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Lessian
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27 Sep 2007, 2:16 am

Does anyone have any kind of advice regarding what can be done when the job requires you to do stuff you are not comfortable with?
The job is good, the people are great and understanding, the pay is good. The job description mentions general administration as required. But there are just one or two things that I really hate doing. One day a week, they have me doing reception. I am not a receptionist, I hate telephones and get flustered easily whenever anything happens. But I cant even describe to myself why I should not be made or asked to do this day, let alone explain to the boss. And tthey were so nice about the whole thing I could not argue.
I have come to dread wednesdays despite them being payday.
What can I do???


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BlueMax
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27 Sep 2007, 2:59 am

Two choices....

ONE: Find a way to cope (FAR easier said than done.) Odds are good you'll burn out and hate the job in fairly short order.

TWO: Do the quick-and-painful thing and tell your boss with all honesty about how the receptionist role makes you feel and how it's a detriment for the rest of the work you do.


Either he's a good boss and will work something out, or a bad boss who will force you to do it anyway.



Icheb
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27 Sep 2007, 3:08 am

I recommend trying to cope. I used to hate picking up the phone, but as in a chess game, there are really just so many gambits that can be played on the phone (Mr. X is in a meeting right now, do you want him to get back to you? Do you want to leave a message? Can somebody else help you? Could you call back later?), so you get used to it. You're not expected to be the real you in such a situation, just an actor playing a well-rehearsed part. Same if somebody walks in the door: take their name, ask them to sit down, offer them coffee or tea, put out some trade magazines for them to read... If you're in doubt, just ask your boss how he wants you to react in a specific situation, saying that you've never done this before. And if you REALLY mess up, he'll delegate the job to somebody else, and no harm done.

My first boss fired his secretary in a fit of anger and then asked me to be his secretary. The farce lasted exactly one week, then he advertised for a new secretary, and I got back to my old duties. :wink:



sarahstilettos
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28 Sep 2007, 11:10 am

Icheb wrote:
I recommend trying to cope. I used to hate picking up the phone, but as in a chess game, there are really just so many gambits that can be played on the phone (Mr. X is in a meeting right now, do you want him to get back to you? Do you want to leave a message? Can somebody else help you? Could you call back later?), so you get used to it. You're not expected to be the real you in such a situation, just an actor playing a well-rehearsed part. Same if somebody walks in the door: take their name, ask them to sit down, offer them coffee or tea, put out some trade magazines for them to read... If you're in doubt, just ask your boss how he wants you to react in a specific situation, saying that you've never done this before. And if you REALLY mess up, he'll delegate the job to somebody else, and no harm done.

My first boss fired his secretary in a fit of anger and then asked me to be his secretary. The farce lasted exactly one week, then he advertised for a new secretary, and I got back to my old duties. :wink:


I used to have a totally different persona for work when I was picking up the phone, and I didn't do too badly. Like Icheb says, use "polite" stock phrases. No one cares. Of course there's still the whole thing of there being NO routine, when the phone rings you have to interupt whatever you're doing. It's horrible. My fictional NT persona did help me a bit with it, however awful that sounds.