Waste Of Two Years, Time For A New Job

[clayton86]

Well time to looks for a new job. Thought things would look up at the job I have now but seems I was wrong. They have been throwing money at us like crazy which is nice but the new bonus structure has ruined it and made it hostile pretty much.

I had a talk with the new GM and asked what the future of the company was and what my future was. I got the I'm a great asset to the company the third shift couldn't run with out me I put a lot of good product out the door blah blah blah. Maybe it was the truth but his following statement set me off and now I'm gonna look for a new job while riding it out where I am now. When I asked what my future was asking about moving up threw the ranks over time. I was told " we're not going to hire within we want to pay everyone 20 plus an hour but with out college no one will be hired for anything but shop work" I expressed my feelings on that saying the production manager should be the senor most guy and the GM that just left once started on the floor.

I have been to college and graduated at the top my class even being a tech school I still have the credits and took the extra classes to get an associates with it. The GM said didn't matter what the degree or school it was they just want to see some one better them selfs and have the commitment.

I brought in my transcripts and diploma the next day along with my dd214 showing all my military service and rewards. It was received with sarcasm and idk even.

I've never had a job I haven't risen to the top of quickly or had a employer look down upon some one wanting to do better and stay with a company it just blows my mind.

So I've had a few other offers come across from other places some making a large amount of more money an hour with no benefits, same pay farther drive same benefits, lower pay same drive but better benefits and great potential to go places in the company.

Definitely some tough decisions especially with all these kids I have lol.

[deaknh03]

First thing..use your medical benefits while you still have them and get a vasectomy.

[gulfcaptain]

During this day and age most companies are in the same position.  They will not move up into management without a BA of some sort.  It could be basket making, but they have a degree.  That's the way a lot of bigger companies are.  Great thing about the free market, you can take your talents to another company.  Find out what you can do there before agreeing to work there.  Ask about promotions to management.  If they can put in your notice and let your boss know you're leaving unless they have a better offer to keep you there.  If not, part ways, and go better yourself. 

[Gundog]

Sorry to hear about your situation Clayton. Its one many are facing these days. I hope you find a better place to work with a better employer. Its not easy in the times we have now to make a jump like that. Good luck and stay positive.

[Fishing Rhino]

First thing..use your medical benefits while you still have them and get a vasectomy.

 

Ah yes, wise words from the old philosopher.

 

http://www.bing.com/search?q=eddie+lawrence+the+old+philosopher&form=PRHPCS&pc=HPDTDF&mkt=en-us&refig=d3691ad5c7df436795b2ab999eecc902&filters=ufn%3A%22eddie+lawrence+the+old+philosopher%22+sid%3A%22a05163ec-d385-96e8-18bd-9a16ace37b05%22&qs=ME&pq=the+old+philo&sc=8-13&sp=1&cvid=d3691ad5c7df436795b2ab999eecc902

[Scott F]

Be careful what you wish for. Management these days is all about increasing profits. It isn't about creating the best product or taking care of the customer, it's about obtaining ever increasing quotas. If you made 20% profit this quarter, next month your quota will be 25%. The pressure never lets off. They let you know if your numbers slip, your pay or your job is on the line. If you can accept that and can thrive under that kind of pressure, you will succeed. If living with constant pressure makes you uncomfortable, maybe being the best production worker is the best thing for you and your happiness.

[flyfisher]

eliminating management is also the easiest way to cut costs when things get tight.  you always have to have workers doing the work

[VolFan]

I don't think he's looking down on you, I think he was originally subtly telling you you're not getting a management job. When you came back to challenge with your diploma, he was less subtle. He may have done you a favor; management ain't fun.

[EvanT123]

I wouldn't look at as a waste, I'm sure you learned a few things and may have meet some good people. It's a shame, I've meet people in all sorts of occupations that might have been the best person for the job but because they didn't have that diploma they were stuck. Sucks but that's the way it is sometimes.

Lots of good advice has been given above. I'll add the company man in my opinion is dead and gone. Don't expect any loyalty from the employer side, always do what's best for you.

