Ask Vicki: What should I do if I'm bad at my new job?

In this answer on Quora, Monster career expert Vicki Salemi offers tips to help you figure out if the problem is the job—or you.

Ask Vicki: What should I do if I'm bad at my new job?

Vicki Salemi

Each week, Monster’s career expert Vicki Salemi—a former recruiter who utilizes 15-plus years of experience in recruiting and human resources to empower job seekers—answers user questions on Quora. We’ll be republishing the answers here. If you have a question for Vicki, send it to socialmedia@monster.com.

Vicki Salemi

Q. What should I do if I'm bad at my new job?

A. If you’re bad at your new job, there are a few strategies you can lean into, but first, you need to ask yourself why you bad at your job. Is it just because you don’t have the skills and weren’t properly trained? If you’re bad at it now, do you think you can improve over time with the right kind of guidance? If so, see if any internal trainings exist, and talk to your boss about where you need to improve. (Some companies actually offer training programs for their employees.) Can you shadow a colleague to learn the ropes? Are there online courses that can help you?

On the other hand, are you bad because you have been adequately trained and you still feel inadequate even with weeks of practice? (Maybe there are job duties you weren’t informed of during the interview process, and now you’re thinking, “Oh wow, this isn’t what I signed up for.”) If that’s the case, you need to find a job that's a better fit.

Assess what you are good at, what you enjoy doing, and research the industries where your skills are valued. When you’re bad at something, did you ever notice how it kind of deflates you, bums you out, and makes it harder to enjoy work and be upbeat, stay focused, have a good attitude? It has a snowball effect.

It may take some time and introspection to discover where to focus your energies, but it’ll be worth the effort. You deserve a job you both enjoy and are good at. Be proactive in this situation—update your resume so you can start looking for a job better suited to you.

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Read Vicki Salemi's answer to "What should I do if I'm bad at my new job?" on Quora.