A new job

I am just 21 years old. Currently I am pursuing a graduate degree in HR through correspondence college.But at the same time,I am working as an HR Executive with one of the reputed BPO.As I am very much passionate about my career,so I started to work as an HR after completing my graduation only.At present,I have one year experience in HR including recruitment and HR operation.Being a girl,my friends and my parents really feel proud about me that I am on a right track of my career.

I joined my current company in the month of October,2009.The company with whom I am working now,it is already settled in IT.But,they are very new into BPO business.So I joined this BPO by thinking that at the initial stage of career,I will get opportunity to learn as well as grow.But after joining,I came to know that HR policies are not in place.For every single thing,I need to struggle.My HR manager is not with me.He is handling everything from a different City.Even,employees have lot many issues about the policies and facilities like salary(which is a big concern),HR policies etc.But,management says that it will take time to streamline everything.

Now,I started to feel very insecure that I took a very important decision to join this company and the company situation is forcing me to rethink on my decision.Normally,I always believe on myself and my decisions.That's why,while taking this decision,I never discussed with anybody.

I can not leave also because before accepting this offer I rejected other offers by thinking that this company is offering me good designation as well as package.Now I am in a big mess.But,still I feel that this company is a reputed company in IT market so they will try to settle in BPO as well.So let them give a chance and continue my work.In short,I am confused and double minded about my decision.

Can you please advice me that what should I suppose to do in this condition as I am very much concerned about my career?

Take a deep breath.

You've answered your own question, by they way. You'll notice that I put a few lines in bold. This is to draw your attention to them. You said you wanted to learn and grow, which is why you took this job. The company doesn't have policies in place, your manager is at a different location and things are not peachy keen. This is what we call an ideal situation for learning and growing.

There's a reason it's called work, and that's because it is hard. You've landed a hard job and it isn't the dreamy world of a "career" that you wanted. When I was young and stupid I wanted a "job" that would require a suit and heels, because that must be an important job. I had an idea of what "business" was and somehow the suit was an important part of it. I found out rather quickly that this was neither an indication of power nor importance, but of business culture.

You had some idea of what it meant to be in a learning and growing position. I bet it involved a mentor, who would listen to you and guide you and it would be like college except with a paycheck. Instead, you found out that it is thinking on the fly, figuring things out, dealing with crisis after crisis and doing this, mostly on your own. Welcome to the real world.

Your company has troubles. They hired you to help figure those out. You do need a mentor, but you'll have to do the work to get the mentoring. Having an offsite boss can be a difficult thing. Figure out how he prefers to communicate with his offsite people--is it e-mail, phone or occasional face-to-face meetings. See if you can establish regular contact with him.

Find out what his goals and priorities are and figure out how he can meet them. At one point I was telecommuting and my boss was one of those super-de-duper busy VPs so I couldn't really call her to chat. What I did was send her a weekly status report on everything I had done that week and what I planned to do the next week. This gave her the opportunity to stop me from investing huge amounts of time in a project that she was planning to kill, but hadn't gotten around to telling me about yet.

You may have to explain and remind your boss that you need a little bit of guidance. If he's not amenable to providing guidance, well, then you create policies and then present them to him.

You wanted learning and growing and by golly you got it! I understand that you are now second guessing yourself, but it's a little late for that. Plunge forward. Give it at least a year before you begin looking for a new job. You may find that this is the best experience of your life. But, you have to go forward with full steam. If you keep saying to yourself, "I should have asked for advice from my parents/friends/professors before I did this. This was probably the wrong decision" it will show in how you attack your work.

Your management said it will take time. They are right. Policies, procedures and company culture don't appear out of thin air. It takes time. Find out from your boss what your role is in this whole process.

And one more petty little thought: Back in the dark ages, when I was in school, we were taught to put double spaces between sentences. I understand single spaces are acceptable now. Fine. Pick one and stick with it.