I recently took on an administrative assistant role at a tech company in Seattle, thinking it would be a good entry-level position to get my foot in the door. However, it's turned out to be quite different from what I expected. The job pays $25 an hour through an agency, but there’s no possibility for conversion, which adds to my frustration. Most of my time is spent on my feet, stocking fridges, pantries, and bathrooms across three floors, while also trying to manage administrative tasks. Just three weeks in, the office manager is going on vacation for two weeks and expects me to take over her responsibilities, despite my limited time in the role. I’m feeling really anxious about this. Today, she decided to come in late to see how I would handle things on my own. I dealt with a badge access issue for several employees and managed to resolve it, but when she arrived, she was furious that I hadn't notified her while she was out. She also expressed disappointment that I hadn’t filled the snacks on the main floor, despite my efforts to juggle multiple tasks. I discussed my concerns with my agency, and they suggested I propose hiring a dedicated facilities person to handle the stocking and cleaning, allowing me to focus more on administrative duties. When I brought this up to my manager, she laughed and said, "that's why I have you here." Additionally, I was told to clean up a spill myself instead of contacting the janitorial service. I feel like I'm doing mostly facilities work rather than actual administrative tasks, and my manager's lack of faith in my abilities is affecting my mental health. My agency plans to talk to the company about finding a role better suited to my skills, and they’re also looking for other placements for me. I’m torn about leaving, especially since my manager is going on vacation soon, but I’m struggling to cope with the stress and feeling like a servant. I'm waiting to hear back from my agency on Thursday, and in the meantime, I'm trying to keep my head down and work through it.
Job title: administrative assistant
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