I don’t know how to articulate this properly. :\ I have recently started a new job for about a month or so and it is not at all what I have expected. My industry allows for me to try the same profession in different settings. I wanted to try this specific setting because it was something new and different to me. However, after a month of working here, I have realised my expectations are not all what I expected. The job promises autonomy in my career, but I honestly just feel like a ‘robot’ forced to followed rigid guidelines. The management has also felt like such a pain, more recently, and frequently, scolding or criticising me for not knowing or following certain work practices which were not taught or informed in the first place. I also don’t know if I’m overthinking interactions I have with management, but I feel that as if I’m constantly being ‘looked down’ on or that their tone and choice of words sound condescending to me, especially as the youngest and least experienced employee. I am afraid of being seen as ‘emotional’ or being labelled as a ‘snowflake’, but so far I feel that I have been very objective with it comes to work. Overall, I have just been feeling so overwhelmed, I don’t get excited by work or my career anymore and even sometimes feel a huge feeling of dread and stress just thinking about going to work. I have lost the energy and time to do my hobbies, meet up with friends, and keep up with other commitments and generally get my life together. Its made me have doubts about myself as an individual even though I know those doubts do not reflect my skills or personality. I feel so stuck and every morning I dread getting up out of bed to get ready to go to work and feel the same all over again. I have been talking to family about it and they have been genuinely supportive throughout this ordeal. However, even with their best efforts, I still have this ‘cloud’ looming over me, weighing down any effort I put in to make myself feel better. I try to get through it all but I can still feel that emotion deep inside :\
Hey, I am sorry for what you are going through and it sounds really exhauting… Starting a new job and being in an environment that not only is different from the original expectations, but also unsupportive is quite demoralising.. Please know that you are not being a “snowflake”, these are natural responses to what you are goingt through… One month could still be early on in their onboarding process, but only you would know how you feel… Does it feel like it is a workplace culture thing that may not change or a start phase that might smoothen out?.. Also please try to see if there is anyone in management that you can speak to regarding their expectations for you… Losing energy for your hobbies friends and other commitments sounds quite concerning… If this continues, you might want to reach out to the nearest Family Service Centre to speak to a counsellor so that you would have someone professional to speak to on a regular basis to process everything that you are going through… If you need to speak to us, you can call us at 1771 or chat with us at 6669 1771… Please do take care…