Have I burnt my bridges or is it worth asking for a second chance?

[ftm42]

I recently completed 2 weeks' training in a new job, which was alongside a 'qualified' employee. I was employed on a freelance basis, on their standard 4-hours a day, M-F [10-2, which fits perfectly with school/kids/DH/etc - part of the reason I applied and so much more interesting than my previous data entry job]. However, I didn't complete things to their very exacting standards and I had an uncomfortable meeting on Monday where we agreed to part ways. I think I also had a personality clash with the big boss, which didn't help.

Trouble is, I can't move on and feel like I've ruined a brilliant opportunity for a long-term job that fits in with family life, as well as being far more interesting than being 'just a housewife'. Has anyone ever tried to 'eat humble pie', talk to their potential employer and ask for a second chance? Might it work or am I just clutching at straws? I suppose it makes it worse now that I have just spent 2 hours scrubbing toilets and washing the floors in the house [deeply unsatisfying] and my DH told the children that this is my job. The old 'Daddy goes to work to earn money and Mummy does the house/garden/dogs/everything else' thing.

What on earth did you do to have a personality clash with the 'Big Boss' in your first 2 weeks?
If the firm has exacting standards then this is what is required. Why weren't you living up to them? Were you too slow, a bit slapdash?
Not sure that a second chance is on the cards to be honest if they let you go after only 2 weeks.
I think the early weeks in any job you really have to be all out to impress your employer and certainly not having clashes of personality with anyone let alone the boss.

Can you tell us a bit more about what the problem was when you were doing the job?

If you want to approach them then I think it is worth a try. You will have to eat humble pie, but then if you go back, make it work and end up being employed there for years then you will definitely not regret it.

Well if you didn't come up to scratch performance-wise and managed to irritated the big boss in the first fortnight, I'd say your chances are not good.

However you have nothing to lose, so I say go for it and see what happens, provided you are of course able to reassure them about those two rather crucial points.

If I were you I'd find a new job (unless you come back with something different to what i inferred from your OP) and give the dh a piece of my mind. How dare he talk about you like that to your children!

I think you need to decide what it is you'd like to do. Do you want to work with people? On your own? Selling? Advising? Processing? Writing? What are your expectations? What are your strengths?

Once you've got a plan you can make it happen but you have to have the plan first.

No, move on. I guarantee that if they let you go back it will get worse! Some things just aren't meant to be. There are lots of lovely jobs out there I am sure you will find another one soon enough.

Bearcat: summarised beautifully, thanks! I sometimes need a bit of "bottom line" honesty to put it into perspective!

I wasn't too slow, I was a bit too fast and missed one or two things, most of which I was going to ask about anyway. I did ask, got the points clarified, and corrected what I did, but during our chat it transpired that everyone else [bar none] 'gets it' after 2 weeks and I was still asking too many questions. There's a fine line between going ahead and following your instincts, and asking for clarification when you think you need to and I think I went too far towards the 'ask' side for their liking.

I just feel I've let myself down [which I have tbh] and thrown away the chance of a job that would have fitted into our family's lifestyle so well. I also feel I could have slowed down and been a bit more thorough to make it work, as it wasn't brain surgery after all. However, I might have ended up with people watching me all the time so no-one would have been very relaxed, so all for the best.

Back to trying to write my novel and some short stories, I guess, which is what I really want to do. I rattled off a short story on Tuesday in an hour which I might submit to a competition! Off to do grocery shop and then spend this afternoon planting up my garden [another task that's been out off for years!].

Decided to go for it and sent a placatory e-mail to see if they'd try me again. No joy - someting about issues raised at initial interview! Oh, well, twas not to be... At least I tried, I'd've kicked myself if I hadn't.