Please HELP

[TheBigRice]

A little background...this is my first job out of college and I have been working at this company for almost a year.

Last week I found out that a guy from my training class got promoted ahead of me at work. I was fuming! I do more work than he does and management has always given me more difficult assignments. I am virtually the only one that works my butt off in the morning so that I can lend a hand at the end of the day, and I ALWAYS am the person they go to or the first to volunteer for more work and new coordination duties. At first I tried to rationalize that he got it during his quarterly review and mine was last week, so I deduced that I would be promoted to senior level as well during my review.

Well during my review, my supervisor told me I was doing a stellar job, blah blah blah...and didn't mention anything about a promotion. So I went ahead and asked when I make the jump to senior level. He was suprised that I wasn't already because I was doing the workload of a senior level, but said it was up to the managers and the director, and insisted that I should be getting it shortly because my co-worker just got his. All of my peers and all the other supervisors all think that I should have gotten it before him.
My question is, I am meeting with my manager and want to know why I was passed up and why my co-worker got it before me. At this point, I couldn't care less about the raise in pay, I want to know their logic behind their decision. Is it appropriate to blatantly ask? Should I try a more subtle approach? I am so disheartened that I wanted to put my two weeks in after my review. I cooled down and decided that I am leaving in January because I feel that I accomplished all I can and I hate the management at this company (even before this incident). I just really need to know, but want to be professional about it (want to leave on good terms).

 

[Dtrigg]

First of all, you have less than one year of experience and you're suppost to be at a senior level? You're joking right? You're leaving in January and you hate the management, even prior to this incident. Could it be your attitude?

Suck it up and leave now. If I had an employee that hated me and was just waiting around to leave, I would want them to leave as soon as possible. Another thing you might want to consider...it's not in your best interest to complain to your co-workers about your not being given a "senior" position.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Just remember to tread lightly in corporate America. It is not like 'real life' where your friends care about you and want the best for you. Getting used to the idea that when your boss asks you how you are feeling about your job they do not REALLY care, they just want you to answer 'great' and move on. Also, like was mentioned before, I would recommend against complaining to co-workers about anything. Remember that the business world is always a game, and you pretty much have to be 'Johnny Positive' all the time regardless of how you really feel so that you can properly sell yourself into a higher position. I recommend you take a few vacation days to sit back and look at what you want out of life, out of this job, and what you can put up with, then decide where you want to go. I am sorry that you are frustrated with your job and wish you the best of luck.

 

[larrynsx]

Like you said, it's your first job after college. It has so much to learn. To learn the real world that you never seen in any text books.

Good luck.

 

[TheBigRice]

Thanks for the input. I think the advice given is the best course of action. I'll just suck it up until I leave and chalk it up to a learning experience. :redface:

The senior level is just the title they give (similar to moving from analyst to associate) right before being promoted to supervisor.

 

[khappucino]

also you may want to note that a reality of any work environment is that

Maximum Visibility usually translates to maximum promotability,
so there isnt a direct correlation between quality of work and promotion UNLESS
other people actually know your doing it, its kind of like when a guy spends 10 years cutting down trees in the middle of the forest, if no one sees him do it, then for all intensive purposes he didnt do it, sounds ridiculous but true down from the entry level to the executive level, do a good job, and make sure people know what your doing any way you can :biggrin:

good luck!

PS. also alot of times there are strict requirements for promotions at big companies, so alot of times you have to meet minimum years of XP requirements, even if you are working 2-3 levels above your pay grade,
if you see that the way the company works isnt to your liking then it is a good idea to leave for a place that fits your effort/reward expectation

 

[flaminio]

Echoing the others, welcome to the Real World. One year out of college, so you're what ... 23, 24? You've got 40 years of ass-whoopin' ahead of you. This may be the first time you got screwed over in the workplace, but it certainly won't be the last.

 

[steveny]

Steal the guys stapler!

 

[BioBanker]

Yep - you'll be pissed about being passed over over and over again. The good news is that if you get passed over 9/10, but make the move only 10% of the time - youve got it made in the shade.

The last thing I would have done is gone around talking to people at work about it. Dont do that again. You'll come off as a whiner and that impression is hard to shake.

Dont ask why you didnt get a promotion - ask what you need to do by the next review to get yours AT THE NEXT REVIEW.

 

[khappucino]

actually, the most effective way to advance is really to post to new positions/companies every 3 years (when i had breakfast with an executive thats what he told me), some people may tell you that looks bad, but this is the current paradigm, the company loyalty of the baby boomers is sadly gone, since most companies will kick you to the curb (or taking away your retired medical coverage) if it means increasing profit margins for that quarter, i'm not saying you should be a mercenary (i am :biggrin but if you choose to defend the best you can do is not lose, if you attack the best you can do is win, fight on young business warrior!

 

[TheBigRice]

How interesting...

So everything was going fine. I took everyone's advice to heart and just dropped the subject and went back to being a busy little bee at work. Well, my manager came up to me this week and asked me if it would be okay to swap my workload. I happily responded, "Of course, whatever I can do to help." (wanted to switch anyway because the deadlines were crazy and I could never go to lunch)

Well it turns out that they are putting me on a desk complimented with coordination duties that are considered to be for the person next in line for supervisor!

So now they give me even more responsibility and work, but at an entry level status and pay? What is going on here? Am I naive or are they just taking advantage of me to see how long I can go without mentioning something?

Anyhoo, now my friends at work (hope they are based off of what everyone is considering "work friends") know about this and are besides themselves, making jokes and telling me 1) you are doing supervisor duties entry level pay and 2) "you deserved to be promoted first" blah blah

The only thing that I could muster up with a colleague was that I switched managers during this time and because of that, they might have forgotten to promote me since the new one didn't know how well I was doing...but that doesn't really seem quite right because one would think that they would compare everyone that is at the same level when deciding who should be promoted first.

I scheduled a meeting with the director of the department for monday (manager was gone today) and I still need to figure out what to say, while stepping on eggshells...any ideas?

 

[D'Ecosse]

Rather than be challenging, discuss with the director that you have missed some feedback because of change in direct supervisor & if he can share with you the goals and plans they have for you & what you need to do to meet those expectations - you can suggest that you were delighted to be given what appears to be extra responsibility while still at the entry-level position & how you can build on that to reach the next level formally?

This will ensure they are in no doubt as to your current status while you are showing the ambition to reach the next level & seeking counsel on how to get there. Do this without threat or suggestion you have been treated unfairly in comparison to others. Both would turn off management who should be delighted to see you are not complaining just seeeking guidance on how to best fulfill your ambition, which is to best serve your company to the best of your ability.

 

[xxx]

just don't surf Monster at work! :biggrin:

Seriously?


:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: