At loss for words
I have always been a bright student in school and college. Books have been my best friend for most of my life and now I am thrown into the working environment where I am forced to interact with my colleagues. I really cannot hold a conversation for more than 5 minutes with any of my colleagues and it becomes really difficult to spend 8 hours at my workplace as I really feel out of place. Could you please tell me how to cope with this feeling and situation?
Ans: Your work ideally should reflect your personality, for instance if you are someone who loves books and working on your own you may prefer work that is aloof, may be research or back office work. But if you try to get into media or public relations it will be difficult for you as cannot expect to change your personality in few days. So first figure this out are you caught up in a job that does not suit your personality, then well you just need to give yourself some time to blend into the culture which seems very deviant from your style. However if you feel that’s not the case and if you like you field of work, remember everyone else there too has some connection with that work and that can help you’ll too bond. If nothing you’ll will always have common grounds of the nature of work and its growth. Give yourself time to get to know people and gradually start small talks related to work, you need to take the initiative, it will work eventually.
Coping with negativity
I am a teacher by profession and I teach the senior most batches in school. However, I feel like I am taken for granted by the students. I am a hard worker and I really prepare for my classes, but sometimes my students tend to ask ‘smart’ questions, just to prove my knowledge and I usually do not have the answer for the same. I am aware that my students talk ill about me amongst themselves and I believe that this is a price a teacher has to pay. However, what has really disturbed me is that I heard my colleague’s gossip about me. I get the negative vibes everywhere I go and I cannot concentrate on giving effective classes anymore. Please help me.
Ans: If you are good as a teacher and if you are fond of your job you will not give up by just getting worked up by these petty comments. A teacher’s job is important as a role as they indirectly set an example for the students and by quitting you are just proving to them that they can take you for a ride. You can rather concentrate on making your class more interactive and give them more independent work to do so you have them thinking instead of you doing everything and give them a chance to question you. If it is very difficult for you can probably request your head of department to help you, and with no option you can opt for teaching lower grades and get your stress out.
Not up to expectations
I am a graduate who has specialized in marketing and I am currently working with a renowned firm. I am happy with the people in the office and my boss is also my really good friend. However, I am not happy with my job profile as I am not doing anything with my specialization and neither am I learning anything new. I am not happy with my pay package too as I know that I deserve better. Nevertheless, my boss has verbally promised to promote me in a year along with a 10% pay hike. Should I search for a new job or wait for the promotion?
Ans: Since you have just completed your graduation, mainly all companies would offer you similar work profiles. Instead of feeling bad about your situation you can think optimistically and hold your horses, this is what fresher will get to do, and since your boss has given you the assurance of a promotion in a year, this is exactly how it should be, so stop questioning. There are all positive in your current job for instance, it’s a good company, you are getting along with people, and your boss had promised you, give yourself a year and you’ll be fine. If you think it’s still a hindrance in your career growth, you can begin looking for a job if you come across a better option there is no harm in trying.
Taken for granted
I’m a 23 year old boy who just started working for a copywriting firm a month back. I had interned for the same firm when I was studying and then they seemed more enthusiastic about having me as a permanent employee at their firm. But now that I have joined they don’t seem to take it serious and still consider me an intern rather than an actual employee. What should I do? Should I voice my feelings or should I continue as it is and wait for another month or two and see how it goes?
Ans: From what you express it seems, that they have made a perspective of you and they like to see you in that spectrum. If you want to break that image you will have to do something that will change their mind and look up to you, they would then accept you from the change you have made. You can either show this with you work which will be a good strong impression or you can speak to them which look a little burly effective. A suggestion would be that you think of taking up something important to do and if you complete the task successfully then you can prove to them you can be better than just an intern and they will involuntarily change their view. Keep patience and allow yourself to get into the groove of proving your skills more profoundly.
