By luceeloo - 23/11/2016 22:10

Today, I spent my working day teaching my new Supervisor the basics of Excel. Until two weeks ago, he was the Office Junior. He and I applied for the same job, but he got it based on the strengths of his "far superior" Excel skills. I'm now teaching him how to do the job that I didn't get. FML
I agree, your life sucks 11 237
You deserved it 840

Same thing different taste

Top comments

Unless something akin to nepotism is at work here, I don't see why you can't simply refuse to teach him, and point out to HR that he obviously lied to get the position.

Teach him the incorrect way to do it. He can't blame it on you for he is the "expert". Win-win for you. Unless your boss is the real asshole, then nothing may work on your favor.

Comments

Scorpio1691 29

I would tell him Google is the best thing on earth to help with Excel problem. that is how i learned. here is the homepage"

Dont teach them. If youre not in that position then why should you teach them when its not your job

TheyCallMeDamien 17

This a no win scenario. My guess is the "excel" was just their excuse. If you don't help him you're "undermining" your boss. If you tell HR you're a snitch and make them look like idiots which will come with subversive responses. This a BS situation but it happens more often than you think. People pick other people because they remind them of themselves or who they want to be. It's true in a lot of aspects of life. I would say start searching for a new job.

So inform HR about your new supervisors excel skills or do a poor job of teaching them. Either way they can't do anything about it because they are supposed to be an excel expert.

That sucks OP, I'm in a similar boat. I didn't apply to the supervisor job because I was sure I wasn't qualified. Working with the person they did hire, however, has shown my I'm am definitely qualified seeing as I'm basically doing their job for them without the increased pay.

Teach him wrong, then let him fall on his face.

So he's not excelling in the role then?

xbaconator9000x 16

If I were in your situation (and I have been in the past), I'd politely but firmly explain to the person/people who hired him over you, exactly how ridiculous of a decision that was. Explain to them how having you teach them how to use Excel is not only counterintuitive, but it's actually a waste of their own money. It's a waste of everyone's time and money, when you could just be doing the supervisor job (and getting paid for it), and he could be doing his old job as normal. It doesn't make any sense.

This assumes the OP is correct about him getting hired based on Excel skills. In fact, being a supervisor entails a lot more than using a computer. I've had a couple of jobs where I have had a female supervisor (usually where I float around), and after a few months, they realize I make more than them. Immediately you hear "sexism", but the reality is that I'm a guy they bring in to fix things when they're broken, and the people at these sites just don't know that. I generally have significantly more education and experience than my coworkers, and I'm usually the best paid with the fastest promotions when I want them.

cootiequeen4444 11

You act like OP is assuming it was because of "far superior" excel skills the other guy was hired. From what I read, this is what she was told. so not an assumption. Though it could very possibly be due to a reason other than what OP was told. However, if it was for a more legit reason, they probably would have stated it was that rather than excel stills (which others have stayed would be a bullshit reason regardless). This is what led to the comments regarding sexism and nepotism. Further more, OP did not scream sexism. She just knows probable bullshit when she sees it. I feel if she was truly butt hurt and angry about the promotion she would have pulled out every card in the book including sexism and nepotism. However she didn't, she suck to criticisms that came from what she was told coupled to her teaching duties. Don't rag on OP based on assumptions made by commenters. Though in all honesty, nepotism is always a viable reason to expect. Though not viable as in its OK. it's just nepotism is so rampant in American industry from private to even the government (it gets messy/collud3d with the government as direct nepotism is not allowed but still very ridiculously common) so I would wouldn't be surprised if the reason for any promotion given in any job was due to nepotism. Nor should anyone else. Not saying all promotions are due to Nepotism. But it's as this saying goes when it comes to vocation: "it's not what you know, but who you know"

Wow, you have a good heart because frankly, I would not have helped him. He lied about his qualifications to go get a job. I say either call him out on it. If you get fired then oh well, now you'd have the chance to find the same job if not, better somewhere else. I personally would not work for a company that allows or endorses these things.