Message #62937

[geminigirl]

Wow!  This topic has really struck a nerve!

I’ve had two jobs I’ve really really disliked to the extent that I left both of them without a position to move on to…

The first one was about 6 or so years ago.  I was the first administrative person in the company to be hired for their administrative skills – the others had come on as temps and ended up personally because the then head of the company thought they would make a good fit as X position and Y position and they really really resented me for it, and made my life hell through little digs and not being invited to lunch with all the other support staff, and – and – and – you know how it goes.

The final straw at that one was when I wasn’t given a pay rise as my job wasn’t seen as “essential” – although the two receptionists who reported to me were given 13% and 10% pay rises and I used to have to cover them for lunch & holidays.  Two weeks after I handed my notice in – to temp as I had no job to go to – so I was still working my notice, they made a number of people redundant and gave all a really good compensatory package.  I learned that my job would’ve been one of them to go so, when he accepted my notice, the MD knew that they’d wriggled out of paying me off.  But I was so glad to leave …

I temped for a while and then got the next job I hated.  On paper, absolutely brilliant, working at CEO / board level for people that were highly respected as both individuals and by City of London financiers.  But I was so utterly bored and had nothing to do.  I would spend my time finding ways to be useful and keep myself occupied otherwise I could’ve run amok with an axe!!  The worst thing was knowing that my bosses knew I didn’t have enough to do and didn’t care, as long as they weren’t bothered and I was there for them when they did need attention.  Handed in my notice there partly because of boredom and partly because of executive-level changes that were happening which would have an negative impact on me.

And a week before I was due to leave there, I was offered my current position and, 19 months in, it really is the best job I’ve ever had.  Great boss, great benefits, and a really good bunch of people.