Hate new job - Stay or Go?

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Kluivert

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Am I newly qualified accountant (June 07) working for a Building company, I look after everything in the accounts department since Feb 07.

Am really not liking the job for a number a reasons but the main reason is that certain people here at really annoying me. Actually two people are annoying me, they are not accounts related, one is a secertary for the company for the last 20+ years who has done most things in the company including accounts functions, the other is the office manager who's background is Quantity Surveying.

Both of them are like a tag team, one cant do something without checking with the other. They speak to myself in a tone that you get when someone talks down to you. Telling me what I should be doing and how to do it. I dont tell the office manager how to count bricks or tell the front office person, how to answer the phone.

Two new people start a couple of months ago and they have left since citing that the same two people where just impossible to work with.

Should I stay and bare it out till I have a years experience or leave now, go to a job that I can learn from a financial controller or work in an finance department of a company where I actually learn something new instead of inputting invoices and doing bank rec's.
 
Have you spoke to these about it, or even a line manager? Although if you aren't happy there isnt much point in staying but I wouldn't leave first without letting my feelings known. They probably have become so accustomed to doing the duties that they feel threatened when you came and took over.

I say get out and get a new job where you can learn more and get better experience.
 
Bob the slob said:
I say get out and get a new job where you can learn more and get better experience.
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Thanks Bob,

Am over Accounts, I have no upward manager am afraid - just the MD to report to and the office manager off course.

I was looking at job ads and they are looking for at least 1 years experience in industry - thats the only thing thats keeping me at the moment.

I was hoping to learn to skills and experience new things, but am doing the stuff that I learned at uni, i have plent of experence from training in practice. I am not learning anything new here.

Although these people are twice my age, I dont appreciate being spoke down to. We all have to work together to get a job done and thats the way it should be done in my opinion.

I havent spoken to them about it because I want to make sure my work is 100% up to date and correct. The other reason is that if I say something I know it will cause a rift, because thats the sort of people they are, criticism is not taken lightly.
 
Try and say it in a nice way that you understand where they are coming from but you kow what you are doing. Tell them they make you uncomfortable and try and sort it out otherwise you will have to go higher and you dont wanna do that cos your all adults, professionals etc etc..
 
I think the problem is that am 24 yrs old and have come along way in a short place of time and I think your right when you say that they probably feel threatened.

I went to the office manager/Q.S. to get figures for management accounts, i was told that she didnt have and that I would have to get them from somewhere else. She was the one responsible for computing the figures, hwo shes doesnt have a record of it is incredible. I had to ring the architects and engineers to get the ring that she sent to them. Thats embarassing and un professional.
 
Kluivert said:
I think the problem is that am 24 yrs old and have come along way in a short place of time and I think your right when you say that they probably feel threatened.

I went to the office manager/Q.S. to get figures for management accounts, i was told that she didnt have and that I would have to get them from somewhere else. She was the one responsible for computing the figures, hwo shes doesnt have a record of it is incredible. I had to ring the architects and engineers to get the ring that she sent to them. Thats embarassing and un professional.
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It sounds like this is like a mild, insidious form of bullying. Bullies can crumble quite easily when stood up to. If I were you, I would state my feelings/case politely, but firmly - you might be surprised at the reaction.
 
Caveat said:
It sounds like this is like a mild, insidious form of bullying. Bullies can crumble quite easily when stood up to. If I were you, I would state my feelings/case politely, but firmly - you might be surprised at the reaction.
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Is there any need to make comments in the work place - just there because I didnt report back on chasing up monies outstanding to the office manager/Q.S. she said she may as well be talking to the wall as such. As she asked me at lunch time to inform her how I got on after I rang the clients this afternoon. I wouldnt mind but I have other things to do as well, and it just slipped my mind to inform her. I would understand if I hadnt phone the clients but I have rang them each three times today already.
 
Definitely stand up to them if they are being all petty like not giving you the figures. Tell them that you dont want to be treated as such and that you dont want to have to bring the matter further. Explain how they made you feel like that and just ask them to be nicer. Its amazing how people take criticism when you explain nicely how they did it.
 
