Want to Move on - Finding a Replacement - but Not Sugarcoating the Situation...

I would not find a replacement. This boss is an abusive jerk. It doesn't matter who works for him he will fly off the handle at anyone. I would feel guilty if I did the interviews and found a replacement to work for this jerk, let him find someone on his own. Next time he flies of the handle look him straight in the eye and say DON'T TALK TO ME THAT WAY--IT IS ABUSIVE AND UNCALLED FOR. If he fires you so what you can collect unemployment while you look for a new job.
If he doesn't fire you then camly talk to him and tell him from now on you expect DETAILED explainations of what he wants. You will not put up with his bad temper and expect to be treated as a professional. See what happens, he might settle down and treat you properly. But I would be job hunting so fast it would make his head spin.

I would not find a replacement, that is just weird. I would look for another job on your days off and stick it out until you find one, Then give a two weeks notice. you are only there part time, so it doesn't sound like they will be in a dire situation to immediately replace you. And when they do, I'm sure they would prefer to find their own candidates.

If you want to salvage the situation, then perhaps you can ask him to show you these things as you write notes down or record, so you can study it and make certain you get it. You have been there for a month hour wise, so it sounds like there plenty of time to put these tougher these industry specific pieces to practice.

sticky situation. Leaving a job incomplete will make it harder to find a new position. & as an asst to an independent contractor, your rep is built on completion & attention to detail/quality. You will have to rely on your resume only, because there is no guarantee that you'll have a decent reference from your current job. Legally, they can't bad-mouth you.....but there are a multitude of ways around that one.....beginning with "would you rehire this employee?"

What concerns me is that you said that he feels that it is taking you forever to "catch on".....& then you try to justify that by saying that you've only been there for a month "hour-wise" & also by saying that his method of instructing does not work for you. To list excuses as to why you are not achieving.....makes it seem like you are making excuses & doesn't sit well with future employers.

Perhaps a more proactive approach to this job would be more beneficial in the end. It would rock your resume, you would end up learning something, & you would feel better about yourself. If you think about how you can change things, what would help you to better understand his needs? Would it help if he wrote down his instructions? Would it help if he utilized a marker board...listing his instructions? & most importantly, do you bring the skills he needs to the table? If not, then are you willing to learn them on your own?

Lots of questions for you....& I truly think it would be helpful if you elaborated on exactly what type of job this is.....& where you feel you are lacking. At this point, it's a guessing game for us. For me, when you say asst to an independent contractor, that means construction (in its many forms) & if you don't have the skills for the job.....then why did you take it? !! Peace....

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You stated that you were hired for a project. How long will it take to finish that project? If you increased your hours per day/week, would the project be finished faster? My point is, if it's just another 2 or 3 months, it's probably best just to stay and do your best to improve comminication and work your way through it.

If this is a long term project, you're best off getting out now before things get worse. If you choose this, I would meet with him and tell him "unfortunately, things are going as well as I had planned and I think it would be best if we found someone who is more familiar with the this industry ......" Take it from there. Continue the conversation with "I'd be happy to assist you with finding a replacement and offer some time to help train".

As far as find a replacement, since you are an independent contractor, you could post an ad for a position, review the resume's and then help him hire someone. You could even hire an assistant to help you.

Good luck.

I say if you need the income like you said, then stay and tough it out. Talk to him and tell him that you want to make sure you are doing good job and what your concerns are. Communication is key, so don't just up and leave w/o talking to him.

You say you are only there 4 hrs a day, could you step up the hours a bit so you won't feel so behind?

Also, don't feel intimidated by him, he's just a person.

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It's a project, which means it has a beginning and an end, right? How much longer before the entire projects is finished? Is he under pressure to get it done in x amount of days and his frustrations are coming out on you, his assistant? Assistants usually do have to bear that burden.
Don't let him intimidate you, he is no more powerful than you are.
Do what you do and do it to the best of your ability. Working with difficult people is, um, difficult... but I bet you can see it through and then look back on it as a learning experience.
Edit after your Edit.
If it has no end date and you are hating it, be honest and bow out... that's probably what happened to the last person that was in your place. Tell your friend you are sorry it didnt work out, and move on. Don't make a big deal explaining and blaming him for why you dont like the job. Make it simple like "it just wasnt my cup of tea to sip". No need to explain it away to anyone, it's no one's business why you decide to leave it behind. Got it?

I haven't read your other responses, but in my opinion, every now and then we all run up against a boss whose personality/needs just don't mesh with our own. It's nobody's fault, it just is what it is. Generally speaking, if you can't work past it and/or the situation is too broken to fix, it's best to move on. Make it a priority to look for a new job. Once you find something you'll be happy with, give 2 weeks' notice. Simple as that. If he asks, you can tell him that you just don't feel that your learning style and personality are the best fit for this position, and leave it at that.

It's not your job to find a replacement. Give your 2,3, or 4 weeks notice and move on. Honestly, it's a part time job you've been at two months. You're replaceable. I've been at my job since 1996 and I'm replaceable. We all are at work. If you don't quite understand how everything is done "his way" then you cannot train someone. If he finds a replacement by the time you leave then show them what you do know and be done with it.

Good luck. Part time jobs are hard to find if you're doing it while your kids are in school!

Go to him and say "you can probably tell as well as I can that this isn't working for either of us. I'd like to help you find a replacement first, but I'm giving you a two weeks notice." Maybe it would work better in writing (first off, it's more official, second, he can't yell at you with his first reaction since he'll be reading it instead of right there with you).

But first, if you have any sort of contract, read through it and make sure that you leaving before the job is done won't break contract in a way that could be very bad for you (for example, you owing him anything).

Good luck!

Find your new job - that is your priority - give 2 weeks notice.
You are not obligated to do anything more.
It's up to your boss to find a replacement.
You can't change your boss.
Only he can do that.
Most guys like this do not think they are a problem and they resist/resent any indication that they should change - ESPECIALLY from a subordinate.
They might take if from their boss, but that's beyond anything you can do here.
If you are ready to move on - just do it.
That's how employment works.

Even driven, analytical, confident and strong personalities need to be given guidance on how to do a job unless they have done the identical job before. As long as you did not overstate you qualifications and feel you can handle the job except for the industry-specific stuff, I would start standing up to him in a polite manner. Just speak up when you need info, and let him know that "abc is not a problem, but what do you mean when you say xyz?" He sounds driven and impatient, and you just need to cut to the chase and let him know you "want to do the job quickly and efficiently, but his style of "assuming" you know what he wants is not working, please give me specific instructions for a while until my telepathy kicks in". I think bosses like this need someone to push back, he will probably respect you more than if you silently did the best you can and fall short of his unstated expectations. Intimidate him back! Good luck.

I agree with many others here. It is not your responsibility to find a replacement. His bad management style has caused this higher-than-necessary staff turnover, and your leaving is a direct result of his actions. There's no need to be nasty or burn bridges when leaving (and if I were you I'd find another job before I left). Last time I resigned I simply put in my notice, told them it was with no I'll will that I was leaving (it was, I hated them, but they had a lot of contacts around town), but I needed to move on for my career's sake. What do i care if theydidn't know the truth? They would still treat everyone atrociously anyway. They were fine, gave me leaving gift and took it graciously. It's an occupational hazard if you're a boss to have staff leave, so he will be able to handle it. If he doesn't take it well, then you know you're making the right choice anyway!