Coping with being overcompetent

kitsone

I have a problem of being overcompetent. My line of work is general office jobs: managing claims and cases, cutting down backlogs, working with data. I've done a lot of jobs - maybe 100 jobs - and I'm 38.

Most of my recent jobs have been contracts, so I market myself as a contractor. It's still really bad and doesn't solve the problem. This year alone I have had 5 jobs. And 4 last year. Maybe 20 jobs in the last 4-5 years alone.

I'm simply too competent. I can walk anywhere and after a month I am virtually running a teams' worth of work. By the end of the next month I am running an additional team. People will have literally seen nothing like it. And then I have to go.

Once they see how competent I am on the shop floor level my prospects go out the window. Managers will not want me to do anything else. Instead of getting offered promotions the ladder gets taken away.

Then I'll find simple solutions like using XLOOKUP instead of making 20 spreadsheets, automate a manual task on their system or improve their management processes and then it is time to leave. People don't like looking stupid.

I'm sick of people seeing me work and saying "you're too clever for this". "You're too intelligent go find yourself" It's extremely disgusting and disrespectful when people start pitying you.

I don't have any family or friends, I've spent most of my life homeless or in poverty. I don't have any reason to troll or impress anyone. I just wanted to be good at my job. Maybe I've failed at normal life.

If you were reading that as someone talking to you, not reading it as a post on the internet but actually saying it to your face, how would you think? What would you say?

Woodstok2000

Maybe it's not so much what youre doing, but the way youre doing it. Maybe trying to do too much too soon. Maybe you need to spend a decent amount of time learning the job and the company culture, and then look at how you can start to make small changes to improve things - that way you can bring others with you, and jot be the odd one out.

beckstar1975

I would say I suspect there is a big disconnect between your opinion of yourself and others of you if you have had so many jobs. IME companies will bend over backwards to keep decent staff, in fact to even keep average staff as recruitment and training is such a drain.

And I can't imagine what places you're working at if a simple XLOOKUP is so revolutionary

kitsone

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82184765#Comment_82184765

Sure, don't find any place to disagree, I take on a lot at once. But I like doing that, and it's not like anyone minds. My current gig has asked me out next week, which was really nice, and they're nice people too. I know sticking around though beyond the contract term will be untenable.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82184773#Comment_82184773

This is the most alienating part. You'd think someone with so many jobs was a loser. Yes, I'm definitely a loser. But do you realise how many of the services we take for granted are running on the oldest gear, the least capable management, with the least effective processes.

They'll take on anyone, too. The interim manager in my current role they wanted to supervise me was supposed to cover us until December, but they just could not turn up for work on time. And they negotiated 100% WFH. And the one time I met them they had no experience of formulas in Excel. They're fired, I'm picking up their work. It's like living in a cartoon.

LightFlare

Rarely would a competent worker have had 100 jobs at age 38

Maybe over confident

Marcon

What's your emotional intelligence like?

kitsone

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82184822#Comment_82184822

You are looking at being competent. I am talking about being overcompetent.

I'm not better than anyone else. Probably less.

Isthisforreal99

Bottom line is people generally don't like someone trying to be 'smart' (I can't say the word without fear of a reprimand from the mods.)

Just go and do the job you are asked to do without showing off. You may not see it as that but others will.

Are you neurodiverse?

ohreallƳ

I suspect that it's fair to say you may be somewhere on a spectrum.

You may be better placed trying to be a suitable fit rather than wishing you were running the gig.

XzavierWalnut

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82184868#Comment_82184868

My thoughts eactly.
Organisations want people to fit in, not upset the apple cart.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6688451/coping-with-being-overcompetent

If you are a contractor then you shouldnt be expecting promotions… those are permie things. You should come in as a competent hand, get the job done and move on when the contract ends.

So are you just signing very short terms contracts that are coming to a natural end or are people not liking you and terminating your contract early?

If you feel your skills and experience are too great for basic roles why are you applying for them rather than something more inline with where your feel your skills are and get the day/hour rate that reflects that elevation?

There are some people who are brains on legs but have absolutely no social skills… they need to find someone who values their skills and can put up with their attitude, they can do well but can struggle to find their home as many would rather a more rounded person than someone you have to keep isolated to be less disruptive to others.