Helping new people at your work C or D?

ARGH ARGH ARGH DIE NEW PEOPLE DIE, GO AWAY AND BOTHER ME NO MORE, LOOOOOK IN FRONT OF YOUR IDIOT FACES AND YOU WILL FIND WHERE THE CLIENT FILES ARE, CAN YOU NOT REEEEEAAAAAAD?!?!?

My willingness to help the new people is in direct proportion to how much coffee I've had.

And I'm still annoyed by Dick, Jane and Spot's quotas... grrrrrr.

Part of the job innit. Staff turnaround has been especially quick here over the last year, mainly because the boss is an asshat. So, loads of helping new people.

I have also had to train a work experience girl and the person who will be doing my job one day a week when I start my MA, and have discovered that I'm a bit crap at delegating and explaining things. But really I quite like not being the new girl, and it makes me feel capable and knowledgeable when people ask me things. So, I guess I don't hate being bugged.

The problem is that if you help people out with a few bits and pieces then you become their default person for asking questions whether you're likely to know the answer or not for the next 2 years. So you should always pretend not to know the answers to a few questions just so they get used to asking other people stuff.

Exactly. That's what's happening to me today. And the guy is a thicko too (in comparison to another new guy).

I find that if you just growl at them enough, they generally get the idea and don't bother you that much.

This morning I managed to have an entire conversation with my boss, detailing what was wrong with one client's data, which consisted solely of me pointing at the computer, pointing at the invoices, and growling at him. And he understood what I was saying! And fixed it!

(It's really astonishing sometimes that I still have a job.)

Geez Im glad I don't work with Kate. I find myself asking questions of people daily. Something about not being an exbroker like half the people here. Its ok, they ask me stupid technical questions in return. Give and take.

There's a difference between genuine "I don't know how to do this, can you help me please?" questions and "I am too thick and stupid and lazy to bother looking for something right in front of my eyes that I have been shown three times already" questions.

I don't really mind it. I enjoy it more if it's someone above me though, much funnier!

I think I'm just double irritated by the fact that I don't suffer fules gladly, but also, these fuxors only have to do 200 to 400 invoices a month, while I have to 1300. How can I do 1300 invoices AND answer their poxy fulish queries? Grrrrr.

More coffee and a deep breath.

Just play thicko yourself,and if you really MUST show the newbies how to do things,get it all wrong,throw a strop and mutter insane ramblings about how the medication just isn't working.You should get left well alone.Especially if you talk to yourself while you know the newbies are in earshot.

Kate, your attitude on here genuinely shocks me.

After having to learn SAP from new in the last 6 months or so, I know that I've missed stuff riight in front of my face and have had to ask dumb questions, becauuse sometimes it's the only way to learn.

My attitude is best reflected thusly:

1) I am not even paid enough to do my OWN job, let alone everyone else's. If they want to pay me to be a supervisor or a manager or a trainer, then I will train other people.

2) This is data FREAKING entry we are talking about, not rocket science.

3) I have learned fairly complex programming languages BY MYSELF FROM BOOKS. When you have to do these things by trial and error, you pick up a certain lack of tolerance for people that need to be handheld all the time.

4) People are freaking idiots and I hate them all, GRRRRRRRR!!

Oh, I'm glad that went through. It poxy fuled and I thought it had crashed, and I didn't want to have to type out that whole curmudgeonly rant again.

Fundamentally, my problem is that I am a computer programmer reduced to doing data entry. And this makes me too cross and cranky to view any aspect of my job objectively.

I am asking questions of my boss after working for him for 2 years. I realise what I'm saying here contradicts this, but being bothered by someone who I don't like and should be asking his boss instead of me BUGS me. That's all.

here's a stupid annoying question: what is SAP?

The newbies here are far cleverer than me. I don't have to teach them anything. Which is nice.

It's an integrated sales/manufacturing/forecasting system. Most of industry uses it... apart from any company I had been with before.

Four years ago I graduated from university and started work at my current place. I knew bugger all and needed loads of help and training. It was given to me with good spirit and patience. I still occasionally have to ask questions of specialists, and they still give it in a pleasant manner. But mostly now, other people come to me for help. I think I can say that I give it every bit as willingly as I was helped in my early days here. I'm very glad to be able to repay the treatment I was given.