A Change Will Do You Good

Yesterday marked the changing of the guard so to speak.  I quit my job of three years. I know, I know.  Those of you who know me, realize I change jobs, often.  The pattern is about every two years.  I made this one last three. Bully for me.  Why am I hearing a british accent in my head?

I wanted this one to last. I had plans to retire out of this one.  Don't laugh. I did.  They had some good perks, gave people stocks and nice bonuses etc.  But what you don't see in the brochures is the pain inflicted upon some employees behind the scenes.

I've been in the same "career" (career sounds lofty I must say) for gulp, 17 years now.  I know my shit. I'm not one to toot my own horn (beep beep) but I'm pretty good at it....well now I've been told that so get that hand off your hip!  I like what I do, I like working on a team.  What's not to love about me, ammmmmIIIIrrrrighttt?  But man did my boss have a burr up her butt with me.

She liked me when I started. After all she hired me as a contractor.  Oh she made the occasional offhand remark that I'd take her job....I should have seen the signs then...the big red flag of insecurity waving right then and there......but I chuckled and told her I didn't want it and I was sincere, I didn't want it.  All I wanted was to come to work, do my job, do it well, get a good paycheck and go home.

It was going well until I took a full time position with "a Nuther Company" after 1 1/2 yrs.  A big mistake.  A ginormous mistake. I knew in my heart of hearts it was wrong, but I let myself get influenced by the full time status and benefits. So I quit this job.  Ugh.  Within a week I knew it was a bad deal.  I asked to come back to the original gig within 3wks....and I was back in 4 wks.  But I had lost all my senority and all my good projects. And my good graces.  I deserved it.

And not long after, I was hired on as a full time employee.  That was a good thing!  I told myself I was going to retire out of here.  I was not going to job hop! This was it. Then it happened.  Dun Dun Dun (queue the dramatic scene music) I was put on "THE PROJECT FROM HELL" the one none of us wanted, the one that had destroyed others before me.  I had no choice. I had to take it.

It destroyed me as well.  My boss was now made a manager and it went to her head.  She went around saying "because I'm the boss" as a reason for everything. Oh yes she did.....I tried talking to her about TPFH.  Have you figured out yet that she was the reason TPFH was TPFH?  yup.  She bullied me constantly, blaming me for every little problem and issue, even though I couldn't create them alone, being on a "team" and all.  I cried on the way to work. Some mornings I would pull over to the side of road, because I could barely force myself to drive into work!  Eventually after several one on ones with her, she told me I needed to think of my position as more of a job than a career....*heavy sigh*  the writing was on the wall.  That was back in August of 2012.  I started my job hunt shortly after that.  I am one who can only take so much bullying and getting a bonus once a year does not make me forgive and forget (well it would  need a few more zeros at least).  And when it's your boss......what can you do?

We all know how tough the economy is.  I have been looking since the "job not career" comment. I wasn't going to take just anything either.  Who wants to go from bad to worse?  I did get one job offer in January, but I knew it wasn't going to be a good fit and I had to turn it down. I lost a good friend in that deal as well, that hurt!  Little did I know that something better was down the road!

A previous co-worker and I suddenly got in touch.  I started my career with her, oh yeah way back long ago (see above - 17 yrs).   She loves her company and was telling me all about. We talked and chatted - Facebook is fabulous etc and tried to make plans to hook up for lunch. We had to keep cancelling because of work. It became a running a joke!  It took us weeks!  In the meantime... a job popped up in her company....she asked if I was interested........was I interested??? how does HELLS YES sound?

The rest is history.......I start Monday.  Our immediate boss is way cool, the CEO seems way cool.  They want senior level people, responsible, smart people.  Go figure! 

It's a new day, a new dawn....my friends tell me I already look so much better, much happier.  I cannot tell you how much of a burden has been lifted. I owe a big thanks to my friend and I owe her lunch too!  I'll have to post up after a few weeks and let ya'll know how it's going. Maybe there will even be a sock girl, who knows!!!!