Made a Mess (Long Post)

[Almond_Joy]

Hi everyone,

 

 

I'm currently an admin asst. for a sales dept. I've been in admin for nearly 8 years snow and am very good at it. I guess I don't know how to sell myself or whatever because I can never seem to get opportunities that pay properly for my level of proficiency and experience.

 

 

So...when I interviewed for my current position at the start of 2013, I was told that I would have lots of growth advancement/opportunity very quickly (like 8 -10 months) into a manager or HR position because that's what I want to get into. Like a fool I trusted this ambiguous pretty picture and took the job for less than what I made at my last position.

 

 

A year later, my hiring manager leaves for another position and the more senior of the two assistant managers at that time gets promoted to the manager position. I've always had good rapport with both of these managers, so much so that they have allowed me to participate in managerial strategies for the department and allowed me to take on projects and duties outside of the scope of my role that are necessary for a manager or HR position (mostly training and performance evaluation of the sales team). This good rapport also allowed me to feel comfortable with being honest about looking for other work or considering leaving, which is what I started considering in December of last year because I could see no growth opportunity for me. I started looking in around April of this year. To date, I've gotten got maybe 2 or 3 interviews and half a dozen responses (rejects), no offers. I'd only been applying online though.

 

 

While I'm looking online for other work, happy coincidence! The office manager position at my branch opened up about two months ago. I figured I'm a great fit for this position, all the decision makers are well aware that this position is my next step, it's what I've been working for since I got hired, my direct manager fully supported me going for that position. I reiterated that in my IPC at the beginning of the year and have gone out of my way to take on work that would make me more qualified for that role. Alas, I still wasn't considered for the job - I mean I interviewed for the position, but I could tell from the hiring manager's responses and demeanor he was just going through the motions.

 

 

So now I'm in this position doing all this extra work, severely underpaid, with no vision for future advancement - because we already have an HR rep onsite (and they don't need two) and another admin person's already got the Office Coordinator title. I go to my current manager and tell her, "I'm frustrated what are my options?" Because even with these advancement challenges:

- I like this industry

- The company I'm working for is one of the biggest players in the industry locally and nationally

- I've never worked anywhere more than about 3.5 years, so I want to stay with a company for at least five years just once, to show I'm not a job hopper

- I like and respect my manager, and I know that is a rare thing

 

 

OK, so back to my question. I ask her what are my options? She says "What do you want?" I say I want a manager title because I'd like supervisory experience on my resume, and I want to make more money.

Her first response is well how about being one of the sales reps? I point out that a) that doesn't give me a manager title, and b) although commissions are uncapped, it takes time to build a steady flow of clients. So until I do I'd be making minimum wage :-/. So she says , OK, how about becoming an assistant manager like I was before? Your base salary would be a little more than you're making now, you'll have your manager title, and you'll be licensed to sell so you can also sell and earn more money. Sounds great in my book! I say ok, if you can make that happen I'll stay and work for you (I said it just like that, because that's how we've always talked, and she knew I'd been looking for work).

 

 

So remember a couple paragraphs up that I said there are two assistant managers? Yeah, she ran this by the other (now only) asst manager and he threw a hissy fit. He tells her she can't just get a manager title because she wants it (even though they BOTH tell the team I'm acting manager on the weekends and I do help ALL members of the team in every aspect of their job, including serving their families when they're busy which the admin has never done), and she's got to be a counselor first! The top earning sales rep in the department happens to be his best friend or whatever because they were hired at the same time and went through training and everything together, and that top sales guy is gunning for an asst manager position too. So of course he wants his friend to get the position. Due to other pending restructuring decisions though, my manager doesn't want to promote him right now.

 

 

So now after talking to the asst manager, my mgr comes back to me and is like ok, I'll talk to the general manager about making you a counselor for "a while" and then I can promote you to asst manager. That's not how she explained it before though, she made it sound like she could move me from admin straight to asst mgr. I don't want to take a pay cut, even short term, so I say no. I think about it overnight, and realize this is my only short term shot to make any kind of change and stay with this company. So I go back to her the next day and say is there any way I can keep my current hourly rate and still get licensed and train to be an asst manager?

 

 

I think the back and forth irritated her because she has me sit down and says, You're balking about making min wage but you know this job. You're not starting from scratch like most people so you'll start earning almost immediately. I can't promote you straight to asst manager "half my team" will walk out (read the asm and top seller, because I don't believe any of the others will care, they've all worked with me and have told me they wish I was a manager ). You need to grow some balls and be willing to sacrifice a little to get what you want! I don't see any reason you can't be one of my top sellers by the end of the year. I can't guarantee you an assistant manager position right now blah blah blah....

 

 

Now on that underlined bit I should have just said forget it then, but I got pissed because she told me to grow some balls - she's like calling me a wuss! I'm no wuss, I can sell if I want to and I'll do a damn good job! So I say fine please let me transition to a sales rep position so I can then be eligible for asst manager position.

 

 

Alright now with all that background here's the crux I'm at now: The time for which I'd have to be a sales rep varied erratically during this conversation. I'm pretty sure she's thinking 6 months to a year. She may have an opportunity to promote someone before the 6 month mark comes up and may change her mind and promote the other top seller. I'm thinking I'm gonna give this sales rep stint like 3 months, because come January if I'm not making money I want to start looking for work and start of the year's best time for job hunting. I shouldn't have asked to be a sales rep because that's not really what I want and I resent that she called me a wuss and probably thinks lesser of me and I can't STAND the current asst manager, I just don't like him something about him grates on me.

