To think everyone thinks they're good at their job

[DustyRhodesYell]

I have my first appraisal tomorrow. Been in the job since August.
Obviously I think I'm doing a good job, but I'm very aware/ anxious that 99% of people I've ever met think they're good at their jobs. People who I've managed who are terrible think they're good at their jobs. I thought I was excellent at one job, only to be sacked after two months!
AIBU? Not many people openly admit to feeling out of their depths or lazy. Lots of people do the bare minimum but still feel they are working at an adequate level. Would my manager tell me? Maybe only if I was doing such a bad job it was detrimental to the business, who knows?

No, I have a realistic view of my job

I'm good at half my job (managing and developing people) and the other half is a growth area as it's managing organisations where people change/circumstances change/needs change constantly

I can honestly say there's about one fifth of my job I'm actual shit at

Same. I panic every time my manager says can I have a word, to the point he knows not to say it any more
Customers only tend to leave bad reviews so I assume mostly I am pretty shit

Objectively shit at mine

100% my life.

In my experience people who think they are doing a good job generally aren't (they may be doing an ok job and have no aspirations to do more).
People who are really doing a good job tend not to notice it because they have very high standards for themselves and are constantly trying to reach them.

With respect to your appraisal OP, I'd expect you to have objectives set and for your manager to evaluate your performance against these. So there's no perception involved.

It isn’t always being about good at your job.

Fitting in and being friends and relationships are just as important.

I know people who have been awful (or mediocre) but are good friends with the manager or director. Or the life of the office…

Also know people how have been great and not passed probation.

You should be fine - as long as you can defend yourself and have evidence for the good things you’ve done - it shouldn’t be an issue.

I am quite senior in my organisation and have had a successful career. At no point have I ever thought that I'm more than about 48 hours away from getting fired from my job because I'm so shit at it. And yes, I know about employment law etc.

This is why we have kpi’s, targets, objectives etc.

You can see in black and white what you have achieved, what volume of work you have done.

It’s the soft skills that aren’t quantifiable. Smooth Sally who is always cheerful, says the right things and makes everyone feel great might do no more work than grumpy Gerald who has a permafrown and speaks in grunts but one is probably seen to be much at their job than the other.

If you work in data science or coding and mess up, you will probably know about it.

I was just about to say this. Many people are terrified at appearing to be inept even if they don't say so.

I complete disagree. I am good at my job. I think it's very rare that I people think they are.

Nobody is going to openly admit they think they’re a bit shit at their job though are they, especially in front of their colleagues.

I do. I always speak up if I don't understand something or am struggling with an aspect of my job. And I generally do it in front of my team. I want them to know it's okay to not know the answers or to have to struggle with softer skills and that it's also okay to ask for help.

That doesn't make you shit at your job though @mynameiscalypso

Asking about something you don't understand is a good thing to be doing.

@UsingChangeofName I do it with other skills as well, not just stuff that I don't know. There are topics that I find too complicated to understand (when I should) and I'm open about that. Likewise, I'm open with my team that I'm not very organised, am terrible at networking, struggle with other aspects of our core skills needed for our jobs. There are bits I'm fine about but I'll happily admit that I'm a bit shit at some of the stuff I should be good at.

NC for this, obviously.

I am totally incompetent at everything... after being kicked out of school I had about 40 jobs in 30 years. Then I lucked into a unionized job in a large factory. In my department, almost no work was accomplished, and what little was done was badly done. Even there, I was the worst employee.

I was happy to keep my head down and hide among the other sheep, but even there my general suck-iness was obvious. One day my supervisor said "we'd be further ahead if we paid you to stay home", and a week later I was offered early retirement.

I'm still totally incompetent, but now I'm retired, no one can tell. (Except my long-suffering wife, but that's another story...)

I definitely don't!! I'm winging it every day. Not sure why or how I'm still here frankly! By the skin of my teeth?!

Obviously your thread title is going to attract all the people who don’t feel good at their job OP - as the replies show!

In real life I reckon most people think they are decent at the majority of their job with some areas that could be better.

And yeah even the ones who are actually crap probably think this too.

It’s like that line from When Harry Met Sally - “everyone thinks they have style and a great sense of humour, but we can’t all have style and a great sense of humour”