Driving myself crazy and need some encouragement...

I just called it a day on a 20-year career as in insurance claims professional. In that time I saw performance evaluation plans and compensation structures change at least 15 times. In the last 8 years as a manager the plans changed every year and I gotta say: none of the changes made it easier or more likely for anyone to get a salary increase. Bottom line is there is no reason for you to get paid less than you used to, particularly since you have taken on additional responsibilities.

You've identified behaviors by the owners that suggest things aren't going to get better. For your own sake, it's time to start looking for other options. Best wishes for success in your job hunt.

Thanks again for all of the kind words and reaffirming of my internal thoughts. 'Competitors' are a stickier mess than most in my field, but I can try to explain a bit further. I work in a very niche career, and not many companies do it. Perhaps a total of 10 countries nationwide do similar work to what I do. As a result of poaching, breeding, and sometimes inbreeding (professionally, not actually), 4 of those are in a tight geographical dot where I live. This is good in most senses, but bad in another because there is A LOT of family involved. We're talking uncles, aunt's, cousins. Jumping to a competitor in this instance, is a lot like disowning a part of your family in another.

I know you guys are going to say- it's not personal, just business. AND I AGREE! But my side, without question or uncertainty, holds grudges and makes it personal worse than any scorned person on the planet. I just am not sure I want to burn that bridge, which is why this 'dream job' is so damn perfect. It's outside of the inbred industry, and it still suits my interests, skills, and long-term goals perfectly.

I'll jump ship to another competitor if I have to, but it's a lot messier than it sounds.

Regardless, thanks again. I sincerely appreciate it. One thing is absolutely sure- I'm out. I'm already out mentally, and I've been more aggressive with pushing my 'services' to several different options. Now I just have to hit on one...

codrus wrote: Well, you have a moral and legal obligation not to abuse company proprietary information if you take a similar job at a competitor. So, for example, you can't take the customer contact list with you when you go from company A to company B.

If it's actual company proprietary information, it's likely a legal obligation.

But if it's more about your experience and core knowledge of what's going on, it's impossible to regulate someone's special skills.

More importantly, when a company is abusing their moral obligation to you, I do not see a single reason you have to keep them "safe".

Keep looking for another job, DO NOT FEEL bad when they whine, moan, and complain about needing you so much. Just tell them that they had their chance for years longer than they should have to demonstrate that need, and that you need more. Walk away with a better job.

If that company fails after you leave, it's not your fault- it's inevitable. It also shows your value to a company. But there's no reason to take pleasure in their "suffering"- just move on.

For all of us, it's important to find a place to work where you are actually valued.

If the brothers ask "what will it take to keep you here?, tell them that you want both of their new trucks.

jimbob_racing wrote: If the brothers ask "what will it take to keep you here?

The answer to that question is, "Go back in time 5 years and stop yourselves from being dicks to me."

In reply to jimbob_racing:

And photos of them Doing something that the board filters didn't filter.

To the OP: nobody introduces "candidates" to the staff. They introduce "people we're going to hire". So sit tight and plan the bridge incineration, but don't strike the match yet.

I feel your pain with the waiting game. The company I'm with currently, I interviewed at the beginning of March and didn't get an official offer until first week of May, so I know the anxiety of waiting. From the sounds of it, if they walked you around and introduced you to people, they like you and are likely waiting for approval paperwork.

--JOsh

In reply to golfduke:

To avoid driving yourself crazy, go dig through your parts stash for some decent E36 M3 front struts and send them to me. You'll feel better, I guarantee it!

golfduke wrote: I work in a very niche career, and not many companies do it. Perhaps a total of 10 countries nationwide do similar work to what I do.

Are you involved in map making or geographical surveys, by chance?

Hang in there since it sounds likely that the new gig will come through. Getting up to go to a job that you dread is a terrible thing and I feel for you. I lived that for a couple years and it was a rotten time.

On a different note, I woke up this morning all excited to get to work and then realized it was Saturday. I was actually a bit disappointed it was not a work day. It was strange.

