I have excel and word templates for everything. Get a rota for 1st aid, allocate yourself days for set jobs, website Thursday afternoon, orders wednesday afternoon. Make sure you take your lunchtime and stop for toilet and drinks break, this gives your brain a chance to regroup. Emails I check on the hour and deal with, trips etc I do last thing after kids gone home or after I've done registers.

Give yourself a timetable, make your own notes, and stand up to the bullying sbm. Speak to head or dep head about possible courses. yiu need to start believing in yourself, go in over half term and take control of your space and your job .

Lots of great advice here - I have never done your job, but have great respect for our school's receptionists, or any receptionists for that matter.

It sounds to me like you've been poorly supported and are not managed well at all, and if your MN NN is anything to go by is knocking your already not sky-high confidence.

Best bit of advice anybody every gave me?
"Fake it til you make it".
And then fake it some more until you believe it i.e. you really inhabit your role.

I totally agree with you taking control of your job.
You are not MrsSuperefficient, and that is fine. You are you.
You are keen, you are capable and you are willing to learn on the job.

A manager just saying 'you must be faster' is not managing - that's just putting you down. How can you be faster? What processes are holding you up? Nobody can do 25 things at the same time, and nor can you. Or MrsSuperefficient .

We have several receptionists in my place of work, 2 of which happen to be related to each other and are physically quite similar looking. One is 'quick', quick to move, quick to help, 'sees' what needs to be done, picks up on what could be done to improve things. The other is just as capable, but more steady-as-I-go, v reliable, gets things done at her own pace. They are both valuable members of the team but have quite different qualities (I appreciate that the dynamics are different in that we have a larger team than a school is likely to have). I don't think that there would be anything to gain by telling No2 'You are slow' - we work with her strengths: v responsible, v exacting work, always reliable.