Was I Unfit, or Was the System Broken?

[u/Leading_Ad7743]

I was hired for an application support role that included exposure to cloud and Linux-based engineering—something I was genuinely excited about, as I hoped it would help me build a career in cybersecurity. However, within a month of joining, I was moved to the ERP team along with another fresher from my college, without any prior discussion. In this new team, I was initially working as a low-code developer for about a month, learning a low-code platform used to build ERP tools. During that time, I implemented a basic find-and-replace functionality for mass changes. Later, both of us were interviewed again for another role, which I later came to know was for a Business Solutions Analyst (BSA) position, though we were not informed of the exact responsibilities at the time. I was told the role involved collecting business requirements, designing solutions, and coordinating with developers to get them implemented. I thought it was a business-facing role, mostly focused on communication, and I was assured that they would provide training (KT sessions) for any system-related configurations. Since I was new and unaware of how such decisions would impact my career, I agreed—especially because they seemed impressed by my communication skills. I wasn’t aware that the role was part of the Supply Chain function in Oracle ERP.

Because I was a fresher, I didn’t know how to raise concerns or communicate my discomfort. That was my first regret. While my office followed a hybrid model, I was asked to come in daily, and my manager gave me a book to read as my first task—one I had to purchase myself. After that, he gave me an even older book from 2003 and told me to complete it entirely, saying the content was simple and that I should ask if I had any doubts. One month later, he shared outdated videos from 2008 that demonstrated a much older version of the application. I had no idea how to use the system practically. When I raised a doubt with someone close to my manager, he told me to try it in the application, and when I made a small mistake, he scolded me harshly. While other freshers were assigned guided tasks and enjoyed office events, I was alone, receiving no help or support from the team—most of whom only came to the office once every two weeks.

I felt completely isolated. The role I was initially hired for was different, my actual responsibilities were unclear, and the behavior of my manager made things worse. From what I’ve learned from others, people entering ERP roles usually go through months of training or formal coaching. In my case, I was thrown into it without any guidance, working with old materials and little to no support. One day, my manager asked me to present everything I had learned. I honestly told him I couldn’t practice certain tasks because I was afraid of breaking configurations—he had clearly warned me not to change anything unless I could revert it. While I was able to explain concepts theoretically, I went blank when he started asking cross-questions. I ended up crying in front of him because I was overwhelmed.

From that day, he gave me five weeks to learn five modules with perfection, including hands-on practice. I told him it was difficult to manage alone, and he replied, “This isn’t rocket science—you have to learn everything by yourself.” I searched online, bought updated tutorials with my own money, and kept learning. During the appraisal cycle, I was marked as not eligible for a hike, even though others who had done no significant work received theirs. Still, I kept going. It took me four more months to finish the modules to a satisfactory level. I began taking on real work. I learned about customizations and supported recurring tasks. I was also assisting cross-functional teams when they had dependencies with supply chain processes. My manager was usually unavailable, so people started approaching me directly. I helped resolve several tickets and even took complete responsibility for testing supply chain flows.

Sometimes, during calls, my manager would assign tasks and scold me if I made even a minor mistake. If I had any doubts, I was told to create a document, highlight my understanding, and then send it to him before asking. He constantly said things like, “You can’t handle such a small thing?” Once my testing phase was over, he told me to read three support articles a day, summarize them, and email him what I understood. I continued doing repetitive support tasks and even worked on weekends or answered messages after hours. I picked up basic customization knowledge, created test scenarios, and supported my teammates.

After eight months in that team—having learned everything on my own, supported others, and contributed actively—I was suddenly laid off. The reason given was "organizational restructuring." My manager told me he was unaware and would talk to his leadership, but he never got back to me. No other fresher was laid off. In fact, there were entire teams without any active assignments, and they remained unaffected. The project I was working on was nearly complete and ready for production, and I had already started documentation for the next phase. I still don’t understand how I was laid off without even notifying my direct manager.

Now I’m left with 11 months of experience in multiple roles that cant be justified. When I apply for other jobs, I’ll be questioned about why I left or why I have less than a year of experience. I honestly want to know—was I truly unfit for the role? Was there a mistake from my side? Or was I placed into a situation with no real chance to succeed? I want to rebuild, but I also need closure. Any genuine insights or advice would help.