Feeling Stuck in a Misleading Job Role: How Can I Regain My Confidence and Career Path?

Dear Seniors, Nowadays, I am losing my confidence to work. Day by day, my frustration level is increasing due to my boss. In the interview, it was informed that I was recruited as an HR head here, but on paper, it was written as an executive assistant. I never indulged in arguments at that time. The job profile he is assigning to me is that of a personal secretary. He tells me to bring curtains for his home, requests me to get kittens for him, etc. If I take the initiative to do something as an HR, it is never appreciated. I am really feeling like quitting the company, but it can also affect my resume. Please suggest what I can do in this case.

Thank you.

Dear Priya,

If your core competence is in HR, then please, for heaven's sake, pull yourself together, give your notice, pay, and leave the organization to join another organization in your desired position. You should not have accepted the role of personal assistant at the appointment time itself.

There is a huge difference between being a Head of HR and a Personal Secretary. If you are unhappy with the job, leave it. If leaving a job looks bad on your CV, then being away from HR and being a personal secretary will be detrimental.

Pull yourself together, leave the job, and move ahead in life. If you have proof and can demonstrate that you were interviewed for the Head of HR position but appointed as a Personal Secretary, then you could file a case for sabotaging your career. However, since you have already signed the appointment letter and have been working in that situation, it won't be in your favor.

Ultimately, the decision is yours: to stay and stagnate in your knowledge or move out and start afresh.

Regards,
Ashutosh Thakre

Dear Priya, your frustration is understandable; nevertheless, we need a little more information to provide any suggestions.

At the time of your selection, who conducted your interview? Did the interviewer ask questions related to HR or Executive Secretary roles? What is your past experience? Have you worked in the HR department before?

Who is your "boss"? I mean, what is his designation?

When did you join this organization? Have you been issued an Appointment Letter? If yes, what designation is mentioned in the appointment letter?

You mentioned that "I never indulge in arguments at that time." At what time did you not indulge in arguments?

What is the total employee count in your company? What are the glaring shortcomings in your organization? What suggestions have you given to your boss to overcome them?

Sometimes you need to have a tête-à-tête with your "boss." Discuss with him how your intellectual capacities are underutilized. Unless you discuss this with him, nothing can be sorted out.

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar

Thanks, Ashutosh, for suggesting me. At the time of the interview, it was totally in line with the HR position. I was interviewed by my boss, who is the CEO of the company. This shows that your boss has hardly any appreciation or awareness of the role of HR. Bringing a kitten or buying a curtain is not part of the HR role. You need to tactfully tell your boss that your knowledge and talent are not being utilized properly, and you need to focus on the HR role, which can be advantageous to the company and all employees. Very discreetly, tell your boss that non-compliance with statutory requirements will impact the company, the boss, and affect business prospects adversely.

While trying to convince your boss, keep an eye out for a discreet exit. Don't ever lose confidence in your skills and ability. The problem here is a lack of appreciation for what HR should do in an organization.

Hi, Priya,

I also faced the same situation where they hired me as an HR for the company, but they made me do telecalling only. After 15 days, I left the organization. So, I suggest you look somewhere else. You deserve a much better job than this. Don't change your job profile. Please share your CV with me. I have some friends in consultancy who will help you out.

My email id is: shivangi@ossroot.com.

Hi Priya,

Let me first know how many years of experience you have. Instead of quitting, you can ask your boss to provide you with the position you deserve. If that doesn't work, then consider making a decision to leave.

Hi Priya,

You can set a reasonable timeframe, say something like three months. During that period, keep searching for another job. Have a frank dialogue with your boss about the role you want to undertake. Since you have accepted a job different from the one you were interviewed for, exercise patience and give yourself an opportunity to rectify the situation. My suggestion would be to resign only after securing another job.

V. Raghunathan

Facing Job Role Discrepancies in the Market

The situation faced by the poster does happen often in our job market. People get recruited for X job and end up doing Y job, and sadly enough, our job market is such that people cannot really throw the job and look around.

In such situations, the person should always have confidence in their ability and never give way to a defeated feeling. Be resilient and bounce back. Patiently look around for another opportunity. Never lose any chance to add to your qualifications. Always start saving for a secure financial future right from the first salary.

Regards

Can you please respond to Dinesh Divekar's queries? A lot on 'HOW' you move from here depends on the details asked, though it seems fairly clear on 'WHAT' to do - QUIT ASAP. But just quitting without any groundwork COULD land you in more trouble.

To add to the queries of Dinesh Divekar, can you also clarify on 'how' you came about this opening? Meaning, did they contact you through any job portal, or did you make the first contact for a job, or was it through any reference or other means?

There 'seem' to be some missing links. Frankly, I find it surprising - though NOT entirely unbelievable - that a CEO can interview you for an HR position, then put you into an Executive Assistant/Secretary role but finally/actually uses you as an errand person (works usually done by office boys).

While NOT equating with your situation, I have seen a somewhat similar situation happen in another instance where the CEO had to bow to relative pressure to hire someone, but also had to find ways to 'force' the person to quit on their own, so that the CEO doesn't have any issues with his relatives. Hope you get the point.

Please give the additional details for actionable suggestions.

All the Best.

Regards, TS

Hi Priya,

Looking at your case, it is clear that you are experiencing talent exploitation. You have two options. Before signing the acceptance letter, you should have asked about your designation. It would be best to bring this issue to your senior HR for resolution. If the problem persists, it may be better for you to consider leaving the job.

First and foremost, it is important to love your job. If you are not happy in your role, you cannot give your best to yourself or the company. You should search for a place where your talents are respected.

Best regards, [Your Name]

Dear Priya, Why do you worry about quitting your job affecting your career? Suppose you get a good opportunity, then it can be shown as leaving for better prospects on your resume. You can either directly approach your senior and discuss your profile, or if that's not possible, don't wait for the situation to correct itself.

Just think, if you were to quit and join another organization, after one year, you would have one year of HR-related experience and job satisfaction. But if you stick with this job, after a year in this job only... with dissatisfaction, no appreciation, and what more... you can think about it?

The choice is yours...

Thank you.

I suggest you leave the job and search for a new one related to your interest in HR. Your boss may not fully understand the role of HR and its importance. The boss plays a significant role in our career. Therefore, it would be wise to search for a new job.

Dear Mr. Nathrao, In fact, the very heading of the post itself is wrong. It is not "Loosing" but "Losing." But then, if corrected, the members get upset; hence, I did not point it out. Anyway, let me correct it now.

Anyway, I feel that we should close this thread. The originator of the post has not shown interest in responding to the valuable suggestions of the other members. If the poster is not inclined to acknowledge their suggestions, then what is the point in keeping the thread open?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Respected poster,

While agreeing with what you have written, please try to see the spelling errors and improper sentences that have been written:

- It is "ROLE" and not "Roll."
- It is "interest" and not "INTERED."
- Sentences need to begin with a capital letter.

Kindly remember that the impact of a good suggestion is lost when it is framed improperly.

I am really very sorry; I actually could not reply these days. I am thankful for all suggestions. I didn't think of my typing errors. I'm thankful towards all seniors for just making me aware of small things to which I never paid attention. Yes, I have experience as a Recruitment HR for 1 year. However, during the interview, it was informed that it's a startup company, so I need to handle all HR and employee-related matters. If I do it my way, it's either rejected or not even appreciated. From all your suggestions, I at least gained my confidence back and will be discussing the same with my Director today. Once again, thank you all.

Kind regards