A few months ago I started an office job in the finance department of a medium-sized marketing firm. Basically, my boss didn't like having me around because he felt I would get in the way of our department's goals. Our goal was how we as a department can be more appreciated and seen within other departments of the company. My colleagues were fine with me, my boss was not. He said introverts like me were not a good fit for the department and the company. This hurt me when it was said and caused me a lot of stress over the following weeks. I did not isolate myself from the rest, that was not the case at all. I just socialized to a lesser extent.
So I worked on this and tried being more social with people from other departments which worked out great. I had some great conversations with the other people and showed more of myself within the company. He admitted that he saw improvements, but then shifted the problem to my work, which he said was insufficient. It is also good to mention that we are short on staff in our department and that everyone is very busy. In recent weeks I have been suffering from stress and burnout complaints to complete my work on time every day. And when I didn't get this done, I was criticized by my boss. He said you require too much help from your other colleagues and that bothers them. This makes no sense at all, as I'm perfectly capable of working independently.
Since I have only been working there for a few months, I need to ask some questions in order to continue my work. My colleagues were not bothered by my questions at all, in fact, they wanted me to do that instead of trying to figure it out myself, because that would take more time than just asking.
My colleagues saw that I was getting better at being social, but my boss wasn't convinced. He thought I was only talking more because I was told to, not because I wanted to do it by myself. But that was not the case at all, I actually enjoyed having casual small talk with the other people and this was something I always wanted to work on.
Feeling unappreciated and sensing a desire for my departure, I've decided to resign today. My colleagues were surprised and disappointment, but I don’t want to work for boss who keeps criticizing me. In our conversation, he said he was still unsure if I could help with department goals and advised me to make improvements. I told him that if he really believes that, even after all my efforts, it's probably best for me to resign. I suggested he find someone else who might better fit the department's goals. I don't want to work under constant pressure and where I can't be myself.
Funny thing is during my first interview with him I explained very carefully what kind of person I was and he said he had no problems with it and actually wanted a person like me because people like me show hard work. There were some other things aswell but I cba. Done with the whole corporate life bullshit. I will continue working there for another month as my contract runs until the end of this year and then I will be gone. I'm not sure what I'll do, but life goes on.