Feeling insecure at new job - what can I do ?

[christmasnewbie]

I know this is most likely a ' me ' issue that I need to sort out somehow, but I'm just kind of feeling stuck.

I started a new job about a month ago and I've been really working very very hard at undressing the processes/ products and all that goes into my actual job.

I am slowly starting to ' do ' my actual job and I've been so proud of myself actually by how much I've picked up and learned. It's not perfect yet, but it's getting there.

What I struggle with in this scenario. So I'm starting to do my actual job, which a lot of it is taking customer calls and I've been buddied up with a few people. The calls are all recorded and when I've received feedback, I've struggled a bit with how negative the feedback was. I've also struggled with my buddies acting a bit surprised that I was struggling in certain parts of conversations I was having and didn't know how to answer certain questions.

These people have been at the company for several years and I just don't think they understand what it's like when you're new. It takes time to learn all the details of what we do and to be able to have an answer to everything.

It's not just the knowledge that has been picked apart, it's also how I structure what I'm doing on calls. I've been doing this for quite a few years and I'm not new to it. I do get that I need to have the feedback, but it's kind of demoralising and I'm worried they think I'm rubbish.

How can I deal better with this ? The expectation of where I should be right now isn't entirely clear. All I know is, I've been working my arse off and I feel like I'm picking things up quite well.

I started with someone else and I would say I'm ' studying ' a lot more and know quite a bit more about the company and product than them. They've approached it from a ' learning by doing ' - which I'm also doing, but I've really tired to focus more on the ' learning ' bit. Because in previous roles I focused a lot on learning by doing and I felt I was always a bit behind on knowledge.

I know it's partly me for sure, in the sense that I don't think I process feedback well inside my head.

I don't know what to do. I just feel pretty rubbish and like everyone thinks so too.

It has only been a month! That's a short time.
You know that you are working hard and doing your best. You know that you have knowledge about the company and the product.

You write that you are worried that your colleagues think you are rubbish. They probably do not think that at all, perhaps they just want to be very clear and precise in their feedback to you, and it gives a negative feeling?

You are probably right about them not remembering what it was like to be new at the job.

Do you have a supervisor/boss/other person that you can talk to, and ask questions?

Keep on doing your best, and I think it will feel better soon.

I guess I would love to have some positive feedback too, as I'm working so hard.

A month is nothing. I've always found that it takes around three months to really understand what the job is and what you need to do.

Yeah it takes a while of learning it, then doing it, then learning it and doing it, I find.

But what I find a lot is, that other colleagues will start being like ' oh ok, has no body told you that yet ? ' or acting like you should already know it like ' oh ok I thought I was just going to shadow the call but I stepped in quite a bit '

Or when I've done a call, rather than saying what went well- focusing on lack of structure or the likes, but it's like my first call and I'm just learning so it won't be perfect of course or focusing on all the information I didn't manage to get ( which I'm also aware of ).

I think when receiving feedback, be proactive and ask questions such as what should the calls sound like, do you have a structure I could follow and work from, could I shadow someone taking a call to listen to their structure. Is there a facility we’re you could listen to other colleagues call recordings and “grade” or “mark” a call yourself. I always find it helpful to listen to my own calls back and see what it sounds like from someone else’s perspective.

The structure is available, I know how it should work but when you're new it's not easy to follow it perfectly every time. I'm following it as much as I can.