How do stupid people find and keep a job?

[JONOV]

Originally Posted by baileytinn

So I already have a job, but I feel really incompetent at it and my manager is super patient in explaining it to me. During the day I am completely fine and I have no problems, but when I close my shift there is a long line of procedures I must do and turn it in to accounting before I leave. In the morning I find out I've screwed up one way or another. The manager is getting a little tired that I have been continually messing up but I show her that I really want to learn and try to do better. I take notes and sometimes things add up and match, sometimes they don't.

I don't think I'm in danger of losing my job but I just feel awful when I think I did something right and it turns out I didn't. I apologize if this sounds vague, but the real question I have is how do stupid and incompetent people keep a job? I have had a pretty severe learning disability my whole life, but I absolutely do not use this as an excuse to do my job right. It's just very frustrating and I am berating myself all the time because of it. Something else to consider, I guess, is that I have had at least 3 concussions which really affects my memory. So if someone tells me something that I need to remember, unless they (or I) write it down I cannot remember it. I guess this is advice to myself to always keep a planner on hand (lol).

So I suppose my question is, how do dumb and incompetent people find and keep jobs? Do they job hop a lot? How do they stay "on the ball" and how do they work through their incompetency? Thank you!

They show up on time, with a smile (or at least not grumpy,) and do their job as best they can.

Maybe ask your manager to do a quick glance of your work before turning it in?

Sure, some positions or companies or managers won't suffer fools or slow learners at all. But plenty of them will take their time, because as much as it might seem like a hassle for your manager to train or help you, its often more of a hassle to get approval to fill your vacancy, get HR to post your vacancy, schedule interviews, interview, have people not show up, find out they have facial tattoos of swastikas, repeat, hire, train...Not to mention that your manager also doesn't want to take the risk of hiring someone that while capable, isn't someone they want to be around for one reason or another.

But to answer your question on a technical level, you'd be surprised the hacks people come up with.

I once knew an illiterate delivery driver. He had a set list of places he would have to go, basically one dealership or another around town. He'd walk up to the boss in the AM, cup of coffee and a smile, ask "where'm I goin today boss?" Boss would mumble, "oh, looks like McDonald Chevrolet and Peters Toyota." One day the boss wasn't in and he got really anxious, but brightly said "I hurt my back real bad and can't lift the boxes, can you send the lot boy with me?" Handed the lot boy the route and said, "What's the first stop?"

Eventually he was somewhat outed but people kept quiet and just told him, head to Bloomfield Toyota and then to Younkers Kia..."

[baileytinn]

Thank you all for your kind replies and useful advice. Something I would like to add is that I am not the only one who has trouble filling out reports. Another worker screws it up all the time, and another one refuses to work this position because of it! Even the manager had a problem with it not matching one time. I wish the accountant would talk to me about it so I can show her my processes instead of going straight to my manager. I write her notes and I want to show her I genuinely don't want to make her life hard, I want to show her what I am doing.

To be honest, I don't think I'm really as crazy as they're driving me to be- I wish they could see for themselves that the program I use messes up the money amounts. I often have to click out of it and sign back in just to make it work right. They don't understand this even though the employees know all about it. It's very frustrating. On a regular day closing out is just fine. On a special event night, however... Total nightmare!

[FatBob96]

There are some companies who value people of limited intelligence, at least in certain positions.

Smarter people are more likely to question authority and to call out the status quo when they see things that don't make sense.

I learned the hard way that such actions and attitudes are a great way to get youreslf labeled a troublemaker.

"Stupid" people keep their jobs by keeping their heads down and not making waves....which I guess might be an indication that they're not really as stupid as you might think.

[MSchemist80]

Hr...

[PriscillaVanilla]

Originally Posted by baileytinn

I apologize if this sounds vague, but the real question I have is how do stupid and incompetent people keep a job?

From what I've seen, the stupid person is a relative or friend of the boss/owner of the business, or is having sex with the boss/owner of the business. That's how they keep their job even though not very competent.