JOB Mislead! - How do you handle it?

Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 25 Jan 2006 09:46 PM
OK - we all may not have the perfect job. But I took a position a year ago after being out of work for a while due to an acquisition with my previous company. After being on the job for about 3 months, it was obvious I had been mislead. Nothing I am doing is remotely related to the job description. I have been told that "due to the politics of the situation, you'll be doing something different." I can't stand my boss, but there are other opportunities within the company.

SO...how do you go about networking for another opportunity? I'll eventually have to tell my current boss if I post for an internal position, but I worry about retaliation. Or should I just bail out since they mislead me in the first place? Please help! I'm so confused...
JA



Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 26 Jan 2006 06:24 AM
If your manager told you about the political situation, has something changed to now make you acceptable for the job you wanted? Or would this be for yet another job in the same company?

If there have been some changes, it might be ok to ask about the "better fit" job opportunities given the fact you were originally hired to do job X and instead was put into job Y due to politics.
ma



Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 29 Jan 2006 12:34 PM
Wow, I can sure relate to your dilemma. As sad as it is, politics seem to rule over most situations within companies. Seeing that you can't stand your boss you may run into a problem posting for an internal position, especially if your boss was the one that told you "due to the politics of the situation, you'll be doing something different." If your boss is the one you sense retaliation from, you could be setting yourself up for some turbulent times with the company.

If your willing and emotionally able to go head-to-head relating to the politics influencing the statement that was made to you, than fasten your seat belt and prepare for the ride! As with any decision there's consequences though. Take some time and think about the possible outcomes if you choose to stay with the company. You can always do nothing, coast until you find a better job offering a better fit with a different company?

Good luck
L



Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Oh Boy, This could be a hard one. however, if you approach your boss and say "I have applied for a position within the company that I originally applied for last year, and I don't want any hard feelings if I get the position. YOU BETTER BUTTER HER/HIM UP. I quit a job last June/05 gave a 2 week notice, WITHOUT ANOTHER JOB. I have never done this in my life. BUT I was harrassed for over a year and she got what she wanted, to force me out by making my day to day functions completely unable to do. 25 years in mortgage banking and I am asked to do the most stupid things that I have Never heard of nor ever been asked to do within my career. She is a bad manager and a very bad person. HR got involved, but they believed her. I hear they are now "Watching her" because 7 people left after me, and they have been numerous complaints about her, but......SHE STILL HAS HER JOB!, My question to you is, Could she give you a bad reference? Is she in that position? She/He is NOT suppose to, but my ex-manager gave an employee a bad rap for her to relocate back to Buffalo, NY because she moved to Virginia within the company to be trained as a processor only to end up being her secretary. The employee ALMOST did not get her transfer back to buffalo. I heard she is sueing. Just find out who knows who in the upper office management.

AND, one more thing. KEEP A DAILY DIARY OF EVERYTHING, WHAT TIME YOU GET INTO WORK, YOUR BOSS GET'S INTO WORK, COPY EMAILS, DATE AND TIME AND WRITE DOWN CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE THAT ARE ALL NEGATIVE. This of course is only to CYA, if it hits the fan with your boss.

Good Luck to you but get out soon, if it's within the company or with another firm. Life is too short to work with a boss you can not get along with.
r



Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Unfortunately, I too have been in your shoes. When you are in a bad situation, it is best to get out. The fact that your boss is NOT treating you well is unacceptable and likely to get worse, not better. (Lying to you about the position is a HUGE red flag and I'll bet this boss's turnover is high. As for other jobs within the company, it sounds like this is company policy - since they are allowing this to happen)

You should strongly consider leaving. Even if you don't have a job, it is better than getting fired.

Networking is the key. 90% of all jobs are found through networking. I strongly recommend you join Execunet (www.execunet.com). They have an awesome network, monthly breakfasts, excellent webinars and an awesome library of job seeking advice. You have to get out and pound the pavement through direct people contact and use only 10% of your time with the internet answering ads. When you were unemployed for a year, did you have 6 to 10 phone or meetings a day?

The good news is: I have heard from the headhunters that the job market is really picking up. Good luck! You WILL find a healthier, happier position.
l
Total Posts: 1


Exercise your political alliance
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Dear Misled,

I found your post very interesting since I too am finding that many of my interviews do not come close to the position advertised. I found myself working for a highly political insurance company when I was 24. I was ill-equipped to handle the situation in the best possible manner. I recently finished an MBA course on interpersonal skills and.....politicking in the workplace. A book I is excellent in helping me deal with political situations is "The Secret Handshake".

If you trust your manager, maybe you could form your own alliance with this person. Teaming up can help protect both of you in a political environment. Build trust and be honest with one another is a good start. Express exactly what you want and see what the manager has to say about it. Being a great political ally doesn't mean you have to have a high position. Had I known better techniques of handling situations like this, I would probably have been better off and equipped to hold my own.

Hope this helps.
r
Total Posts: 4


Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 12:57 PM
I would like to add 4 great books about networking. As far as I am concerned, networking is a great life skill and not just a job skill which should be taught in school!

"Never Eat Along" by Keith Ferrazzi
"Make Your Contacts Count" by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon
"High Impact Telephone Networking for Job Hunters - who to call, what to say, how to project a positive image and how to turn contacts into job offers" by Howard Armstrong
"Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" by Harvey Mackay

I also highly recommend the books on the Five O'Clock web site which are aimed at helping you identify your strengths, weaknesses and get an actually job hunting accountability program going.

Lastly, have you thought about getting your next job offer in writing? A very smart attorney once told me that "if they are truly serious, they won't mind putting their offer in writing". Good Luck!

D
Total Posts: 1


Re: Exercise your political alliance
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 12:57 PM
There should be a red flag raised to the forming of an alliance here. If in fact the person (boss) is all you say and this will all surface eventually--you could be seen as an ally and done in along with the boss when all is finally revealed. Baloney, lies, and other negatives only last so long and then when it hits the fan you don't want to be seen as an ally or you could be dumped along with the person that so deserves to have it happen it to them. The higher and riskier road is to bail out. Then one may also say that the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. Difficult decision for sure and you are not to be envied for it. Good luck. You could of course start to look now for other possibilities and cover yourself while biting your tongue to spite your face in your present situation.