To quit my job because it's full of people who have been there 20+ years?

[sundaynightflight]

I've recently started a new job. The company has some real great points BUT I think they have over-resourced my team and I'm so bored.

Many people there have been there for 20+ years, including the other person in my team who does the same job as me. Because she's been there for so long, ALL the work seems to go to her. People in other teams go to her with their questions/problems/information, and I'm left with the dregs (ie the dull work). I would say 75% of the staff are long-servers and many are not only colleagues but also close friends, socialising outside of work too (newcomers not invited).

It's really getting me down and I'm starting to dread going to work. I've spoken to my manager, but she is also new, not keen to rock the boat, but has given me a few (boring) things to do.

I don't know how I'm supposed to find my place in the company or start being valuable when I'm not being given a chance to prove myself with meatier work. I don't know what more I can do.

AIBU?

How long have you been there?

Give it a chance, people's confidence in you will grow. It's a good sign that people stay there so long.

I always get job regret in first few months, it will pass.

I've been there for four months.

They must be a good company to work for if their staff turn over is so low. Surely this should be a plus point. You need to give yourself time to make your mark.

They don't know you. Be proactive. Give them a chance to get to know you. Put yourself out there, talk to people, ask what they do, show interest, tell them about your particular areas of interest or experience.

If your manager's new too, she's probably also still learning her way around.

I think it's a good sign that there are so many people who have been working there long term, surely it means they are a good company to work for. Unless they are actively avoiding you I wouldn't be worried and hopefully they will get to know you better.

Are you friendly with your counterpart? If so can you ask her to let you shadow her when other things you’ve not yet done come up so you know how to do them? I think you’ll find they want you to get to grips with the basics before they hit you with anything more complex right enough and you’ve been there like ten minutes compared to her but it’s worth a go.

Have you tried going to some of these people on other teams and saying 'I'd like to get more experience with X task - have you got one I can take on, or can you give me the next one that comes up?'
They may think you're happy to do the minimum - some people are - or that they're doing you a favour by not loading you up with work.

I’ve got mixed views on this, my first job was very similar, although I was made very welcome and made friends .... but the work was so boring, my boss had been there over 20 years, I could see she was going nowhere and she was only 40 so there was no where for me to progress to ... I did stay for two years, but then moved on. I have some happy memories, it was a very well respected charity & I learned some useful skills but I needed to find a more challenging role.

I am friendly with my counterpart, she is very nice, but there is definitely a bit of territory marking going on. She is friends with some of the directors and makes a a point of going to see them for chats IYSWIM. My boss asked me to do some work which has traditionally "belonged" to my counterpart and my counterpart was clearly quietly unhappy about it, and then scheduled a meeting about it (with her leading the meeting) to take back the work if that makes sense. Sorry, I know that sounds a bit vague.

She also makes a point of getting in early and leaving late. I've told her I'm not that busy and offered to help but she almost always (very politely) turns down my offers of help. Meanwhile I'm clockwatching to pass the day...

Give it time. In the scheme of things 4 months is nothing.

I had this in the first six months of my last job, including the territorial stuff. Anyway, they then took on a new piece of work nobody wanted to do which turned out to be huge and I made it my own and recently got promoted. Before that happened though I had actually handed in my notice (later rescinded) as I was so fed up and bored! So I would say hang in there.

I work at a place with many long-timers. I’m one myself. That kind of job stability potential should not be thrown away lightly.

I can imagine the exact scenario you are talking about with turf wars. I’ve had to deal with it recently. One 40 year veteran that has openly stated she wants fewer hours and a brand new employee straight out of university who we are training. The veteran claims to want less work, but is not handing it over. I’ve had to get a bit firm about how I want certain tasks used for training. I’m a 20 year veteran, just happen to be higher up
The food chain. So basically, you need to talk to your boss about how you need to be trained in on tasks so there is redundancy and support available.

Hi OP

I think you need to stick it out longer.

I was in a similar situation when I started my job, another person who done the exact job I did had been there forever so all the staff went to her with any queries (HR Office!).

I felt like no one trusted my advice at all and if I did answer a query sometimes they would later double check with this staff member

I’ve been there a few years now and I reckon more people come to me than her now

It will take more than 4 months to wiggle your way in but you’ll be part of the woodwork before you know it!

You get the ‘lifers’ in most places, someone always has to be the newbie before someone else joins and you become accepted more then.

Try to stick with it for a while longer, once you’re part of the furniture you might be given more work. Or not, it’s hard to know. I personally quite like the fact lots of people stay, it’s a sign of a good company in many ways, but it’s not for everyone.

I’ve been told by recruitment firms that they aren’t always keen on over long stays (shows no ambition/willingness to change?), but then some may look at a CV with lots of jobs and think they have no staying power/might not have fitted in).

I’ve got the same problem.

I’ve been here 18 months and the work has got slightly more interesting but I’m surrounded by people who’ve been here 20 yrs and are now counting down to retirement (in 15yrs time 🤦‍♀️). They’re are a nice enough bunch but I feel suffocated by the safeness of it all and also the lack of progression.
Anyway, I’ve just applied for a couple of jobs.

Oof. It sounds like you’re skilled - can you start quiet job hunting?

I think if you know, you know [that it’s not the right job].

I “knew” 2 months in to a job at a really lovely organisation. They’d been quite an aspirational employee when I applied. But yeah, lots of long-standing employees, no boat-rocking, nothing really testing for me available. I secured a new job and handed my notice in. It was definitely the right thing to do, and they were really understanding.

Oh! And I deleted it from my LinkedIn, wiped it from my CV... professionally, those 5 months didn’t happen