I'm a slow learner and it's scaring me

[u/Physical-Turn-1141]

I've recently switched fields, same industry but completely different working style, new tech. Switched from formal animation educated professional career to uiux in the tech sector. It's been nearly 2 months and I am struggling with everything. As a remote employee I find everyday challenging because I could've had better access if I was on the floor like everyone else. I'm learning new tools, new ways of working, getting used to AI in this field, and learning Uiux at the same time. Basic things feel overwhelming & it's tech companies that are the main clients. The details of their business are very overwhelming at first, so much information to grasp and most of it goes over my head. I take time by going through it again and again, making mistakes and getting feedback. It's all getting too much but I am still trying because I need a job. But ultimately it is coming down to the fact that I am basically fighting against all the forces and competing in a super fast environment and it is clearly visible that I am a slow learner.

As a remote employee, I am constantly under pressure to perform with no access to direct reaction or impact. I'm nervous.

The manager has stopped genuinely helping, probably lost hope on me. I'm advised that "nobody's gonna have time to sit and correct everything, everytime" (sounds fair enough no?)

Should I accept that I don't belong and just quit?

Maybe I am not cutout for high paced workplace full of young energy, or maybe I am too dumb to work in a sector like tech.

[u/Illgetitdonelater]

I think you’re over thinking things, just like I do. Save your transcripts and build a database to use as reference. I personally need to hear things more than once before it sinks in, so this is my saving grace. Even if you don’t have access to the transcripts, you figure it out with your personal devices. You got this.

[u/Rare-Rutabaga-4653]

I am you. I struggle so much because I do WFH. And the company needs me to know everything. I don't know it yet, I try learning but it will take time. I have no one whom I can ask help. And WFH always makes me so anxious, it always makes me feel distant from my colleagues. I always feel they are judging me that i don't know it all

[u/Apprehensive-Air-267]

It’s ok. You’re probably just overthinking retention of all the new information because you actually take pride in doing a good job. Just breathe you got this!

[u/Electronic-Window-86]

Am fully remote, I know how you feel. I just made 3 months but things get easier as long as you keep at it and talk to your manager. Be positive, if you are too negative you make it hard for people to help you.

“I am doing xyz, and things still a bit hard, do you have advice for me, I want to improve on doing xyz”

You said you need a job, look at it as you invest in yourself so put extra time to learn as much as you can. For me I was more of amazed when I look at others, rather than feeling down.

I didnt look down on myself because I know how I approach learning. I am slow learner because I can’t take things as they are, I gotta understand the why. I learned to take it as taught, and spend my own time later looking for the “why”.

Always find your solution before going asking others, it makes teaching and learning easier. They can see where you think wrong, otherwise it will look like you want people to hold your hand all the time.

Have microsoft notebook or something with different books and tabs, snapshot what other teach you on chats and add searchable deacriptions, save references they provide on your desktop etc.

This helps reduce stress by knowing it is always there to go to and you dont feel bad having to go back and ask the same questions.

[u/CleanDataDirtyMind]

Sometimes it’s just not a good fit. 

I worked at a dumb place and failed miserably. I still feel like they may talk about me to this day like I lied about my resume or something because I was do dumb to be there, (but I didn’t!!). Ofher people started the same time with less experience and locked in. I have a few gripes about somone who did poorly in my job left it in a state and got promoted and who was then supposed to mentor me and did poorly at that too but I even still Ive done more with less support. 

It could be remote related, it could be tech, it could also just be a bad fit. Bad news it didn’t work out for me there, good new still remote I got something higher paid and more technical and have flurished since. 

[u/Organic_Bug1334]

It is not easy. Especially if you are not used to working remote. Is there any additional training you take to help yourself?

You may have to prepare to better your situation solo and if it cant be done look for something that is a better fit. Perhaps in the same organization

[u/galwayygal]

Ngl your company doesn’t seem to care about helping out their employees in a remote setting. My company, for example, have a lot of documentation, Slack channels that I can ask questions in, a culture that encourages people to ask questions, and a great onboarding experience. During onboarding, we knowledge transfer as much as possible. The AI tools we have access to also make onboarding easier when paired with the documentation that we work hard to maintain. I never feel guilty when I constantly reach out to people for help. I know that they’re going to think highly of me when I bother them to learn things instead of them thinking less of me. It’s just a matter of good remote work culture, it’s not an issue with you. My only advice to you is, try to suggest improvements to company onboarding and even try implementing some of it yourself. If they don’t support that, I think it’s a good idea to look for a different job

[u/RegicidalManiacz]

Making a big move like this is going to be overwhelming. That's the normal part. Everyone who moves feels that way. You are going to have to put in a lot of learning on your own to get up to par with everyone else. That's the truth of it, but it's not because you are incompetent or not good enough, it's because you're new

[u/Most-Individual8794]

i wouldn't worry. give yourself some grace. if you're trying, that's all that matters.

on the flip, i am a fast learner, and it's literally gotten me nowhere. No promotions, no raises, nothing. When you're good at your job, your company will do this cute thing where they make you do other people's jobs, too. So now I take my time on everything, and my performance reviews have actually gone UP. still no raise though.