New Job Dilemma!

roxyroo92 · 4 Jul 2024 at 12:05

I’ve recently started a new job in support work and I’m really not enjoying it. I’m just over 3 months in and work with victims of crime. Coming into the job I loved talking to people and helping them (worked in retail previously) but now it’s just becoming draining and my heart is just not in it. We’re also severely short staffed and I’ve been thrown in at the deep end with me helping 50 odd people at the same time. I’m also finding myself having breakdowns myself every week. Just find myself getting emotional and then I can’t think about doing my work ( I wfh) I have raised this with my managers and they’ve tried to help by talking to me and lowering the case load but it’s not really working as more are coming in every day. I have no idea what to do, I know it’s probably happened to a lot of people where you’ve changed careers and realised it’s not the one. If I was to move I would 100% find a new job first. I’ve never quit a job before let alone leave something in probationary period so this whole situation is so new to me and I’m a bit stuck!!

ci_newman · 4 Jul 2024 at 12:54

Care work (and if you're supporting victims of crime, I would definitely consider this care work) is mentally challenging for those involved. There's no shame in admitting it's overwhelming and it's not a good fit for you, especially if your workload is incredibly heavy on top of it all.

Forget about probationary period or not, focus on what the next best steps are for you. Can you financially afford to just throw in the towel and quit, if not start putting your CV back out there again and just do what you can to survive in the meantime.

Begbie · 4 Jul 2024 at 12:56

CV together and move, management clearly won't lower your work load and you don't seem suitable for the job (I wouldn't be).

Find something new and get out.

throwaway4372 · 4 Jul 2024 at 13:16

This story sounds familiar to me based on conversations with my mum who was a teaching assistant her whole career. I'll share some of the information I found while trying to help her, maybe it'll help you understand why this job weighs on you and that it's completely normal to feel that way. Obviously if you continue with this career path it will be more of the same, so if you've identified that it's not suitable for you then moving on is the right thing to do. There's no shame in leaving a job, you aren't the first and won't be the last so from the employer's perspective it's a routine thing.

roxyroo92 · 4 Jul 2024 at 13:24

throwaway4372 said:
This story sounds familiar to me based on conversations with my mum who was a teaching assistant her whole career. I'll share some of the information I found while trying to help her, maybe it'll help you understand why this job weighs on you and that it's completely normal to feel that way. Obviously if you continue with this career path it will be more of the same, so if you've identified that it's not suitable for you then moving on is the right thing to do. There's no shame in leaving a job, you aren't the first and won't be the last so from the employer's perspective it's a routine thing.

Secondary trauma - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Compassion fatigue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Moral injury - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Thank you for this. I think the trauma fatigue is definitely describes how I feel.

Jjackk · 17 Jul 2024 at 08:55

Don't lose sight of that fact that the probationary period is a two-way thing, it is not just for the company to decide if it is the right fit.. you need to do the same.