Small Company Huge Problems!!!!!!!!!!
I am in my second month with a small company that I thought would offer me the opportunity of a lifetime. Boy - was I wrong!!!!
I need serious advise - somebody please help me.
These are the pros
I'm getting paid 70,000 ( when I went for the interview I expected 55k tops!)
Getting managerial experience - I'm an account manager - and I will be able to hire the individuals that will be on my team
My client is a top pharma co. which offers a great networking opportunity if I play my cards right!
The owner is a briliant and I can really learn alot from him.+ he dines me and wines me whenever I meet with him to discuss business
I'm pursuing my MBA in pharma management and this opportunity allows me to learn more about this industry (on the vendor side)
I get to travel throughout the US for client - relation purposes
Cons:
The company is upside down - just in the last week four people have left!!!
The owner may be brilliant- but he is scatter minded and can lose his temper when crap hits the fan- BTW I will be working closely w/ him since he is my client's SR account manager
Those that are still w/ the company are miserable
Not quite sure what the future holds for this company- they have several top clients - but the company does not have a mission nor does it communicate its vision to the employees
I can't jump ship w/out having another job lined up- but I 'm afraid that I may be jumping ship prematurely and letting go of what can be a great learning experience. Not only that, bu my pay wil drop from 70k to most likely 55 or if I'm real luck 60k.
WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!
Thanks in advance to all for your suggestions
What to do? Stick it out at least a year. They're not beating you in the basement, so suck it up. You need the experience in order to advance in Pharm Sales which is a VERY competative industry. Laugh off the things that annoy you and say to yourself, "I'm building my future, I'm building my future". It isn't your problem that the owner doesn't run his business well. Focus on your stuff and keep your head in the game.
Tess
Well, my goal is to become a marketing manager in the pharma industry , for the sales or direct to consumer side.
I was a pharma sales rep for 2 years and I am not looking to go back to that position - which is the reason why I went back to school for my MBA.
Thanx for the advice!
OK step back and take a good look.
First you are making more then you thought you were going to make.
You get to travel.
The owner is brilliant and can learn things from him.
Now these are major pluses. Give it some time. Instead of looking at your bosses craziness and how miserable people are think of your career. Your making good money and learning new things. As long as money is coming into the company and your not losing sleep, in time you can use this to leap frog to a better position.
When I started at my company the money was great and I thought a lot of great things would happen. Well the more things change the more they stay the same. At first I was angry and it seemed nobody wanted to make changes and management that proposed it left. Then I thought where can I make this money? Things are changing but at a very slow pace and it turns out to be a decent place. Most miserable people have left and the ones left I avoid them.
I have been in sales at a couple of HUGE companies. In your position I would look at the opportunities this particular positions offers. You are making a great salary and you work right with the owner. It would be in your best interest to impress the owner with Ideas that will improve the working of his company. Study hard on what the problems are. Convey them in a sales pitch way that makes you look brilliant to him. You can definitely make a difference with the rest of the staff with this also getting respect and admiration from your peers.
My suggestions:
1) Enjoy the things you like about this job.
2) Learn as much as you can from your boss. You can learn both positive and negative things from him. This will help you enormously in your career later on.
3) Build your network. Have as diverse a network as possible, and if you can help someone now, do it.
4) SAVE YOUR MONEY! Don't blow it all because you have it today. When this jobs ends, you might need your nest egg to keep you going.
5) Continue your education. Knowledge is something you can always take with you.
Stick it out until it starts to get scary. Then get your resume together, contact your network to let them know you will be available for a new job, and start looking.
WB
Hi PAO,
Whenever a company offers you $15K more than you were asking, hit the door running! I'm kidding, this is either a curse, or the best opportunity for you to show the pharmaceutical world what your made of! Take the challenge, talk to the employees and find out what they need, be the person to open a line of communication. As
for the boss, he might just be happier if the company were being run by a professional (That would be you:)!
Don't give up yet, give yourself more time! Best of luck to you.
tb:)
Unfortunately, I feel your pain (in some senses). I've got a boss that treats me like a child, regardless of the fact that I have a few years in this business. I used to seek advice from him, but he took it less like an employee opening his mind on how to better himself, and more like an employee that is learning at a toddler's level. I began to talk to other people in the company for advice.
I approach my issues (which are few and far between) as though I know that this problem will come about, how can I solve this issue when it does arise again. Additionally, by mixing tactful honesty has begun to clear some of my issues with my employer.
There should be a good reason if you decide to leave, but if you do, you should have no trouble explaining it on your next job interview, because I'll bet that the interviewer would understand where you're coming from.
Soooooooooo, expect that you boss will flare his/her temper again, and prep a way to address this that won't be offensive, but will be effective. All the best luck!
P.S. If you co-workers are "Debbie Downers" see if you can work at home at all. There's nothing good about being around pessimistic co-workers. I used to be a pessimist, and it negatively effected other co-workers around me.
If you've been reading Monster's job info. then you would have some resumes ready and a job lined up for emergency bail outs. In today's job world you just never know when you have to jump ship or when the company is going under, or when you'll get the ax - so it's imperative you have something for such an emergency. The days of the 'lifer' are over, likewise, the days of companies holding on to their workers until retirement are also long gone. You got to be ready for opportunities that might come your way, or else you just going to be someone else's number.
What did you expect from this small company? What are you complaining about anyway? Like they pay you 70,000 when all you expected was 55,000. Sounds like this is a winner for you.
What ON EARTH!