Welcome me to the working world, maybe

August 24, 2012 12:24 AM

Career Starter Q: If you are working a job that's a bad fit for you- 1) how did you get it? 2) how do you survive it (especially workplace dynamics)?

Background: I am a new college grad whose past internships have been in media/advertising. I've found that the fast pace and general young and social environment of this industry is probably not right for me. However, the contacts and (few) interviews I've been able to get are in advertising, given my resume.

In the near future, my best bet will be to work in an agency while I find more suitable work. Today I had an interview at an agency and while I mostly knew what to say, I could sense that this isn't a place for me. Equally importantly, my interviewers could probably sense it too. So 1) How do I convince myself and interviewers that I'd like to work in their agency?

I realize the advantages and contacts I have are valuable and I'd be wrong to not take a job. If I do get a job, how do I survive in a place where I feel out of place? The nature of the ad industry is that the people working in them are very similar.. age and personality-wise. Moreover, they have real strong interest and passion for advertising that adds to the feeling that I shouldn't be there. 2) How do I connect with my coworkers when our career goals are different?

Bonus Q: How do I transition another industry (government admin services) when my resume/contacts so far has been media/advertising? not that I'm even really "in" the industry...

Thanks for answering... your advice will be helpful at any point in my working life when I'm unhappy with work, which will surely happen again :P

posted by ichomp to work & money (3 answers total)

It sounds like you have the old imposter syndrome, your anxiety about job performance getting the better of your ability to get a job. I probably can't convince you that do a better job than you think. Something I discovered when I moved from operative into management in political marketing was that people who get paid for their ideas tend to need something else to make them happy at work. As a result of this, all of the copy writers I employ also do research for the accounts department when they are not actively working on writing. Finding a way to fill hours so that you can control pace is important, because you will be surrounded by people who have figured out similar situations and who will not want to share the work.
posted by parmanparman at 1:23 AM on August 24, 2012

It is important to define a "bad fit"

If it is workplace culture you are worried about then perhaps it is more to do with your own self-concept rather than the actual job.

you are working a job that's a bad fit for you-

1) how did you get it?
I've done a few of those. The answer is "deep acting". Even if you know that it's never going to be the right fit, mentally you need to concentrate on the reasons (benefits) and have a good go at it. Most of those jobs in my case were slightly outside my skill-set.
Actually looking back now, a couple of bad-fit jobs (what I perceived to be) with time grew on me leading to cross-training opportunities and good social networks.

2) how do you survive it (especially workplace dynamics)?
Each place has its own culture and there is no way to predict the dynamics in teams, etc. I am afraid you are stereotyping a bit, don't stress about it, there is not much you can do. Just try to be observant and ask direct questions. It is all about norms that are not written down as rules. If you are switched on and present - you'll get it.

fast pace and general young and social environment of this industry is probably not right for me

Concentrate on probably. You are probably right, but do not make it this assumption your starting point. Will help you cope better.
posted by passing.by at 4:45 AM on August 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'll share some of these perspectives to "fit" into a job and convince the interviewer that you'd like to work there. If it helps, for my last full-time company -I wasn't there for Brand X or company X or rah rah team, I had entirely different goals in mind, so I'll suggest the same approach for you.

• What skills will you need next? For the admin gov services, have you identified them through talking to people? Or are there other skills that you want for yourself? Or are there things that your potential employee will do that you find interesting (perhaps create Apps, or widgets, or whatever). Okay, write them all down; it is on your action plan to learn and to do. By the way, it doesn't matter if company X is making bull horns to yell a message and you don't care about the message...what do they make/do that you would like to learn about for your next job or lifein general?

• Now at the interview, you look at the potential to learn those things on your list. Ask -- can I work on X? WOW! I used to do 1 and 2, and I saw the potential to do X. If you meet someone and they tell you tehy make widgets, also on your list, ask about the process, etc. Anywho, this sounds odd but ...I've viewed jobs as a series of skills and things that I want to learn about (yeah), and when I go to the interview....I really, really want to learn those skills whether it is through talking to them or hopefully, employment if you are seeking it. I know that it sounds crazy, but it is a projected enthusiasm/curiosity that has landed me interviews and job offers and in reality, I'm meh about the company and their team. So you build enthusiasm about what you want to learn. It sounds like you have done these things in internships, too, so you can also emphasize your experience.

• It sounds like you are focusing a lot on the social aspect of the job (i.e. fit, same type of people). There are a few ways that you can approach this, and I'm coming at this from a life-long non people person perspective: 1) Who cares...it is short term. you will learn things on your list and move onwards to gov admin...don't say this, but remember it and/or 2) Approach people from other departments.I'm sure your job role will have similar people but look at different departments- they may have people with different backgrounds, etc. and if you approach them with an interest/curiosity about their job- people open up to that and/or 3) Learn more about things from your potential coworkers (they have skills underneath) - their enthusiasm is icing on the cake and/or 4) Coworkers almost always bond, even if you don't have the same "goals". Why? You really do become a team through familiarity. You see their faces, know their mannerisms, their scent. Then...the client, boss, or something else becomes the other. So you bond over ...hahaha they didn't like that? They said what? You are part of the pack/team just by your presence. Anyway, those are many ways that you can use alone or together to fit in/connect/or just not care. I honestly think your biggest problem about this is that you are worried that you won't fit, you focus on that, and then it projects in the interview ("I don't belong here/I don't belong with you/how do I get out?) IF you can reduce your anxiety by focusing on the other things, it helps. I often focused on ...I'm only here temporarily until I get to the next point and want to learn skills X, Y, and Z....along the way, you will meet people who have different goals,too...not everyone knows what they want to do/or it is a transient career, etc.People are often more concerned about life...

Transitioning to another industry/career. To be honest, I post about this almost every two weeks- feel free to search through my posting history or memail me. I can't type it all out again today. Or search career change or job change previous ask me.s
posted by Wolfster at 7:24 AM on August 24, 2012 [1 favorite]