I like my new job, but I'm rubbish at it. WWYD?

[groovergirl]

Hi folks. Very tearful and in need of a handhold and/or kick up the bum.

After 30+ years in the private sector I gained an awesome role in government, working on a project I really believe in. But I'm three months into it, and I'm crap.
I've been suspecting as much, and today my manager told me I am "behind where I need to be" at the 12-week mark. There have been several problems. One is the content system, which I had to figure out for myself and which caused big delays at first. Another is government protocol, which I found out today I've inadvertently breached.

I anticipated this shitfulness on my part would happen, as I have a history of being really crap at new jobs, then having an epiphany, coming good and doing well. I'm really hoping the epiphany will happen this time, as I want to succeed. But I can't help feeling I've already lost my colleagues' good will and confidence. I've written down and am implementing the feedback, but I wonder if it's too late. If I'd come up via a traditional route, I'd probably be OK. But they've taken a chance on someone who hasn't worked in government before and I don't want to let them down. It's a six-month probation, but maybe I should pull the plug and save them the agony.

Any advice ye wise women of MN can offer would be most appreciated.

Have you had a full induction and handover OP? Have you been advised on relevant policies and procedures? Have you been trained on all the relevant IT systems? Have you met everyone relevant to your role and shadowed the relevant meetings before thrown in at deep end? If you know your subject matter its a case of getting to know and adjusting to environment. Thats down to them in the first few months and then to you to adapt and fit in. You should be having regular one to ones with your manager too for support

I reckon it takes a good year to settle into a totally new role! Any issues this early on is down to poor training, rather than you being at fault!

Hi everyone. It is so lovely of you to check in on me some two months after my original post, and to offer such useful advice.

Unfortunately, though I've worked hard to catch up, teach myself the software and am actually doing things not too badly now, it is too late to save my job. I was told at my 16-week review that I would be unlikely to pass probation. I've resigned, and will leave in January.

Ironically, HR today sent me a check list of all the things I need to do to wrap things up. One item is "handover notes". Blimey, wish I'd been given handover notes when I started. In fact, it would have been nice to have been given a list, when I started, of my tasks and responsibilities. Instead I had to learn by osmosis, asking endless questions, fumbling around and slowing my colleagues down. My direct requests for guidance were usually met with a querying "but you should already know all this ..." look from my manager.

Oh, and it would have been good to have a proper induction, too. Say, two solid days of role-specific induction, and then I could have confidently joined the team and got down to work. Instead I was given 30 hours of online modules, only about five hours of which were directly relevant to my role. The words "set up to fail" come to mind.

Sorry, I'm feeling very sarcastic tonight. It has been a difficult few months.

I know most of us hit these roadblocks at least once in our careers. Few of us get a dream run. I don't think I've wasted these months; I've learned a huge amount. It's just that with this role coming to such a sad end, I won't be able to add it to my CV.

It sounds as if a few of you are having similar problems. I really hope things turn around and turn out well for all of you.

Oh that's a shame! I have similiar issue in my new job where I was told it's each man for himself and nobody will watch your back
Training is minimal but I've picked it up well

The new people coming up after me I worry for!

What job will you move to now?

Oh OP, sorry to read this update. Sounds like you really did claw things back as well and get on top of things. Your employer sounds as though it is to blame. What are you plans for the immediate future? You sound very accepting of the situation x

OP, I'm sorry to hear this. Onto bigger and better things in the new year hopefully. What an absolutely crap employer they must be.

Thanks for your good wishes, everyone. I'm disappointed to have to pull the plug, as it seems such a waste when I'm now in the swing of things. There are lots of people I will miss, too.

Anyway, my plan is to take a few weeks' break before I do a university bootcamp in some digital skills I need to upgrade ahead of putting myself around. (I'm in Australia, btw, and January is quite a nice time to be "funemployed".) I also have a qual in a completely different field that desperately needs workers right now. I'll be OK. Just feeling a complete and utter loser, having flunked out of a job that, with two days of induction, I could have done so well.

I'm glad to hear you are feeling positive. Good luck to you - I bet you'll smash your next endeavour.