This is so hard for me to accept

I had another previous post about how I got fired after 1 month of training at a call center , and what happened after that was at first I was a service agent and then I failed the simulation call test and now they're re-assigning me to the sales department . Although the salary and the bonus are all the same , the work that they do at the sales department is extremely tedious and just doesn't even feel like actual work . People with no Idea of how to use a computer and can't book for themselves on the website just call us so that we can do this for them . Many of them don't even have any specific hotel or airline in mind , and they want you to search for them (and of course all we do is just google their criteria and then get back to the website to check the availability). The service department is where all the real work happens . You listen to people's complains and issues and you help resolving them which feels like you're actually doing something of a value and that you're not just getting paid to sit on your bum.

I can't get rid of all the self loathing and anger. I keep thinking that they re-assigned me to this position because I wasn't good enough to do the real work of the service department, and these thoughts are just eating me alive . I know the general consensus would be "well at least it's better than nothing" , but I'm not sure if this is true . I didn't want it to be like that , I wanted to succeed at the first thing I was assigned to , and I'm utterly destroyed that they transferred me because I couldn't do that. I'm just sad, infuriated and feel like I won't even have tenth the motivation during the sales training that I had during service . The supervisor of the the account had told me that someone from the HR should call me during this week to tell me when I'm going to start again , which will probably be next week , and I've been thinking I should just refuse , but I don't wanna satay at home without a job like a useless fu** . I keep looking at this huge amount of people at the service department and just think to myself how less I am than them and how they're much better and are doing way more significant work than I'll ever be able too . It's so horrendous and painful , and what makes it worse is the fact that this has hardly happened to anyone; most people are assigned to either sales or service and they just remain where they've been put .So rarely has it happened that someone was transferred to sales because they failed to pass the service simulation call test , almost nobody ever fails that test except me of course .

Listen to me, TCO. You have got to address this issue

"I can't get rid of all the self loathing and anger. I keep thinking that they re-assigned me to this position because I wasn't good enough to do the real work of the service department, and these thoughts are just eating me alive . "

It has nothing to do with the job or the work.

Above all else, you must first address these lack of self-worth issues. Yes?

I can relate to the angst you are feeling. At the same time, how you did on one stupid test does not define your ability to do a job, and certainly not your worth as a person. Some people don't do well with tests. Tests don't really reflect someone's abilities, they are way too simplistic. It sounds like your employer may be overly bureaucratized to the point where they have to rely on simplistic measures to make decisions. Other employers would look at you as a whole person and not dismiss you based on how you do on a test a month in. I don't know how well you did with training other than the test, but learning speed does not reflect intelligence and ability necessarily either. Some people learn slowly and absorb more/learn it better long term than fast learners.

In addition, even if there were some sort of skill deficit from your end, your strengths may lie in other areas. This job may not be the best fit. We are not all suited for every type of work. And you might be perfectly suited for it, but not be a good fit with this particular employer. There are so many possible factors, that you really can't conclude that you "weren't good enough" based on what happened.

I agree that the sales job does not sound great. I don't know your situation financially, so it is hard to advise if you should take it. Do you have good work experience on your resume so far? You can accept it and keep looking for another job in the meantime, or accept it and decide to stay only a certain amount of time to get more experience on your resume and have an income. You could also decide to look for something better. Don't make the decision re-actively out of your anger/disappointment in the moment, but make it based on what feels right and what makes sense logically for your situation. It does not have to be a permanent career choice.

If you are interested in the customer service type of job, I would suggest you get feedback regarding what went wrong, work on improving those things, and re-apply to a similar type of job with another company (now or down the line).

Your success at one job reflects only a tiny fraction of you, and not even necessarily accurately. There is so much more than you than this. And maybe you are destined for better things than working with this company.

LaHermes , if you mean I should see a therapist , then unfortunately this isn't really an option . Therapy in the middle east is worse than you can ever imagine; these people are still living in the dark ages and can't separate religion from psychology , so I don't think I should waste my time and money with them .

lifesatrip , I was doing well with the training overall , there were written tests and I passed all of them, I also did well during the nesting period and got positive feedback from a member of the quality assurance team . The last simulation call just got me stressed and I forgot to mention certain rules regarding the inquiry of the customer , so I failed. This was my first job so I absolutely have zero experience on my resume . I tried looking for another job , but it seems like this one is actually the best opportunity available in the job market for undergrads taking the salary and all into consideration .

Is there a chance to start in the sales department, then at some point transfer to the service department?

At my job, I started out unloading cases of product off of trailers (VERY tedious, plus very physically demanding), but I showed initiative and was promoted into a position that is more prestigious and doesn't require much physical labor. Because I proved myself in the first position I was able to move into a different department.

