I moved countries earlier this year out of necessity. Moving away from my home was rough, and it was exacerbated by the fact that life in this new place is difficult and finding work so I can afford basic needs like food and a roof over my head was a fruitless, frustrating, depressing five-month process. Being ghosted by employers who initially showed interest. Being lowballed. Being offered about 1/5th of the pay I would make in many other countries for a 40 hour a week job, when the cost of living is really only like… a couple hundred bucks cheaper. And I worry a lot of it is the norm here. And no, I can't leave here just yet.
Then I got this part-time job. The recruiter said it was translation work, like checking documents to see if info was accurate. I interviewed with them, they really just tested my skills in the languages I'd be working with, and all seemed fine, even though they started asking for things like my high school diploma and that my last three employers fill out a lengthy, personal survey about me. Things I never needed. I was desperate for an income so I did. And had to write them an explanation as to why I couldn't produce my high school diploma in 48 hours, when I went to high school overseas over a decade ago. Then they had me go in for a health check up. For a part time job? That was remote? It felt invasive but I went. Because I know things are different here, and again, I needed to pay bills.
Then I was told I'd need to come in for a ten-day paid training session before starting remote work. Okay, fair. Then I come in, was given material I would use for work, my ID, etc. and then was told I could “fail” training. Then I rock up my first day, and it turns out the job NEEDS someone with advanced accounting skills, which is far from my expertise. Like they need to have worked with the tools they're using, and I'm thinking my recruiter just wanted a bonus from a successful hire or something. My “training” sessions are disorganized, overlapping sessions where the trainers just go, “You do this, you copy this and paste this” without even explaining what anything is and how it all works, even when I said I had no accounting knowledge whatsoever. (“Just read the notes, watch the video…”) No hands on training either, just watching a screen and listening to vague explanations. Then they give you tests that you have to fill out the next day. Which there is no time to do because my training sessions are back to back. And I sure as hell am not filling out those tests at home, I only have five hours to myself before I have to go to bed.
Today, I was treated to a three-hour training session for a procedure they do that takes seven hours to do. They lost me 20 minutes in because I don't know a damn thing about this. I have no business working in accounting, I suck at numbers, and I didn't think this was the job I was applying for. And then at the end of it all, was told I would have to demonstrate the whole process next week and I would be graded for it. Who absorbs a seven hour process in three hours, and is then expected to do it?
I felt like throwing up today and I had a splitting headache from the stress, and it's my third day of training. I know I'm not making it through and I desperately need the money because finding work here has been impossible. But there's no way I'll be doing this job – either I won't make it past training or I would just straight up quit – and I feel overwhelmed, defeated, and fucking depressed.
I'm thinking if I can just get through the ten days of training, I can bow out and say I just don't think I'm a right fit for the job, and at least get paid for the training so I can pay rent. It feels unethical but… I'm here and the stress is immense and like, why did they let me through. Or I just fail the training period and get dropped. I don't know which is more ethical. Or I can just leave now with dignity but hurting financially. Any insight on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
This sucks.