I recently started a new office job after working retail for a long time, and honestly I can’t tell if what I’m feeling is normal new-job anxiety or a sign that the job just isn’t for me.
The work itself is super detail-oriented and there are soooo many emails, customer requests, documents, and little things to keep track of. I’m basically supporting sales managers and dealing with customer accounts, and sometimes I get anxious thinking about replying to emails correctly or missing something important. My trainer is still helping me right now, but I’m nervous for when I’m fully on my own.
Another thing that stresses me out is the meetings. Sometimes I’m in calls or meetings and I get anxious that I won’t know what to say if someone asks me something directly. Since I’m still learning everything, I feel awkward speaking up because I don’t always fully understand what’s going on yet.
One day I feel like “okay maybe I can do this,” and the next day I feel mentally drained and overwhelmed. I even notice I’m more tired at night from the mental stress alone. I also tend to get socially awkward at new jobs, so that doesn’t help either.
Part of me wants to give it at least a few months before making any decisions because I know every new job has a learning curve. But another part of me wonders if I’m forcing myself into something that’s making me unhappy already. I also feel guilty even thinking about leaving because I know my workload would probably get dumped onto the other girls in the office.
Has anyone else felt like this starting a corporate/office job for the first time? Did it get better once you learned everything, or did your gut feeling end up being right? (Side note: this a temp agency job)