Is that a possibility?

Understood TCO. We may have had this conversation in the past. Nonetheless, and perhaps this could apply generally, can you see a little tab at top centre of this site, which reads "Live Expert Advice". At the moment highlighted against a vivid pink background. Maybe something to look into.....l

boltnrun , I asked about this and I was told that it's possible however it still depends on the business need , and I'll have to start the service training all over again . Everything generally seems quite unclear ; the supervisor says it depends on the business need , and although they're in dire need for way more people at the service department , he still told me it's not that much of a great chance and it rarely happens , so I don't know tbh .

I love the suggestion about a potential promotion/transfer. I'm sorry you feel this way but yes I would suck it up and take the job. Your post made me remember all the mess ups I had at various jobs I had at about your age. And it all worked out great. Good luck!!

Thank you so much Batya33 , What you said really did give me hope . I guess to succeed you just have to cope with the crap life throws at you , and I'm going to do my best to do that

Thank you so much Batya33 , What you said really did give me hope . I guess to succeed you just have to cope with the crap life throws at you , and I'm going to do my best to do that

 

No, it's different than that. It's how you handle the inevitable downsides that help you succeed because from those you can gain perspective, be more selective maybe about what you choose to pursue, etc. And it's not always what "life throws at you" -sometimes you will be a victim and others you can look into your role/accountability/choices to see if the part you could control might teach you something. In general.

Lots of people have been fired from jobs, and ended up coming out on top. Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs. No one will argue with you about how demoralizing it is or how bad it feels. It hurts. You can't let the hurt stop you. You can't let the opinions of one department in one company define you.

You have a choice. You can keep working with the attitude that "you're not as good as everyone else" and that "this work is useless and menial" - and you will stay miserable.

Or, you can decide to rock this job, and prove to yourself that you can do any job well. And maybe your employer will see it, too. Maybe not. But YOU will know, and that confidence will become part of you. It will help you succeed in other jobs and other things you want to pursue.

You've run into one of life's hardest challenges. Someone with power over your life just knocked you down. How you act now determines your character. You can stay knocked down, or you can get back up by learning everything you can on this job, doing your best every day, and moving forwards.

I will offer this thought - any honest job is worth doing. Any job worth doing is worth doing well. If the work isn't mentally stimulating, find other ways to challenge yourself. Make everything you can of this situation. If you see the job as an opportunity, it will become one.

I know it sucks to not succeed at the first try, but you need to grow waaaay thicker skin than this. Sh%t is always gonna happen, you'd benefit from learning ways to handle it better and trying to keep a positive outlook even when things go wrong.

That being said, I work in the service department in one of the worlds largest online travel agencies -- probably the same project you're in, I heard that we also have a location in Cairo. . Anyway, it's cool for the first few months (maybe the first 6-7 months), and yes, you're going to be able to help lots of people and feel really great about it! Trust me though that after a while it just gets so mentally draining you're gonna be so tired of the phone ringing & listening to the customer b*tch at you, lol. I agree that Sales is not the best department, but if your company is anything like ours, then you can be sure that reliable, hard-working and knowledgable Agents have huge chances of switching to another team or get a promotion. So I suggest you try to do a really good job at Sales, and even if it is mundane work you WILL get to know the processes some; the website; the systems a bit etc which will all be an advantage when you try to apply for the Service team. In my company, there are some who were in the Sales team for a while & now they've switched to the Email team, where you too have opportunity to help people out and provide solutions and such.

I personally cannot wait to get away from the phone and start work in the complaints department which is only via email. Once you start working on the phone in the Service team, you'll know just how friggin' hard of a job it is. . I'm almost completely burned out now after almost 2 years!!

By the way -- what languages do you speak & is leaving Cairo an option for you ?

My company is looking to hire in international projects where they need languages such as French, Arabic, Persian/Farsi etc. etc.

We're in Lisbon btw!!! Just something for you to think about, if you're wanting to make a fresh start in a different place.

Hell_On_Heels you're so right about this . Over the course of the past two days I've been thinking about it a lot and I've come to the conclusion that the service department would've probably been a little bit too much for me as a start point . I think it will rather be an advantage if I start with something that is easier and a little bit tedious, get really good at it , and then move on to the more challenging .

Bunney , Do you work at Expedia ? Because I was actually supposed to join the service team of the Canadian point of sale . Anyway , leaving my country may be an option in the future , however that will depend if I can get enough finances, as well as your country's tendency to accept immigrants . I speak Arabic and English , so I'm quite interested the qualifications of the applicants that your company requires .