Should I Stay At My Part-Time Job?

Question

I'm a college student working a part-time job, and I am asking because my boss gave me the choice of staying or quitting my job. She asked because I truthfully haven’t been doing a good job, as I've been depressed for some period of time now. My bosses seem to think I'm incompetent, but it's really that I'm so shy, I'm scared to ask them questions. My depression has made me lazy, which in turn has caused me to be late a few times, and I even called in late two hours during my 3-hour shift started. (My bosses let me stay because the job is very lenient - it's a low-skill, manual labor job.)

The reason why I would like to stay, though, is that I'm usually a hard worker - it's just that I've been feeling very depressed and discouraged lately.

It might be best I leave, though, because the job is so laid back, I haven’t been taking it very seriously, and the job’s leniency has been perpetuating my laziness problem. Another problem is that I'm a shy person, so I don't really talk to my co-workers.

One reason I don’t want to quit is because I REALLY don't want to leave on an atrocious note. I started working there with the intention of it just being a temporary job, but with these developments, I might have to stay a little longer to polish up my reputation. The best option might be to quit at the end of summer and stay for another two weeks, in hopes of leaving a good impression on my bosses during my last four work shifts. It’s crucial for me not to leave a terrible impression of myself because I originally planned on working there just until I could apply for better jobs, more specifically a job like a bank teller.

This plays another role, too, because even if I decide to stay at my current workplace, I am still plan on quitting if I get a better job. I’m in my last year of school and am feeling the pressures of trying to get more experience, like for example with an internship.

One of the worries, though, about quitting is that my job is one of the things I hold very dear right now. For X time, as I’ve said, I have felt very depressed and all I wanted was a job because having one gives me a sense of self-worth. So now if I quit, I lose something I’ve wanted for the longest time and will risk being unemployed for the upcoming school year, which would be devastating for me.

So, what do you think I should do, should I keep working at that job (This gives me the most time to clear up my name, but I would stay at a job where I might not be wanted, and a job not helpful towards my career), should I quit at the end of the summer (try to clear up my name in four more work shifts but risk having no job later on), or just quit ASAP (get this over with but leave a terribly atrocious impression of myself on my bosses)?

I KNOW IT’S A VERY LONG POST, SO THANK YOU FOR READING THE WHOLE THING! :)

Answer 1

There's a lot in your question, so I'll take things one at a time.
First, your biggest problem is depression. You need to get that fixed. That means see a doctor, or a psychologist, or ideally both.
Now about this job. It seems to me that you have really squandered a lot of goodwill. Your boss wants to fire you, but has given you the option of shaping up and doing better.
My first reaction was, just leave. Do yourself, your boss, and your co-workers a favor and get out of there. You've taken their money but haven't put in the work, shown contempt for the job and for the people that work there, and generally done the wrong thing.
But, if you really think you can turn it around, maybe there is a point to staying. However, if you do, you have to take the job seriously and give it everything. Right now, you're going "oh this job is just nothing, who cares, it's just manual labor."
Wrong attitude.
If you really think you're better than them (I suspect that secretly you do, that you're destined for better things) then put everyone out of their misery. On the other hand, if you want to do it right, you have to find something about that job that you like, that you can hang on to, and make a part of yourself.

Answer 2

When you walk in your boss may already be thinking you should stay or go. The impression you have made, has already been made. 4 more work shifts are not going to change that impression.

Consider this a lesson learned, take serious matters seriously.

As you begin a new job, no matter how you feel, you get your body to work ontime, and give it the best you can put-out for the time you are scheduled. If you crumple and sleep once you get home, so be it. You are hired to DO A JOB. If you are not going to come, or not going to do the work you were hired to do, you don't belong there. -- depression or no depression.

If you genuinely need some accomodation in order to work, this is something you will need from your psychiatrist, most likely, before you are hired so you and the company know what to expect from each other.

Guard your reputation - it does not go away.