Can I leaveHi all, Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I graduated in Jan 06 and am currently in my second job, which I've been at for 7 months. I want to leave. I am extremely overworked, even more extremely underpaid and with every ridiculously boring, micromanaged hour that goes by, I'm more certain the industry itself, not even just the job, is not a fit for me. My managers are awful and are EXTREMELY unpredictable when it comes to delegating responsbility. Some days they will treat me like I actually matter and can handle xxx projects, and other days they will take away my responsibilities without telling me. (Although I have been told my multiple people in the company I am a hard worker and an asset). Some days my managers will tell me what a wonderful job I am doing, and other days they will talk to me like I'm a five-year-old who needs an instruction manual to send an email. The person that was directly above me left recently so I've taken over the majority of her job without financial compensation. (Except when my managers decide to do my job without giving me a reason as to why they are doing so but then will give my responsibility back again without notice. Some days my boss will tell me she wants me to start working on a project, which is completely in my job description, realm of capability and a normal part of my job. and when I follow up with her about it she'll tell me she's done it already). ??????? I've also been told my team's decided not to fill her position, which leads me to believe they believe I am competent enough to continue to handle her resonsibilities. (Clearly this indicates the volatile nature of these managers.) I can't handle their micro-managing tendencies and the backstabbing, essentially, of my direct supervisor (who treats and talks to me like I'm a respectable adult one on one but then is a condescending #### when her supervisor is cc'd on emails to me, or will say one thing to me and apparently say something different to her supervisor that makes me look bad. I stopped even trying to argue and validate my points for fear of insubordination, as reviews are next month in case I decide I have to stay till just to put a year tenure on the resume. The idea of another 5 months makes me cringe, however). I want to change industries. I am miserable where I am. I cannot tolerate the high school clique meets working world environment I have to deal with for 9plus hours of underpaid days. (I understand this may be found everywhere, but I find it hard to believe that there is a lack of respect for one's employees/backstabbing in every company). Is it too soon to start looking for a new job? I don't want to look like a job hopper, but I am 100% certain the industry I work in isn't an appropriate fit. This job has given me more clarity as to what I DO want to do, which is ultimately related to grad school. That is another issue... I will need recommendations for grad school, and my employers/co-workers would be the ones to write those for me, but do you think I could get those from them even if I leave the company? Or is it too early to even leave? When does one's sanity trump a timeline on a resume... Advice... You are an adult and can do whatever you want (as long as it is legal), but just remember the consequences of your actions are more severe than if you are a teenager. Buff up your resume and start sending it out. When you are called in for interviews, schedule them either early enough so you are not missing more than an hour or so of work or late enough so that you can leave early and not raise suspicion. Some prosepective employers will schedule interviews during lunch if you explain that your current employer is unaware that you are seeking other opportunities. Do not tell potential employers that you want another job because you can't stand the micro-managing of the company you are in. Or that you don't like what you are getting paid and want more. Or that you don't feel that your talents are being put to the best use. Or even that you are not getting what you were promised. Or that you are doing the work of another employee and not being compensated for it. Yes, it is too soon to leave and most likely it is too soon to give up on the industry. Unless something spectacular comes along, you should stay put and ride this out a year. If you quit without something else lined up, you're going to have a hard time finding something because that will be a huge red flag to the next employer. A short run is a big hit to your resume, so if you do one, you need to make sure it is for a fabulous reason that has a pay off that offsets the hit. Since you don't have much work history to offset this, you need to be especially careful. So, you can look for something else and see if something great comes along, otherwise, buckle down and make this work for a while. They're not beating you in the basement and frankly, a large part of your dissatisfaction may really be related to getting used to the world of work. You're in an entry-level position. By definition, entry-level positions come with micro-managing and boredom. And while you may be right that your managers are erratic and unpredictable, it may also be that you are only seeing a tiny part of the big picture and don't know all the other aspects that are involved in things. It is too soon to consider any type of grad school. In order for grad school to pay off, in most cases, you have to have some experience in the field first. Otherwise, you end up two years down the road with more education, more debt and no experience, unable to get a job at Starbucks. Read the College board, you'll see it happens all the time. If you think you want to explore a different field, great, go ahead, but until you've worked a year in that area, you should not even consider grad school. Don't fall into the trap of using school as a safe haven from the world of work. What are you going to do if you rush off the grad school, graduate with your shiny new degree in this new field, get your first job in it and find yourself in exactly the same work environment you've got now? Tess | |
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