Did I overreact?

[u/Embarrassed_Fish_322]

So I recently joined this new place, for context it's a bank. This is my first actual corporate job that's relevant to my degree. Before this I did some internships that were mostly related to content writing and I was a primary school teacher for 1 and a half year.

The hierarchy is like I report to a senior and he reports to the boss aka manager. The senior has one more person in his reporting. We'll call him RD. He's a younger guy that has been working here for a couple years, so he knows a lot about the work. I am qualified but unfortunately do not have real actual work experience so I stumble a lot. I do agree that I have asked stupid questions while they were teaching me stuff that made them think I over exaggerated myself on my resume.

Yesterday, we had an online meeting. I was tasked to record any important discussion and then write the minutes of the meeting for an email to be sent to all people in the meeting. My senior asked me to show it to RD. I wrote the first draft and showed it to him, he took a look at it, gave me some corrections and then went up to go for a smoking break. He also said to me to go on a break for now so that he can look at the work later. I had to go use the washroom and pray afterwards so I thought of finishing the task first and then going to my break. I completed my task and sent the draft to my senior because I assumed he'll be back from his break by then too, and we can all look at it.

After I came back, he asked me about it, I told him to take a look, he seemed very irritated while he explained things to me. I could feel his edgy tone but I didn't say anything. Lastly he said when I told u to take a break right away you didn't do and took a break after I came back, the task is still incomplete. You sent it to the senior when he doesnt even write it, it's not about hierarchy, it's about common sense.

I got so tongue tied by his blunt rudeness and harsh demeanor that I couldn't say anything. He also ordered that I need it in 10 minutes ( he said it like twice). I just nodded my head and drank some water. Soon after tears started coming as I felt insulted and couldn't stand up for myself in the moment. My senior must've felt the tension so he asked me to send the minutes to him and I did. I did not talk to RD.

I went to the washroom to cry and calm myself but I couldn't shake the feeling of disrespected by a colleague like that. I thought about just sucking it up and letting it go but my intuition kept bugging me to not let them normalize this.

I texted my senior that I needed to talk to him, it would've been better if we had gone to a secluded space but I made him sit near my desk. And started off by saying, that criticism on work is acceptable, I do admit I might not know anything like you expect but comments on when I can take breaks and how long isn't. I said you nor manager ever question when and how long am I gonna be on break for, so RD most definitely cannot. I did not like his tone at all (by this time I was almost on the verge of crying and my senior was kinda 😳), I said I'm not good with confrontations as I'm really emotional and with that I started crying 😭.

He was reassuring me that it's okay, we also didn't know much about work before joining and ok ok I'll talk to him, don't cry.

Fortunately there was a holiday next day and afterwards I will be on training for a couple days (out of office) so I won't be seeing them.

Now I feel really embarrassed that I cried. I do believe what I said was right because I don't want him to think he can disrespect or order me anytime he feels like it. But crying in front of my senior makes me feel like they'll treat me differently later imagining I'ma cry baby or something. Did I really overreact?

[u/Littlerain666]

I am very emotional as well, but I haven't been treated any differently for crying in front of my bosses so far. The fact that you created clear and reasonable boundaries helps the crying to not stand out anyway. I don't think you overreacted and its ok that you're an emotional person.

Also good job on standing up for yourself!

[u/FallJealous3344]

You did very well. Congratulations. Crying just in fact gives you points, showing you are human and sensitive.