Sunday, May 4, 2008

just because your're experienced doesn't mean i'm stupid


One thing I'm not so certain of about my new job are some of the other staff. In fact, I'm having a really hard time with a lot of them. Or well, maybe not with a lot of them, but with enough of them that I think it's going to be frustrating for me. It's odd, because normally I get along with people, even if I don't talk to them a lot. I suppose the dynamics will also be different when they are not training me though. We'll see.

In any case, yesterday my trainer had been working there longer then I have been alive. She was very set in her ways, and very black and white about the rules. It was painful and hard. I wanted to cry I was getting so frustrated with her. She was also a complete and total neat freak, something I found hard. I was trying to be helpful because we were short staffed. She gave me NO independence. She wouldn't even let me take a load of laundry to the basement with out her coming with me. I am so capable of doing laundry! Sigh.

Another thing that I find hard with the staff is that they are really testing me out. The last casual staff they hired was really bad news, and had a little breakdown/freak out thing and was just really strange. I understand their suspicion, I really do, it's just hard to know how to respond. They are also suspicious of my age and of my social work degree. I often forget how hated social workers are. My trainers on Thursday and Saturday were both suspicious of my motives for being there and working there. Even in my interview, the manager was suspicious of me.

The truth is, I like the job. While it's not especially challenging, I'm kind of excited about that. I like the idea of working at a job I know how to do. And, there is variety to it. Things are always changing despite the fact that it remains the same, and there are different shifts, different staff, different areas, all of which have their own personalities and quirks. So in a week, I could have 5 totally different experiences. I like that.

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