Bad Work Experience: Will Jobs Always Be Like This?

[KungPoweChicken]

I took my first "real" job out of college. I was amazed by how unprofessional the direction and environment was. For starters, I wanted to waive the health insurance. I was told I had to fill out the company health insurance papers to do so, sign the dotted line, and bring in my current insurance card. When I brought this to my supervisor she said, "That's okay, I don't need this. You could have just told me if you wanted to waive it." Um Okay?

It doesn't end there, though. My first day getting trained was by someone who had never trained anyone before. She was a nice girl, but didn't explain the fundamental concepts very well. I understand the onus is on me to ask questions, but when it's your first day sometimes you're not even sure what to ask yet. The training was abysmal.

Later when I was getting my feet wet on the job, my supervisor basically called me out for not being jovial enough. I didn't realize it was company protocol to laugh and play and act like everything is lollipops and sunshine, but I guess it is?

I was never given a fixed schedule while on the job. And on one day my supervisor told me to work on the weekend. When the weekend came, though, I showed up and there were no other cars in the parking lot! Yes, that day of work was canceled, and I wasn't bothered to be notified about it. When I confronted my supervisor, she flat out lied and said, "I never said for you to come in on the weekend." Sure.

Moreover, the whole work experience was suspect. I put part of it on the poor training I received, but most of it should fall on my supervisor's shoulders, who was responsible for assigning me my work. Speaking of work. What work? Sometimes I would have to wait around for 20 or 30 minutes for her to give me something. Then she would come around at the end of the day and say, "You need to work faster." Um, yeah I would work faster if you gave me some work.

This company seemed very amateur and, for lack of a better work, bush league. I've had other jobs before, probably some worse paying ones, but they were far more professional. This seemed like a world full of contradictions and misguidance. Is this what I should come to expect in the "professional" world?

[BballTim]

  Just curious, what kind of work were you doing?

[slamtheking]

sounds like it's par for the course.  worked at a number of the companies and many of those experiences have occurred at each of them.   Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the more time you have in the workforce, the more likely you'll encounter a number of other work issues that you haven't even listed here.

[KGs Knee]

Can't really speak on your specific experience.  Not sure what type of work this is, and as much as all of us like to blame our employers, sometimes the onus is on us as employees to take the intiative.  I am not questioning you though, I'll take you at your word.

Hey, I've been at a job that I loathe for 7+ years now.  The company management is boderline inept.  I work in an FDA regulated industry, and you would be amazed at the indifferent attitude that is taken towards proper documentation and following sound methodology in tackling process improvements and controls.  Decisions are made arbitrarily.  Furthermore, the only way to advance in the company is to grease elbows with the right people.  I've seen numerous people get promoted, without having a lick of knowledge as it pertains to the position they've been promoted to.

That being said, it's all about how you approach things.  If it is so terrible you can not stand to be there, remove yourself.  There are other jobs out there.  Life is what you make of it.  For instance, even though I loathe my job at times, the pay is respectable and it's as steady and secure employment as one could hope for in this economy.  I choose to look at the glass half-full.

[Cman]

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays!

Here's what you need to perk yourself up: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/

[Edgar]

yeah.. that one or Mallrats.