Why would someone internally make you a director?

When you are always looking, it is pretty obvious you are looking and lack loyalty. Now that being said, loyalty is as good as tomorrow's starting pitcher, but the attitude of being ready to switch tomorrow will show.


I think it is wise to listen to things if they come at you for real... but to say you should always be looking at everyone who knocks on your door is pushing it a little and will be obvious.


And maybe that is why you aren't a director.

They may sell it well but doesn't mean it's true like you're saying. I used to work for a large steel producer that touts their zero layoff policy all the time. In fact, their website claims they've never had a layoff in their 120 year history. You can find articles from all the big business publications fawning over their commitment to employees.

The unfortunate reality for them is that they have to file WARN notices and do so pretty often with not insignificant numbers of employees impacted.

On the flip side, if you work for a good company that pays well, good benefits, decent stability, good boss and coworkers, upward mobility, values you, flexible etc, then stay there! I made the mistake of leaving good jobs early on in my career while chasing the money, and instantly regretted it. The extra money wasn't worth the headache and bs that comes with toxic jobs and horrible bosses.

It's very hard to find a really good work situation, so once you're in one, it's best to stay put. There are way too many horrible jobs and bosses out there that you're unaware of until you start working there.

But I do agree that you should always be open to new opportunities and at least hear them out. However, the grass isn't always greener as we all know.

For those of you leaving earlier than 36 months at most jobs....how do you ever get vested in your 401k employer contributions? My last job was 5 years before vested (they later lowered it to 3 years). Current job is 3 years.

AJ02 said:

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For those of you leaving earlier than 36 months at most jobs....how do you ever get vested in your 401k employer contributions? My last job was 5 years before vested (they later lowered it to 3 years). Current job is 3 years.

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May be industry-specific. My last few employers have all been immediately vesting. Granted the match % is different. I can't recall exactly, but believe my first job out of school was a higher match %, like 6 or so, but only fully vested after a year. Lately I've gotten 4% match (min 5% contribution) but it has all been fully vested. So the match % and vesting schedule may be related to one another. What is your match?

knoxtom said:

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Why would someone internally make you a director?

When you are always looking, it is pretty obvious you are looking and lack loyalty. Now that being said, loyalty is as good as tomorrow's starting pitcher, but the attitude of being ready to switch tomorrow will show.


I think it is wise to listen to things if they come at you for real... but to say you should always be looking at everyone who knocks on your door is pushing it a little and will be obvious.


And maybe that is why you aren't a director.

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For years I thought like how you say above and I see that companies are not loyal to employees. So why employees be loyal? Even execs don't really care about the company, they are just looking for the next bonus. I have experienced this so many times.

So I think it is time to be 100% selfish and think only about myself.

Petrino1 said:

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On the flip side, if you work for a good company that pays well, good benefits, decent stability, good boss and coworkers, upward mobility, values you, flexible etc, then stay there! I made the mistake of leaving good jobs early on in my career while chasing the money, and instantly regretted it. The extra money wasn't worth the headache and bs that comes with toxic jobs and horrible bosses.

It's very hard to find a really good work situation, so once you're in one, it's best to stay put. There are way too many horrible jobs and bosses out there that you're unaware of until you start working there.

But I do agree that you should always be open to new opportunities and at least hear them out. However, the grass isn't always greener as we all know.

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At this point, I am not really hankering after money. I do well in my investing, so I have an alternate revenue stream. No debt at all. Zero. I deserve a higher title (nothing fancy or shocking). I have put in the time but I have experience an extended period of bad luck which resembles a snakes and ladder game. I make progress, do well, get good reviews and then hit a snake and I am at the bottom again.

My previous job had a lot of what you say so I was loyal and would not look at other calls. Even a VP call, I just ignored. I am kicking myself for doing that. That is what I think I should do differently. And the reason for my thread is everyone should start to consider this because there is no loyalty in the corporate world. Learn that as early as possible.