I was hoping to learn to skills and experience new things, but am doing the stuff that I learned at uni, i have plent of experence from training in practice. I am not learning anything new here.
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You're probably learning far more than you realise.
 
Bob the slob said:
Definitely stand up to them if they are being all petty like not giving you the figures. Tell them that you dont want to be treated as such and that you dont want to have to bring the matter further. Explain how they made you feel like that and just ask them to be nicer. Its amazing how people take criticism when you explain nicely how they did it.
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Thanks lad for the advice.
 
Kluivert said:
Sorry am afraid not.
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Think Leghorn probably meant learning as in 'life experience' - dealing with people etc.

You're right, you shouldn't have to make comments in the workplace but sometimes it's the only way. Often if people like this are not stood up to, their behaviour gets worse. It could even be that they have been acting like this for decades and don't even realise how bad they are - underneath it all they might even be alright, or at least tolerable.
 
When the two new employees left recently and started talking to me about how they where treated, I thought that it was me, but I realised it wasnt. They have been working here decades so I dont believe that they would get away with it anywhere else if they had to move jobs.

Thanks again.

I am going to look for a new job and resign here, and before I leave bring it to the attention of the Boss, and speak to them individually as well.
 
Kluivert

Just a couple of comments to think about. It sounds to me like they just annoy you, it's not like they are making your life a misery. Newsflash: no matter where you go, there will be people there who are in some way annoying or not on your wave length etc. That is just a fact. I don't know whether saying anything directly to them is even worth it. It might not even be conscious bullying. They may not even know they're behaving like this, it's probably so ingrained in them to talk down to people if they've been there that long.

Just focus on what you originally wanted out of this - experience at least on paper if not in practice and stick with it for the year. I don't know how long you've been there but surely it wouldn't be so bad to stay and get your year's experience. In terms of your colleagues, stand up for yourself by being assertive but professional at all times. Being professional in the face of annoyance, difficult bosses and colleagues etc is one of the most important things you will ever learn.

If you stay for the year, you can point to that on your CV, rather than feeling you have to explain in your next interview why you left. Make it a plus not a liability.
At your age, having experience is important, at least on paper. You report to the MD. For a 24 year old that's pretty good to point to on your CV rather than it appearing to your next employer that you left because perhaps that was too senior for you. Get your boss to give you a good reference at the end of it too.
 
when they person says something rude, say to them NICELY."I dont like your tone of voice.
Bullies hate it when they cant make you crumle.
cathy
 
Thanks again for your advice. Its good to hear the opinion of more experienced people.

I have held my tongue to this point however you guys have confirm what I should be doing and that is to respond in a professional manner to their inappropriate behaviour.

They dont appear to speak to other people in the office the same way bar the two people who left, so maybe it is a case that they feel threaten by new people joining the company.

I am going to hang on for the year and gain as much experience as possible, like annR said it can only be a benefit at the end of the day. I have already worked for large companies like [Names removed to protect confidentiality] so I am well aware how to a company should conduct itself in a professional manner.
 
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I think that's a good plan, Kluivert.

maybe it is a case that they feel threaten by new people joining the company.
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Very probably, considering they've been there for years. Hope it improves for you, but February isn't far away and then you'll have done your year.
 
I agree with most of the previous comments. I'm in engineering and we have a saying that 'its the engineering that's the easy bit, its the people that's the hard bit.' Same can be said for most jobs. I'm an employer and would have reservations about employing someone who appears to be job hopping no matter what the reason. My advice is to stick it out as long as possible (at least for a year), learn from your experience and strive to do the best job you can. You may be surpised how much you would become valued nand then see how things can change.
 
Dont be bullied out by them. Go to work, do your job, take no ****e, fight fire with fire, answer back, laugh to yourself at how pathetic they are, find someone else at work to ***** too, impress the md at every opportunity, try and make them jealous, go home in the evenings leave work at work, these people are just people you work with not friends so you dont have to treat them like friends but try and be nice if you can.

Leave if you are under to much pressure as your health is pretty important.
 
Kluivert said:
I am going to hang on for the year and gain as much experience as possible
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I think thats a wise choice. Remember, you have a long working life ahead and you can look back on that job as just another step in your career.
 
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