 

 

I feel like if I say or do anything else right now I run the risk of burning the good rapport with my manager entirely. Should I just stay quiet and be a sales rep and hope things work out in my favor? Also, can any managers give me your insight or what your thought process would be if you were in my manager's position dealing with me right now? I'm trying to gage where I stand with her.

 

 

 

 

Any opinions or insight is appreciated.

[ja123]

You're in a tight spot, and that comes with the politics of a larger sized company that may not have its internal structure in order.

 

 

I can definitely see why you're frustrated.

 

 

What can you do in the interim?

 

 

Take some of your control back by working on you and your attitude.

 

 

Be the best darn sales rep that you can be.

 

 

Show everyone that your attitude is stellar, but focus on your tasks as a sales rep and focus on making money. (Don't take on extra admin jobs that people might want to pawn off on you, just because you're good at it or they're dangling a carrot).

 

 

Take whatever additional course, outside work even, to add to your resume to bolster your skills for the job you really want.

 

 

And don't stop applying for jobs elsewhere!

 

 

Keep doing it!

 

 

Go to a head-hunter or a job counselor to help you develop strategies for job applications that put you ahead of the pack.

[pink_sugar]

Sounds like you're in a similar spot to my husband. A few months back, he was told he'd start a new position once his colleague came back from maternity leave. It's been a few weeks since she's come back and apparently now they don't know if corporate is going to move forward with the position. Meanwhile, my husband is back on call working few hours a week wondering if he's getting this position. I told him to start applying elsewhere. So I can totally understand how being promised something that was never delivered bothers you. I know my husband would have looked elsewhere sooner had he known this other position wasn't a for sure thing.

[Almond_Joy]

Thank you both for your responses. I know I wasn't explicitly promised anything, but I do feel I've been misled. It's partly my fault for not pushing for concrete action steps too.....but it's all water under the bridge now I guess.

 

 

I will definitely keep looking for work then and I'll just keep my mouth shut about it in the meantime.

[Leigh 87]

They have to like you.

 

Of course, they can think you're nice and appreciate your presence in the office without " like, liking you"

 

Case in point. My good friend is attractive and a very, very pleasant person. Softly spoken yet sociable, she is VERY appealing and... easy for professionals to love.

 

She walks into her first ever job, an entry level job at a large bank.

 

A week later the hiring manager personally tells her that " we could tell you had potential, and as soon as you finish your HR masters, we will definitely give you a position starting at 100K in our HR department"

 

They did this because they liked her. From the start, they just REALLY, really took a strong liking to my friend. From what she told me, it was really evident that they took a strong liking to her from day one.

 

Many HR masters graduates with more experience, and who have been in HR for years and yet have lost their jobs could have been considered, but they would rather train up a new HR manager who has never worked in HR before, simply because they "LIKE" her a lot?

 

 

 

 

Let me tell you something. It takes YEARS for most people in HR to get to the 100K salary! Yet because my friend is well liked by a hiring manager or two, she will graduate her HR masters and instantly get a job, a 100K hib, with no prior admin or HR experience.

 

Networking and being well liked is what gets you promotions. Didn't anyone ever tell you? Very rarely do people get the job down to their own merit.

 

Rarely is the application process fair.

 

More often than not, a company will promote a person they "like" a lot, rather than go through the interview and hiring process!

 

Your manager may respect you and like your, but she doesn't " LIKE like" you. She doesn't like you that much or she would have given you the job.

 

 

 

 

 

People like my friend are going to be awarded the promotion with NO experience in their new field.

[Almond_Joy]

Thank you for sharing the example of your friend, Leigh, and I totally agree! I've seen it play out myself too many times not to believe that's really what it boils down to. And that's the other thing about this whole situation that really ticks me off. I don't know what it takes to get to that likeability level, and why should I have to, you know?

 

I've always been respected for the quality of my work and my work ethic, and I've always been commended on my demeanor and attitude in the workplace. This situation is the first time that I've pushed for something and it frustrates me because I have to (I feel like) nag and complain for anyone to even consider promoting me when I already made my intentions clear and showed that I have the technical and soft skills for the role! They tell me everyone loves me, I'm great to work with, I'm such an asset....I don't come up with this stuff, these are their words to me. But because I don't have the "IT" factor I shouldn't be considered for a promotion???

 

I don't know how to be that person that they LIKE like, and even if I did know how that person would not be me as I am I feel. At the end of the day I focus on the work and I help people get the job done because that's what I get paid to do and that should be the priority!

 

I mean I can take social cues, I would know if people are avoiding me or don't like to be around me. But people come chat with me all the time! They look for me when they don't see me, I get invited to after work functions.....I feel I am liked here. The only people I don't chat with are the decision makers, and I have no idea how to get in that circle because really I have no reason to interact with them. There is only my direct manager who I do get along with well, but who has also made it obvious that she does not like me enough or have the ability to try and get what I'm asking for.

 

I just wish once I could go to a company, give my 110% effort to the job, and get pay and title appropriate for that effort. I'm not asking for something I haven't earned, you know?

 

Sorry for rambling the whole thing upsets me. Besides these two conversations I've made every effort not to bring this up at work in amy way and keep my work ethic where it was before because I don't want this frustration to leak into whatever positive influence I've got here. But it gets harder day by day, it's a demotivator. If I were to just do my job 8 - 5 and go home I wouldn't be happy either though because that's not how I work. I just don't get it .