Around 9 months ago I left a job I was comfortable with but felt unchallenged by and, somewhat, unappreciated for. I had recently gotten licensed and was struggling with what the next goal was for me. I felt like I was growing a little stagnant. Plus, the founding partner was getting close to retiring it appeared. I suspected a succession plan was in place and since I wan't a part of those conversations I had to assume that I wasn't a part of that plan. With uncertain ownership and leadership transitions on the horizon I left "for greener pastures" by way of a firm contacting me through a headhunter. I did leave on good terms.

That turned out to be a mistake. I didn't fit in well with the company I moved to and simply didn't like the work they were doing.

So I started interviewing (no recruiter) and got a great response. I had multiple offers, which all were competitive for major firms in my town. I took my time and thought about it a lot, and chose one that was "safe" but one I felt I could grow with.

I am a little over 3 months into this job and am afraid, because of the work I'm doing and my present role, that I have taken an enormous step back in my career, having gone from managing multiple projects and wearing a few other hats to simply coming in and doing production (drawing) work every day. I understand being the new guy, but there have been several occasions where I see my experience has exceeded others in the office. I realize that sounds narcissistic, but it's technical knowledge that I've been fortunate enough to gain through my past experience.

To be blunt, I am practically miserable at work. Do I request a meeting with my boss and/or those that hired me to somehow discuss this?

Was there an explicit role and responsibilities discussion before you accepted your current job?

I would personally (in the most professional way possible) offer to help or speak up when you see that your experience can help in a situation/ project. This would allow your co-workers and/or manager to see that you are able to handle more than you are currently doing. On top of that, volunteer to take on any extra projects that may come up.

Anything earlier than 6 months is too early to make a clear assessment. On a one off, maybe, but now you're starting to establish a pattern for yourself. Give it time to fully assess- there is a lot of growth and adapting on both sides for the first ) months.

If you're going to go backward in responsibilities, hopefully you do it with a larger firm where there should be more opportunities.

As you look around the shop, what differences do you think will happen in the next 12-18 months? What opportunities do you think will arise?

As a general rule, most folks are not going to consider you for anything until after you've been working for the company for 12 months and have proven yourself to be a consistent performer.

Right now, the only thing keeping me and my team from seeking new employers is the fact that we don't feel like having to jump through the hoops to prove ourselves yet again.