Lost my job in probationary period so upset

[Tropics4]

Dear mumsnetters
Just to explain, started a new job in a different field (slightly) worked in financial sector for 12 years, recently made redundant with half my team from a job I had loved and excelled in due to a merger. So I started with a new company, an LLP. I am supporting 3 partners, it's busy! Previous post holder regularly worked overtime and had gradually built up to the full role over 7 years. I say this to explain a little why I struggled in the first few weeks, very little training, super busy and by their own admission I had been dropped in the deep end at an incredibly busy time. First month went well, first review excellent. Then I made a couple of mistakes and it is here I need your views. 1) whilst primting a large number of emails for one partner I forgot the original email and just printed attachment.2) I removed a work at home diary block whilst putting in a meeting (it was a call) and was agreed it could go in there, quickly reinstated the block out. 3) Didn't chase hard enough on a meeting rrequest 4) sent an email message to ask partner to call but forgot international dialling code, all this over a month. In the midst of all this I managed a very heavy work load without any serions mistakes. Today I was told that they would not be keeping me due to my mistakes. I held it together, finally broke down and had to go home. Are these really bad mistakes? I've sort of lost my confidence and perespective, once one mistake was bought to my attention it made me nervous and I compounded it ..I think. It's been an awful year, mum died, other things, previous job loss as posted, please help me with some perspective?

Can you imagine how long it would take to mentally recover from being in this environment any longer? They've massively done you a favour, they sound awful! You'll be an asset somewhere else. I have worked for similarly tyrannical employers (different sector) and it's honestly like being gaslighted at work. Years of experience but you are made to feel like you don't know your own arse from your elbow. So sorry this happened but I'm so glad you have the opportunity to escape before you're worn down. You're worthy of more respect.

Sometimes things happen for a reason and I think you got the heave ho from there because you are too good for them and will get a better job. Don’t let this bad experience out you off. They clearly expect a new employee to be as good as the previous post holder. That’s impossible. They are ignorant arses. Dust yourself down and be glad you dodged a bullet. You will get a more suitable job where you will be properly taught and supported while you learn their systems and procedures. That mob will find out as they burn through newbies that nobody can do the original persons job as well as she did it and eventually they will lower their expectations and it will be split in two. It’s not you it’s them.

Hi Everyone, thank you again, I thought I had posted again this morning but must have not sent/posted. Just an update: so the partner in question made two mistakes today, 1) failed to copy me on an important email where I was to sort a high level meeting 2) asked for a meeting with an international partner without stipulating which one.. ( there are so many) and actually another thing too long too explain, it sort of feels like karma except it was still me sobbing in the ladies. Anyhow your views and comments have helped tremendously. ☺ have a good week all of you.

No more crying. Don't waste those tears on those twats. Think ahead. You are leaving, concentrate your efforts on looking forward.

I am the same. Working for a toxic company, after being appreciated in old job.
Soul destroying.

I feel for you oblomov, today another senior partner told me to stand up to the person that was giving me grief, I had asked IT and another colleague to look at something I had supposedly done wrong, they confirmed what I was being castigated for what was actually an impossible task, so I went back and told them, they said they disagreed with me, IT and the other well respected colleague, at that point I realised it must be personal.. so today I quit. I have no income, and really don't know how I will cope but the mental stress was making me ill, spent the day hyperventilating in the ladies loos between trying to do the impossible. Walk away, listen to the advice they gave me for goodness sake, for your sake .x

Good for you. Fuck them expecting you to finish your contract! Nerve of them.

Hey op,

Just wanted to say congratulations and enjoy the freedom, there's always temping to tie you over. Life's too short to hate work and cause yourself so much stress

Thank you Lemony..I'm already looking for another role, I think temping is a great idea, at least I can walk away. Now I've left I've realised the stress of working there was worse than actually worrying about money, well at least until my bank account is totally empty..😯

You're clearly hard working and care though, so I can't imagine you ever getting to that point :)

They sound horrendous.

I've been a PA for years and have made worse mistakes than that - and everyone says I'm bloody good at my job!.

You may not feel like it now, but you are lucky you are out of there.

Yeh, enjoy the bit of time off. I had 9 months of unemployment after I didn't make it through my probationary period, longer than I wanted to be off, but in the end it raised my bar, I wasn't going to walk in to another disastrous situation. I ended up getting out the sewing machine which I'd been meaning to do for so long while listening to podcasts - and not immediately, but a feeling of calm did meet me coming. Like PP says, you're hardworking so this will only be temporary. The people who fired me, they're never going to nominated for ''greatplacetowork'' [omg never] But my new job, I knew on day one that the 'culture' there was respect and support.

Thanks for your encouragement, I think it might be a while finding something else too but it won't be forever, I will be very cautious now, it's amazing how such a short time of this situation has undone so much, I must admit to feeling a bit wrecked and now lacking confidence so perhaps some time off will help.

I'm understand OP - having similar myself!
Made a couple of mistakes admittedly, but have worked like a dog for months now and keep being told I'm not good enough.
It's soul destroying.

So sorry for you Oblomov, I am currently looking at a much lesser role as this last experience took away my confidence and yet previously I had worked in investment banking on the trading floor as admin support but I worked with a great team and they had invested time and training in me. I think just like there is bad anything out there - there are also some awful employers, I think we have to decide what we can personally handle depending on our circumstances. Thinking of you x

OP, just wanted to say how sorry I about about this. I went through similar last year- started in a new sector with zero training, constantly told I wasn’t good enough. I was threatened with being let go and decided to jump before I was pushed.

