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Apologies for length: 32 years old Bsc in Psychology from a moderately prestigious Canadian University. Decided near the end of the degree that I wanted to focus on statistics. Finished degree, got out, couldn't find work in that field. Continued with job in hotel that paid my way through uni. In the end got disillusioned, moved to UK (I have dual citizenship). In London, found work right away at a five-star luxury hotel. Started in the reservations team, got promoted to the management team focussing on customer and employee engagement. Did all manner of training programmes, management advisory courses, SWOT/PESTLE analysis training and implementation. Did a lot of data analysis on customer complaints, advised on market segmentation, advised other properties on how to improve their customer experience. Was the right hand man of the general manager's right hand man. Held that role for three years. Salary remained basically the same (boosted with bonuses first two years, bonuses removed and base salary upped in third year). GM's right hand man got promoted to GM at another property. Asked to go with him, get promoted to right hand of GM. He said he couldn't do it, but he could bring me over with a better title and a 2k pay bump. I felt this was incredibly insulting (2k after three years at the same salary?) and started re-focussing on the data analysis aspects of the job, doing courses on Coursera to teach myself R, SQL and Python. Started applying, got a role as a data analyst working in finance. A junior role starting at the same salary I was currently on, but with a title exactly like what I wanted in a field I wanted to get into. Told boss, he freaked out, started offering me more money to stay (same job title), but I felt this was the right decision after how he'd screwed me over. Fast forward 9 months. The new company I've joined is completely flat. There are people on my team who have been doing my role for 9 years at the same salary that I started on. The company is completely resistant to any sort of change, and the role is far more data collection and phone chasing than it is doing any sort of real analysis. I've requested special projects and got them, and am building up a portfolio, but the workload is high enough in the bullshit gruntwork side of things (as a data analyst, cold calling businesses to ask if they want to be financially benchmarked? When we already have a sales team?) that I don't have much time to create anything really demonstrative of my expertise. I feel like I've got so much knowledge about how to effectively manage a team, how to analyse customer data to come up with effective pathways for change, and proven experience in implementing said change. I've had three situations in the past month where recruiters have contacted me regarding roles that would be perfect for me, we have amazing phone interviews, but when they forward my CV through to the companies they aren't even interested enough to give me an interview. I know the CV isn't the issue, because the recruiters are contacting me cold based on seeing my CV online. I feel really sick about it, you know? I'm closer to 40 than to 20, and I'm losing out on roles to 22 year olds fresh out of university. I'm treated like I have no experience, when I have proven success and results in two fields (hospitality and data analysis). I applied for a role the other day that was Hospitality data analyst, and I got back a "sorry, you're not what we're looking for". You know what I'm sick of? I'm loving sick of learning. I feel like all I've ever done my whole goddamn life is learn. Every job I've ever had I get put on learning programme after learning programme, because people seem to think that I somehow just loving thrive on knowledge alone, with no regard for my own satisfaction or financial gain. All these lessons of working hard and studying hard and it will be noticed is all a crock of poo poo. The only way I've ever been able to improve my lot in life is to threaten to quit, and then people listen, but it feels so grotesque to have to do this. I'm clearly valued because people do lose their poo poo when I do say I'm looking elsewhere, but when there are interesting opportunities within the company, why do I get passed over until I get nasty? I hate having to loving sneak around and do phone interviews in my lunch breaks. I hate seeing people with no knowledge of the 21st century come in at the last second and gut my projects on a whim. I look at everyone else, and they all seem to be springing up the corporate ladder again and again, where I get continuously trapped at the bottom of the heap for years at a time. You hear all about how great it is to be self-taught, but everyone I've spoken with just sees online courses as not "real" education. I've demonstrated to my boss time and again that I can do detailed financial modelling, but he gives every single big and interesting project to the same guy on the team who makes constant mistakes and holds up every project, just because he's got seniority. I know that for potential employers, it's not very appetising to hear "sure I don't have the exact experience you're looking for, but give me the job and I guarantee you'll be thrilled!" I know that being a jack of all traders makes people instinctively think that I'm a master of none. I know that I have a great life otherwise, and that there are so many people out there who would kill to be in my position. But loving hell, does it suck to know that my potential is being squandered day after day. In a lot of ways I would rather be stupid, at least then I wouldn't know what I was missing. Instead, I've got a head full of knowledge and a 10 year professional life filled with expert experience, and an entry-level job to show for it. Anyone else feel like this?
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Nov 14, 2015 11:57
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 23:10 |
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Yes. This is common in a lot of industries. Quit worrying about jobs and learning and focus on what you believe would be fun. For me its basically saving up enough money to start my own business so I don't have to deal with lovely upper management stuff, and reviving my passion on a subject I love. I read some poo poo online so take this with a grain of salt but people start their own poo poo with as little as $3k. Unless you have a wife and kids devote your time to being your own drat boss sucka rear end fool
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Nov 14, 2015 12:56
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Yes, I can totally relate to a lot of this (jack of all trades, success, pick stuff up quickly but not titled/credentialed, etc). The quick version of it is that I spent over a year applying to every single job in my area with not even a phone interview. There were no opportunities at my own (horrible) organization either. Then within a month I had a (bad, but still) phone interview externally, a spot came up in my own organization, and landed my dream job when someone in another business unit took a chance on me and now I loving love going to work every day. Just keep at it and find things outside of work to fulfill you. I did a lot of hiking this past summer, and burned all of my vacation time as well.
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Nov 14, 2015 15:27
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What do you want to be doing in five years?
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Nov 14, 2015 18:05
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OP, you have enough together that I'm going to send you to BFC where they can give you better advice. Although I hate sending good threads out of E/N. Enjoy, BFC!
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Nov 14, 2015 19:29
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 23:10 |
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A few things that stuck out to me: Mourning Due posted:GM's right hand man got promoted to GM at another property. Asked to go with him, get promoted to right hand of GM. He said he couldn't do it, but he could bring me over with a better title and a 2k pay bump. also post your resume and let's see if there are any problems. You say there aren't, but if that's the place companies stop being interested, maybe there are.
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Nov 14, 2015 19:59
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