Hi guys, I have just started working in an administrative role. Oh dear, I am absolutely useless. I just found out I spent a full day typing things into a database incorrectly. When they showed me what I had done wrong, I couldn't even explain myself, the errors were glaring. In addition, whenever anything simple is explained to me, I seem to forget what to do immediately. It took me about four hours to get my head around using a courier. Is any one else similarly rubbish when it comes to doing straightforward jobs? I used to work as a PA pe-PhD, and that was fine. I am sure that my PhD is making me dumber...M,x

Oh yes, I am sooo bad at this kind of thing. I worked in dixons once and we had these forms you put on the receipts when people get extended warranty. But they never told me there were 2 forms, one for mobile phones and one for everything else, so of course I spent 2 months giving people the wrong ones, and then they ALL came back to complain - urgh it was awful.

I think part of it is just getting settled in. Give it 2-3 months and you will be laughing at the newbie for his/her silly mistake with the courier system.

Starting any new job is always just a big case of brain spasm. It's just a result of trying to take in so many new things at once, there's a limit to how many new commands you can process even if they're individually simple. Plus, I think the phd process allows you to work very much to your own tendencies and preferences, being asked to function in the "normal" world again can throw you a little!

Sneaks is right, give it a few weeks and you'll be databasing like a pro :-)

I think another thing that makes it seem worse is that when you apply for a job-you often come with this sort of unofficial record of being a really "smart person" (cos you are doing or have done a Phd, Masters or just did really well on your initial degree and some of this was on your CV). Then when you do make the usual sort of new person mistakes, you can feel like everyone is thinking "What the? Arn't they supposed to be Dr, Mr or Ms Smarty Pants? How the h@#! did they do that?".

Of course chances are no one is thinking this at all...it's just in our heads and really if they are? WHO CARES what they think...But practice in the real world makes perfect. You are certainly in no way more stupid than before.
GTG- to my own workplace now- I really shouldn't be posting at all given work and study at present...I'm on a strict regime but this forum tends to tempt one! Cheers:-)

Hi Maria - I totally see what you mean, I work part time as a receptionist in a hairdressers and its all computerised, so when I have a client on the phone I'm typing away at the same time to book them in, I was a bit slow at first but soon picked it up and I'm sure you'll be the same. I have found my common sense has started to disappear as I've been doing my MSc, I find my head is in the clouds quite a lot of the time, worrying about all the theories I have to synthesise and apply!

Actually, I what I meant to say was you are certainly just as intelligent as you always have been- pre or post phd-just read how the 'stupider than before' one might actually have two meanings! Cheers and good luck!