While I was on maternity leave, I got passed over for a promotion. Fine. I actually quite like the New Person they hired instead of me, although it's taken me a long time to admit that. I'm not convinced that she is more qualified than me, but she is competent and fair and she does a good job working with some difficult people and advocating for her staff. Fine.
I have two job titles. My main job title is Assistant Managing Editor. (Hence why I applied to be the Managing Editor. My job was created as a training ground to be the Managing Editor, which is why it was such a slap in the face not to get the job.) I'm also a Senior Editor. Most of the work I do is more Senior Editor-ish, due to the way the company is structured and such, which is fine, although I've wanted to get more management training. I have not aggressively pursued this goal due to, oh, a few other things going on in my life. When I have tried to pursue this, I've been rebuffed.
I was told yesterday by the New Person that job descriptions are being revised (by her and her two management colleagues) and that The Assistant Managing Editor part of my title is being dropped. "That's not the work you're doing," I was told. While I recognize that this is true to a certain extent, I feel like I was given a job and what I'm doing matches that job description. Not my fault that a better job description wasn't written. Not my fault that they have not given me additional responsibility when I have asked. When I asked about taking on more management duties at my last review, my boss told me that she "doesn't need any help with her job." OK, fine. And, frankly, that title is important to me. It's very helpful to have that title as I look for Managing Editor positions elsewhere. It looks like a freakin' demotion to have the MAIN PART OF MY JOB TITLE just taken away, whoosh!
This morning I brought a copy of my job description in for my boss to look at. No one here in the office had a copy. Huh? How's that? I was told that the company has changed, that it's not the duty of the company to create a job to match what I want, and that job titles come and job titles go. I don't really know how to answer that, except that I'm looking around, so if you want to keep me, you'd better work on making my job a little more interesting. Which is basically what I said. Argh.
This is all yet another sign that I need to move on from this job. I know I'm stagnating here. The timing in my personal life is just so piss poor for making a change. After this past weekend, dealing with something like this just makes me want to crawl into a cave and sleep for a while.
I know posting about work stuff is dangerous. Don't want to get dooced and all. Not sure how long this post will stay up, but I had to vent.
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11 comments:
Be strong, change sucks, sometimes we have to bite the bullet, when I was in a similar job situation, it was not a good time, I made the change out of utter frustration and for survival personally and professionally...it was the best thing I ever did and now when I look back and remember the fear of those days when I did it, I'm so very proud of myself for taking the leap and beliving in myself.
as the other commenters have said, your resilience is amazing. i can't imagine how shitty
the weekend was, and then to have it topped with work assholery must have been just delightful. i hope that you can sort out something either at this job or find another that will help ease at least this pressure in your life.
Wow, you sure don't need this now. Hope you can find either a way to make this job better, or a new one without too much more stress.
I can relate to the job desrciption/ actual job reality badness in more ways than you can know...also reluctant to blog about it.
One possibility if you're not able to work it out with them re: titles and descriptions: On your resume you can still list both titles and both sets of responsibilities, since you have, indeed, held both positions offically. When you go to interview for other jobs, you can talk about your accomplishments in both areas.
...she "doesn't need any help with her job." ... Ouch! Would you be willing to stay if they do change some of the responsibilities and you get a chance to mold your position a bit? If not, I say hit the road, and find someplace that fits a bit better for you. If you don't mind, what kind of editing do you do?
Laura--
I had the same reaction to the "I don't need help" comment. Yikes!
I work in educational publishing, mostly on early reading programs. Are you an editor, too?
Oh good grief, WFT next? Never mind, let's not ask that. I'm so, so sorry it's like this right now. My first piece of assvice is GET THIS POST DOWN NOW. You want to leave on your terms, not theirs.
Seriously. It's dangerous.
Thinking of you as ever-
um, that would be WTF, not WFT
Frankly your senior management personnel sound like they really don't have a clue about what they are doing. Don't they realize the negative morale they will create with arbitrarily taking away job titles and/or job responsibilities I guess they really don't know about employment law, though maybe the U.S.laws are different than Canada's, I know they wouldn't act that way here. I realize you don't want to create any ill feeling, but what they are doing is not fair or right and perhaps illegal.
I'm so sorry they are being such idiots and treating you so poorly, you obviously deserve better. I really hope it works out, it might be worth it to consult a labor lawyer who can tell you if you are being treated fairly.
Please stay strong, I really hope everything works out and you are given the respect you deserve.
I'm glad you vented. This post and your last one have me feeling so frustrated and sad for you. I feel so sympathetic on both fronts. (I have to post about my own job frustration/drama soon.) It's hard not to be given scope to grow. It always feels very short-sighted on the bosses part.
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