[Mike L]

Use all your knowledge, expertise, experience and any networking contacts you've made and Im sure you'll find a satisfying work place that will make you feel appreciated and repected.

Sometimes it takes more time to find the right fit.

Good Luck

Mike

[bigbill]

I was happy being a group leader in the test lab in the engineering group. Go any further in management no freaking way.

Any move up in management I'd own my own business if I'm going to call the shots.

Corporate level Engineering group test lab job vs in the woods logging. The corporate benefits were great the $$ was great but I was happier in the woods.

Being retired is good.

[DogBone_384]

Good luck finding a new gig.  Since you're a VET, have you considered a Civil Service job?  I can't speak for NY, but here in MA, Vets get hiring preferences.  

 

Also, do you have any GI Bill benies left you can use to get yourself a higher degree on the Government's dime.  Most of my coworkers are vets and more than a handful work towards degrees while getting paid from the government to do so.

 

Anyway, hope you find a satisfying job. Liking your work is key. 

[Choporoz]

Clayton,

    deak's comment is a little harsh, but please take a moment and try to objectively read your OP.  I've been in the position of hiring managers and promoting to management.  I recognize that this is 'just a forum'...and you're blowing off steam, etc.  However, if your post gives even the slightest hint at your communications skills, I might be willing to defend the GM's preference for minimum education level(s).  Leadership skills are generally more important than command of English -- however, anyone desiring to be 'management' in most companies is probably going to need both.

[long island basser]

First thing..use your medical benefits while you still have them and get a vasectomy.

If I would have known back then what I know now Id have gotten a vasectomy right out of high school.

[iaYakker]

I know I have less work experience than you, OP, but I graduated with a double major in communication studies and public relations. Communication skills go soooo far. I was offered 3 jobs after I started applying, 2 of which had nothing to do with the field of communications/PR/marketing/etc...

What I'm saying is, I was able to get those offers because I was a strong communicator. Whether or not I was educated, I still came off as educated. That builds a lot of trust. I do not know what exactly was said in your conversation with the manager, but like Choporoz, based on your post, I would suggest that the way you come across could use some work. Just my 2 cents - and I do hope the job search turns out for the very best.

[deaknh03]

Clayton,

deak's comment is a little harsh, but please take a moment and try to objectively read your OP. I've been in the position of hiring managers and promoting to management. I recognize that this is 'just a forum'...and you're blowing off steam, etc. However, if your post gives even the slightest hint at your communications skills, I might be willing to defend the GM's preference for minimum education level(s). Leadership skills are generally more important than command of English -- however, anyone desiring to be 'management' in most companies is probably going to need both.

My comment was a joke..a topic Clayton often jokes about. But you knew that.

[BaitMonkey1984]

First thing..use your medical benefits while you still have them and get a vasectomy.

This is sage advice. Children are expensive anyhow. Wait till the State enters a child support order and you will see just how expensive they really are.

In all seriousness, sorry to hear about your position, but you failed to heed the advice of your GM. He told you what he was looking for, you didn't meet the cut. For right or wrong. As I always say, it is what it is- be happy the guy was honest with you, even if you disagree with his practice. Better than to string you along for the next few years. 

[bigbill]

The only good advice my mom ever said was you have good benefits, good pay someone else has the headaches.

I told my boss I don't want his job, I'm a worker not a politician. You handle the politics, ill handle the work.

[Last_Cast]

Benefits are always important. If you can afford the bills and fishing of course with a bit of a paycut, I dont see the harm. Thats something I might have done in your position but then again thats just me. Sorrry to hear about your job. That guy is a *****..thanks for your service!!

[clayton86]

I told the GM yesterday I was looking for new work he said "good luck with that " but then he told me I'm supposed to start a off site job fixing pillars at some Walmart a hour and a half a way I told him not if I gotta drive my truck there I barely can afford the gas just to make it to the shop let alone another hour and half farther. He told me he's getting me a rental and it's a $5hr increase while on that job and it's supposed to last a week possibly two. I'll put my job search on hold till this job is done and make some bank in the mean time.

