I have been with an investment firm for the past three years. I started in a sales and service position, but about 6 months ago I got offered a job at another firm as an associate on a team. My manager found out through the grape vine that I was thinking about leaving (someone at the company I was interviewing with was friends with someone at the company I currently work for and spilled the beans).
My manager approached me about it and then turned around and offered me the job with a team where I am the sole service associate. Things start off okay, one of the guys I work for is quite demanding but I think nothing of it because it’s my job.
Through the last six months things have become progressively rocky with my advisors-I make silly “new person” mistakes and I am made to feel extreme my small. One example is I was working on a problem that required me to calculate percentages for money for someone. I accidentally used the wrong number and ended up giving the person too much money. Honestly, it happens all of the time and is fixable. I called the client and he was cool with it and I also let my manager know, he even confirmed that it happens often. I went to tell the advisor and he told me it was not okay to make that kind of mistake and if I’m that bad at math maybe I shouldn’t try to do math. This really infuriated me but I let it go.
Fast forward to last week, I have my mid-year review. I get into the office expecting it to be easy because I’ve only been there for 6 months. I was sorely underprepared for what I was in for. I got told that I need to answer the phones more often and that my advisors complained I don’t do this, I was told by another girl who started the same time as me along with others in my office that we could work from home a couple days a week so I decided to do so with my advisor’s blessing. My manager told me that I was mistaken and she knows that it’s not fair but I haven’t been there long enough and I don’t have a presence in the office but I talk too much and I’m always on my phone. I broke down and started crying because I really didn’t expect to be berated the whole meeting. There wasn’t a single positive thing in my review and as someone with a background in management I understand that you can’t give reviews in this manner without really disengaging the team member.
Needless to say I have an interview Friday and I can’t wait to tender my resignation. I’m really sad though.