What to Do if Youre Failing at Your New Job

What to Do if Youre Failing at Your New JobWhat to Do if Youre Failing at Your New Job After months of searching and more interviews than youd like to count, you finally landed what you thought would be your dream job . Only instead of rocking your way through those early workweeks, youre constantly struggling to understand what on earth is going on around you.Its not an unusual scenario to be in, but its a frustrating and nerve-wracking one nonetheless. Heres how to cope if you feel that despite your best efforts, youre just plain failing at your new gig.Maybe youre not getting the hang of things as quickly as you wouldve hoped - but that doesnt necessarily mean youre falling down on the job, either. Before you beat yourself up for a job poorly done, ask your manager for a sit-down and get his or her input on your performance to date. You may come to find that in their mind, youre meeting expectations given your fairly new status at the company.Keep in mind that e ven if you come into a job with a strong knowledge base and skill set , every company works differently, and it takes time to learn the ropes. So rather than despair or stress over your performance, create a timeline by which you hope to achieve certain goals or milestones, whether its compiling your first major report or learning to navigate your companys tricky content management system.Maybe demand is a strong word, but when youre in a new environment, you can only expect to learn so much without a decent amount of training. So if thats something you feel youre lacking, be open about it with your boss. Even if they dont have the time to train you themselves, they might be able to point you toward some resources that will allow you to independently get up to speed.Another option you might consider is signing up for a mentor within your company. Not all employers offer this option, but if yours has a mentorship program in place, pairing up with someone seasoned might help you overc ome a lot of the knowledge gaps youre facing early on.Even if you and your colleagues are mostly on the same level, the fact that theyve been at the company longer than you have automatically puts them at an advantage. So why not get a piece of their knowledge? Walk around, introduce yourself and ask questions when youre curious or otherwise stumped. You can also attempt to shadow some colleagues to get a sense of what they do, as this might help you grasp the big picture of how your team or company operates.Along these lines, if you find a coworker you get along with easily during those early weeks, admit that youre struggling and ask for advice. That person, like your boss, might be able to share some resources thatll help you catch up more quickly.No matter where you are in your career, starting a new job can be challenging, and its natural to feel that youre s-lost and behind. Just remember that youre apt to get better at things with time, so dont be too hard on yourself durin g those early weeks. Instead, stay positive, set goals, and focus on improving slowly but surely.