Background:
I began working at a well established company 9 months ago. I was invited to interview by a colleague from a previous company. I was told of some tough points such as potentially longer hours, busy schedules, a large number of inquiries by clients and an old clunky system that was in the process of being replaced.
I live in a foreign country, so there is a language barrier. This was known going in by all parties (I can communicate both written and spoken in the language.. but it is still a second language and I can be described as somewhere around "conversational" or "business" level)
I am a programmer, and the majority of my career has been centered around SaaS systems.
Fast forward:
It has been 9 months since I joined. I have spoken to my manager a few times about lack of motivation. This stems from me struggling with every task assigned. I feel that every thing I do is an uphill battle. I can count the number of times I've felt "Hey, I'm getting this!": once.
My manager (the colleague from another company) is trying to help me out. But my manager being my former colleague, and up until joining this company I considered my friend, makes it difficult for me to speak openly (I am unsure how to approach non task specific topics). I didn't know going in that he would become my manager or that he was the sub manager of the group that I would be joining.
I strongly feel I am not a match for this company and that looking elsewhere is the best path for both me and the company (just typing out this question feels like a relief).
I've discussed switching groups, giving me tasks that are not as time sensitive [so that I can both understand the system and properly complete the task] or take advantage of my stronger skills. We have discussed developing other needed skills, which I am interested in (but the constant struggle leaves me with no time or energy to do so).
question:
- How do I approach my boss in a constructive manner to explain the difficulty I am having
- How do I approach my boss to say I feel it is better for the company if we parted ways (barring 1 not working)
- How do I explain to prospective companies the reason for searching for a new job, especially after a such a short period of time (assuming 2 is the path I end up taking)