And I didn't necessarily mean I wanted a management job when I had this talk with him but just to know there is room for advancing even if it's like a foreman or something as the company grows. We used to do 30k a month in sales and shipping now we pull 100-250k a WEEK in shipping and sales we are buried in orders and the shop is to small for the amount of stuff we're taking orders for. The potential with the company is there but they seem to do a lot of talking about making it better for the empoyees like better ventilation, pay, profit sharing, better health plan, bonuses. Instead the building got painted and the drive way paved oh and they put a dish washer in the break room because people are dirty slobs and leave dirty dishes around.

I think the other day when me and the GM had it out a little was also in part to me sticking up for myself and proving him and another person there wrong. Normally people just take it but not me not when it affects my paycheck and ability to put food on the table.

When I said the new bonus structure created a hostile work environment so to speak it's because it went from a group bonus we ship our goal everyone gets $125 extra in their check even if they did nothing but screw off all week and relied on others to carry the work load. Now it's "individual" you show up on time have a good attitude and get your list done and out the door you get a $100 bonus every week. HOWEVER if some one finds some thing wrong with your part you loose the bonus and it has caused people to sabotage your work or when you leave they take over the work area, hide tools, move and break the product your working on. It's basically become a popularity contest because some stuff that ships looks like garbage but passes QC and we charge several thousand dollars for it. Other stuff gets rejected for I kid you not a spec of dust in the gel coat or clear coat and it's a $200 fiberglass sports bench some kid in football pads in gonna scratch all up. Because of who makes it they nit pick it and keep rejecting it so it don't ship costing you $100 and once Thursday shipping comes and goes and you loose your numbers it becomes ok on Friday or Monday and ships but doesn't count towards your numbers.

I understand the need to put out good product but when one persons hack job is acceptable and another persons hard work and honestly the best your gonna get and probably some of the best looking parts in the place is not just because you don't like the guy is not is extremely messed up. It's been called out by so many people the favoriting in the place and it's obvious. I got lucky I build and repair molds now I don't really do to much production except when train parts come threw but they owe us a huge bill and I'm not making more parts till they pay it. Guys will pick apart my train parts trying to get stuff rejected but luckily for me the company that we sell them to sends a guy from Italy to inspect my parts when I get a whole car set done and he's always thrilled and praising my work so I don't sweat it often and it's the hardest most difficult production line to get out the door or at least used to be. Since I took it over and did the lay up machining and finish work all myself start to finish it's been better because I took what I knew from finishing them and the problem areas and changed the lay up pattern and now there are no issues.

The other week I had to put a second coat of paint on a box that was built and got chewed out I did a poor job and was gonna loose my bonus and I lost it. I knew the issues they were pointing out weren't caused by me and then I proceeded to prove it with picture documentation like they did to me when I came in. They said I had runs all over in my paint and I knew it was impossible that it was there and he argued it wasn't and showed me pictures of these runs. I argued they were there and it was runs in resin because they never ground down the box before painting it. He said he looked it over when he went over it with me showing me what to paint and what not to I seen the runs then but when the GM is saying put a second coat on this it's good to go I assumed that it was "good to go" after all he put the first coat on it and prepped it. Well after being accused and being told some one else had to fix my screw up I accepted it said won't happen again even though I know I didn't do it. I then went and looked at said box and seen all the runs in fact weren't fixed and also what direction they ran which was up opposite of gravity. Which when o painted it I had it on the legs not flipped over. So I took pictures then sanded it took more pictures showing it was resin not paint that was running then repainted it again and took finished photos. They didn't like that when I brought that to them but said I should have taken the initiative to see it was wrong and fix it but because I was told t was good to go so I did not.

Ok rant over sorry it's a pain to read my thumb fury posting on the forums from a phone isn't always the best.

Oh and the vasectomy comment way ahead of ya the women got snipped and I'm still trying to grow the courage to let the VA handle that they arnt exactly the best on health care they would end up cutting the wrong thing........but I am done having kids three I fathered one I adopted and now a step son pretty much yup done done done but I wouldn't trade them for the world....ok maybe the bratty 6 year old for like a boat but that's it haha joking.