I recently interviewed for a job and was unsuccessful (Job A). A short while later, the organisation contacted me and said that another job was available (slightly lower grade) and invited me for interview. I was really keen to get into the organisation so went along for interview and got offered the job (Job B).
I started a few weeks ago, and although I work for a couple of managers, my line manager is the woman got job A. Now, I really didn't have a problem with this as it turned out that she was already employed the organisation so I assumed that she had got the job on the fact they she had a track record/was experienced/knew the organisation. The trouble is, it has since transpired that she was previously doing my job, joined the organisation six months ago and has six months experience of doing this type of work (was previously a SAHM for a few years - nothing in wrong in that obvious! - and did something completely different before that). I, on the other hand, have around 15 years experience and, without wanting to sound like a princess, I do know my stuff.
There have been quite a few times this week where she has got herself in a knot over fairly basic things. Setting things up in ways that are illogical and confusing. I've been trying to be helpful and suggest ways that I would approach the tasks when she's got stuck but I'm starting to feel like I am teaching her how to do her job and it's starting to grate a bit. She is an intelligent woman and is clearly capable of doing the job but she hasn't risen through the ranks so seems to lack the basic skills of the job. She also has a bit of an 'attitude' that she knows best and her approach is dictatorial rather than collaborative. A couple of staff who have failed to follow instructions correctly have been given fairly short shrift over the phone followed by lots of huffing and puffing after the call and criticizing people who cannot follow her simple confusing instructions. She's on a bit of a power trip basically.
I'm really happy with the new job. I've realised it's actually a better fit for me than her job would be as there are lots of opportunities for me to learn new things / move in a slightly different direction going forward so I'm not jealous that she got the job over me. It has taken me a long time and a lot of knocks to win my stripes so I'm a little bit reluctant to mentor someone who is supposedly in a more senior role than me.
Just wondered if anyone has been in a similar situation/have any advice on how to handle it?