On The Brink

I guess I need to back to school to continue doing the job I’ve been doing successfully for the past 20 years… and that really annoys me.

I’ve been working in this company since I joined the workforce (I’m not including their name intentionally) and have been, excuse my French, busting my ass since I arrived. I do everything I’m asked; when I’m asked to jump I say “how high?” I definitely feel like I have a better grip on my job than my co-workers do… why else have I been around this long?

But I’ve been passed over for a promotion to regional manager five times. FIVE TIMES. Despite strong numbers and near-flawless performance reviews (many of which have resulted in a pay raise), they refuse to give me the responsibility to do what I know needs to be done at work.

You know… they just won’t let me help set the direction for the company. Not officially, anyways. My boss and I used to speak all the time about where the company should be going, and she used to take that advice and sooner rather than later projects I had proposed or given feedback on were in action!

It was cool to know I was having an impact, but eventually everyone needs a little official recognition! Besides that, whether or not I came up with the idea, I had very little control over the implementation. My manager, in his infinite uselessness, had control over that side. I just sat, and listened, and worked, and waited for him to move on so I could apply for his job.

And yet… passed over again. Again, for some greenhorns from (forget outside the company!) outside the industry!! So when they come in, I get to spend the next six months half-doing work and half-teaching the industry and its nuances to another temporary manager who’s looking to step into newer, greener pastures.

So I said, okay what’s the difference between me and the people they’re actually hiring. Okay… I stewed and bitched for a few months, but recently I’ve been asking myself that question.

They had bachelors degrees. I had bachelors degrees. That used to be all you would need!

Some of them had Master’s degrees, but not all. I definitely don’t have a Master’s, but it just never seemed that useful. Then there’s all the certifications and licences you can get!

I feel like I need a life career advisor, like I had in university. Except, you know, useful.

Here’s something I was thinking about the other day… it’s a little out there but it could be really effective if it works well. Why don’t universities offer their alumni the chance to retain career advising services after graduating… for a small annual fee, of course (I keep hearing our public universities are circling the drain). Every year or so the career advisor and I could talk, review my resume, see what I need to do to get ahead and then arrange for me to do those courses or credits or whatever.

Either way… it doesn’t exist and I’m relying on friends (and a voluntarily unhelpful HR rep) to figure out what credentials I need to get to be able to do the job I’ve been able to do for years.

Great.