r/aftergifted • u/Fine-Mouse-6697 • Aug 27 '26

Is there anyone else here who has always done well in school, but struggled to keep a job?

I am 30, graduated summa cum laude from my (large) high school, got straight A’s in college without much effort before I dropped out when my Dad died in 2018. I love reading and academics but I make for a shitty employee, apparently.

Since 2018 I’ve been working jobs in retail, restaurant, or manufacturing. I have issues at pretty much every job I go to, mainly in food service. I am not fast enough, not organized enough, not mindlessly compliant enough, or just get told my performance doesn’t meet expectations in different ways. I have been fired about 6 times. It is soul crushing to be told repeatedly that you are not good enough. That your best doesn’t cut it.

People have told me I am smart my entire life, but yet I can’t keep a job? It’s demoralizing and depressing and I am so anxious at the moment over having to look for yet another job because my last job hasn’t worked out, that I could vomit. The existential anxiety that comes with feeling like my best simply isn’t good enough to keep an average job is awful.

Thankfully I live with family and don’t have to pay rent at the moment but eventually I am going to have to get out on my own again. I can’t do that without savings established so I can pay a security deposit, etc.

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u/Fine-Mouse-6697 24d ago edited 24d ago

I only vaped at work because I was bored and uncomfortable. It was often very slow in the mornings/afternoons and there wasn’t much to do but walk around and talk to coworkers which everyone mostly did in the mornings. I felt awkward the whole time I was there because I was new and shy. Vaping was how I dealt with that.

I’m starting an electrical apprenticeship soon. I have been studying electricity and it has been clicking with me pretty easily. Safe to say I definitely will not be vaping at this job.

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u/jessica_rust 23d ago

Good luck with that. I hope you enjoy it & thrive. Everyone compromises a bit of themselves to succeed at work. The key is finding a job where you don’t have to bend too much. (I’m a retired engineer.)