No map making for me, haha. Sorry.

But TJ- Yes! That is what I'm looking for. Hell, I'm even one of those people that don't mind spending an hour or 2 on my own time to do some work over the weekend, if it helps the team out later on down the line. I want to endoy doing that, not get anxiety every time I check my phone for messages or emails.

Thanks again guys. I'm working on those struts too, Corvair. Im eating some food and heading into the garage! I sincerely appreciate the support and advice.

Works both ways, too. I'm hoping to hire a disgruntled dealer tech to supplement my business, but he has about seven offers now. I think he'd be a good fit, and there are potentially heavy mutual benefits for us.

He's been so stressed by the service manager they hired a year ago(who has lost four of the five techs in her department in the last six months) he's going to take a few weeks to decide what he wants to do and decompress.

waitwaitwaitwait...

Minor update- I was supposed to find out today, but got an email this morning saying that they were going to need a little more time as "our last applicant can't come in to interview until Thursday"... Did I mention that I'm the least patient person in existence? Because I am.

This is like getting a root canal for like 9 straight days. I try to get my mind off of things, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Fill that time by trying to come up with ways to causally meet the owners/managers of the competing firms in your area (linked in/facebook stalking are surprisingly effective!), or, if that doesn't pan out, perhaps a nice linked in request and a good introductory statement might be enough to get your foot in the door.

The company I'm at was in the same position yours is in (but about 15-20 years earlier). When employees move around, it's not personal, it's just business.

I'm curious, it was mentioned previously that you have some sort of extended familial ties to the current company?

Is your current or previous wife somehow related to the brothers?

pheller wrote: I'm curious, it was mentioned previously that you have some sort of extended familial ties to the current company? Is your current or previous wife somehow related to the brothers?

No, but my mother is a salesperson with a separate unit in the company. I don't want anything to spill over to her, whihc is why it's kind of important to me to at least maintain civility through this.

golfduke wrote: Did I mention that I'm the least patient person in existence? Because I am.

You'll have to fight me for that title!

My last job stopped raises for 5 years and then offered crap like an extra day off or I can go to SEMA on the credit card points they had saved or a $25 Target card at Christmas.

So when I leave they ask what will it take to keep me? Fair raises maybe? Money I begged for over 14 years?

golfduke wrote:

pheller wrote: I'm curious, it was mentioned previously that you have some sort of extended familial ties to the current company? Is your current or previous wife somehow related to the brothers?

No, but my mother is a salesperson with a separate unit in the company. I don't want anything to spill over to her, whihc is why it's kind of important to me to at least maintain civility through this.

And that right there is why the brothers think they can butt-berkeley you and you'll take it. So, find another job, give them 2 weeks notice, smile, "it's been great...pursuing other interests...."

Hang in there, it sounds like the end is in sight! The good news is that they're being proactive and getting back to you, that's pretty rare in today's world. Sometimes they have to interview everyone just so they can say they did, even if they know who they want already.

I'm with the others - don't play hardball, play "find another job". There's probably other things out there that would qualify as a dream job - or at least less nightmarish. You seem like you've got a good shot at the one you interviewed for, but until you have an offer in hand, no reason not to go out and interview for something else.

Hang in there. There are several possible ways out of a bad company, and no reason not to pursue all of them at once until you find a door that opens.

Good things are coming.

Thank you... and God I hope so, haha. Tomorrow is D-Day and I am nervous as crap. I don't know if there's a word for it, but I'm wanting this job so hard mentally that it's exhausting me. Like, if I think about it more, I might be able to make it happen just by sheer emotional karma... I dunno, it makes sense in my head. Whatever. Blah.

Did I mention that I'm not a patient person?

Update-

A full week after I was supposed to find out one way or another... I found out.

I got the job. Starting April 6th. I'm so happy and excited that I actually cried a bit. Like big, manly, bearded cries, but cries nonetheless.

God, I feel like... YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!