This really knocked me for six as I’ve always been a high performer. I have a new job now- and guess what, glowing reviews. So it wasn’t me, it was them. My confidence is still totally shot but I am much happier, and feeling more settled every day. I hope the same happens for you!!

This brings back memories! I had a job like this, and also ended up quitting. Yes, the previous person in the post was doing the work of 3, tons of overtime, had been in the role for years. Kept hearing 'You have big shoes to fill' and 'Susan this' and 'Susan that'. Got totally reamed out by the senior over really minor stuff, basically not being a robotic Susan. I thought 'Fuck this!' and quit. I signed on with a temp agency because I had excellent references from previous employers (had also been made redundant) the next day and had work the same day.

Heard from another person they had lost another 4 people after I left and finally had to split the job into 2 FT posts and 1 PT.

Seriously, you have dodged a bullet! The last person was probably burned out and got sick of being treated like shit.

They're complete and total cunts. I hope you get better work soon! Do sign onto agencies!

The same thing just happened to me, working in an accountancy firm, minimal training and told on the Friday before my probation was up that they were letting me go. No negative feedback previously. Burst into tears in the partner's office as he told me. Really shitty.

Thank you Patchwork, sorry for your experience, at least now with glowing reviews you know it wasn't you that was the problem! Well done!
Dontalltalk, I think the previous post holder must have also been some sort of super-woman on my case too, but she lived and breathed the role and had no family and was happy to work every hour possible. Some of us also try to lead some sort of balanced life I guess, even so at some points there was criticism of her, so the environment seems rather wretched. Thank you re the agency suggestion, I have signed up, the more the merrier I think hey?
Auldspinster - this too was an accountancy, I'm hearing this can be quite common in this environment? I don't know about you but now I am so angry at myself for crying now, I think it's the shock, especially if you generally take pride in your work, I hope you are now in a much better position.

I'm in a similar sounding place, nitpicking, people telling my manager about mistakes I've made without chatting to me first and getting a bit of context from me as to why the mistake might have happened, ie not necessarily due to incompetence and/or carelessness on my part but a lack of training and an inadequate/ non existent system of checks and balances in place to avoid mistakes happening.

I was thrown in at the deep end, literally 2 hours of 'training' for a role that took me 6 months to learn. After the 2 hours I was told to just keep asking questions, but then had people getting annoyed when I did ask questions as they were too busy to show me how to do things but then I'd get blamed for making mistakes.

My confidence has also been damaged but now I can see it's definitely them not me.

Just had a review with my manager which was 95% negative, but I passed my 6 month probation in July and have carried on exactly the same as I was since then so it doesn't make sense.

I've stuck it out as it's my first job after a very long time out as SAHM and I felt like I need a year's experience here before moving on somewhere else.

I'll have been here year in a week's time and I will definitely be leaving as soon as I get something else.

But following the awful review a week ago, I'll be having a follow up review just before Christmas and I'm being monitored on some aspects of the job.

I am convinced I'll be fired at the next review, just before Christmas , I want to just quit but absolutely cannot afford to not have another job to go to and will be impossible to job hunt over Christmas. I've started applying already for jobs, will have to sign up to a temping agency if I do get fired.

They have a ridiculous staff turnover, around 40% and there are only 25 staff! It's such a toxic place it's not at all surprising.

I'm just hanging on to the fact that hopefully, if I don't get fired, I'll only be there for a few more months, as hopefully there will be more chance of finding a new job quickly in January as that's often when lots of people decide to change jobs.

So sorry this happened to you OP, but as everyone has said, you're better off out of it. I've only stuck it out to get 1 year's experience after 10+ years out of paid employment.

Dontalltalk, I think the previous post holder must have also been some sort of super-woman on my case too, but she lived and breathed the role and had no family and was happy to work every hour possible.

Yep, this 'Susan' was the same. She must have been extremely hyper, too. She left for another role and from Day 1 it was 'Susan used to . . . ' It was one of the most wretched jobs I've had. People used to also go behind your back, too, to point out mistakes, no training, boss was a battleaxe from hell.

Sign up with more than one agency! Work is work.

Go temping. It's a great way to find a permanent PA role.

They're small mistakes but they are mistakes. Problem is, no one realises how hard it is to work for 3+ directors/partners even more so if the culture is reactive. You need to be like a bloody robot if it's busy.

One way to avoid missing emails is to set up a forwarding rule on their mailboxes to send all emails to you. Your email traffic will be insane but you won't miss anything.....

I was a PA for years and years and refused to work for more than two people. I just couldn't do my job to the standard I wanted to otherwise. Have left it all behind now because there are so few of those jobs now and expectations/workloads are generally ridiculous.

Best of luck.

Hey OP how you going today?
I quit today. I was told I couldn't Leave and needed to work my notice, but I just left.

Good for you @Oblomov19
I wish id quit when i was miserable in the job where i was treated like an idiot.

I know it would have been better for my sense of self to have rejected them.

They don't sound like big mistakes to me. And if they let you go, it will be the best thing for YOU.

Never work for somwhere where you are unappreciated.

I remember working at one place , where my boss (awful woman) made a long list of my mistakes. She was just an awful woman. Your employers sound awful too. Overworking you and being horrible to you. If they want to let you go, it will be better for you in the end

I really learned a lesson - work where you are appreciated.