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Home > Careers & Employment > Goverment & Non-Profit > What's the point of acting more confident, knowledgeable and capable at work than you are?

What's the point of acting more confident, knowledgeable and capable at work than you are?

Category: Goverment & Non-Profit

ElanaElana


Like at my workplace, I'm not supposed to tell anyone outside of the few people on my shift that I'm not sure of how to do something or that I don't have much experience doing something and I'm a little nervous about it, or that I don't know something. In fact, I'm not even really supposed to tell my supervisor any of that. And my understanding is that this "I know everything" attitude" is policy here.

I don't get it. If I don't know then I might mess up. So why can't I tell people I might need some help. Who's going to benefit if I'm slow or don't do well? I've been at my job a little over a year, and when I first started one of the more experienced people there said she'd been there for two years and was still learning things. So, what's wrong with me admitting it to everyone else if I don't know something? I'm in an entry-level position working with the disabled in a state facility, no health monitoring like blood pressures or anything.

FaithE
FaithE

Why do you need to admit "to everyone else" that you don't know something? You stated that you're not supposed to tell anyone outside of the people on your shift, so they are the ones to whom you should be directing your questions, and lots of them. But as in any job, there are rivalries and bad blood between supervisors, and your blabbing about how incompetent you are and how you're so nervous is just going to make your supervisor look bad, and possible take nasty teasing from another supervisor, and it might get her in trouble. A state institution is very political and people are hired and fired on a whim, or so it seems sometimes. So just keep your mouth shut when you're outside of your own shift group, and do some research in your spare time as well. Still learning after two years is not at all unusual in a job where you're dealing with people, because there are always new situations.

Justin K
Justin K

You should never pretend like you know how to do something when you actually don't. If you screw up because you didn't ask a question you'll get fired just as quickly as if you actually knew better.

There's a difference between pretending you know something and acting confident. The phrase is "fake it until you make it."

Cathy C
Cathy C

Find someone you can trust to go to for answers. Be very observant with procedures you are unsure of and google when ya get home. These days, you can find the answer to almost anything on line.

Good Luck!


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