AJ02 said:

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For those of you leaving earlier than 36 months at most jobs....how do you ever get vested in your 401k employer contributions? My last job was 5 years before vested (they later lowered it to 3 years). Current job is 3 years.

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It is every year. I got the 20% stock vested after I completed my first year. Maybe other companies are different. The more years you complete the higher the % vesting.

HollywoodBQ said:

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You're on the right track.

Personally, I like to come in and do a job for at least 18-36 months before moving on to the next thing. I find that it usually takes a few months to learn the technology enough to be proficient at it and between 12-18 months to make the connections you need to really get things done and figure out who you can trust and who the charlatans are (in Information Technology, there are many).

About 6 years ago, I got laid off from my employer of 10+ years and I wound up going to work for a start-up. The first 5 years were a blast and I was genuinely having fun in my job.

However, during the past 18-24 months, the management chain above me has been completely replaced and I really have no idea where the heck they're trying to go with the company since the new CEO is a buzzword machine. It has ceased being fun and they now say they're focused on bottom line profitability while still innovating against the latest buzzword hype cycle.

I probably should have left a year ago but I was still fighting some battles off the field. Most of those outside work battles are over and I'm now open to looking for a different job.

So yes, you should always be open to listening to new opportunities because you never know what could happen where you are currently working. But, you also have to balance that with being proficient at your current job and whatever you've got going on outside of work.

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Thanks for replying, I always love your perspective.

I don't like job switching, but I don't like getting laid off for the CEO's eff ups either. The company I was in, did a 10% layoff late last year and last week the C level gave themselves "performance based bonuses". Seriously? But that is the way it is.

Chipotlemonger said:

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AJ02 said:

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For those of you leaving earlier than 36 months at most jobs....how do you ever get vested in your 401k employer contributions? My last job was 5 years before vested (they later lowered it to 3 years). Current job is 3 years.

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May be industry-specific. My last few employers have all been immediately vesting. Granted the match % is different. I can't recall exactly, but believe my first job out of school was a higher match %, like 6 or so, but only fully vested after a year. Lately I've gotten 4% match (min 5% contribution) but it has all been fully vested. So the match % and vesting schedule may be related to one another. What is your match?

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Current job (O&G), my employer contributes 5% regardless. Then they'll match another 4% on top of that. Until I hit year 3, I'm not vested in any of their contributions.

Previous employer (medical devices) put in 2.5% and then would match another 4% (I think....it's fuzzy for me now). Also with them, I wasn't vested in their contributions until year 3. Originally it was 5 years, but they shortened it to 3 years a couple of years after I started. Thankfully. Because I couldn't take it anymore and left right after my 4 year anniversary.

OP is 100% right. The old saying, "It's just business" applies both ways. There might have been a time 30-60 years ago when most companies would stand by you. They just can't do that in today's climate and haven't been that way for a long time. I blame no one. But I say watch your 6 as **** does happen and you need to be ready. Always worth kicking a few tires, especially if they are calling. This isn't a marriage. It's a job...

Im like you OP. I was at the same company, over about 5 different roles, for 14 years. I got laid off Feb 2023.

I literally had no linked in. I had an account singed up for in 2010 i think, when I kind of started my career, but it had my name, no picture, and my first role and I had never logged back in for the next 13 years. THAT will never happen again.

I agree with you, I was only looking for roles internal to where I was because I was generally happy with the company. I will always have Open To Work on there and be updating my resume/linkedin profile quarterly just to see what's not going on, and depending on the climate may peruse other opportunities from time to time just to see what's out there.

Capitol Ag said:

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OP is 100% right. The old saying, "It's just business" applies both ways. There might have been a time 30-60 years ago when most companies would stand by you. They just can't do that in today's climate and haven't been that way for a long time. I blame no one. But I say watch your 6 as **** does happen and you need to be ready. Always worth kicking a few tires, especially if they are calling. This isn't a marriage. It's a job...

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I just interviewed for a job on Wednesday. With the Hiring Manager who is a VP. It went well and he said he will have me talk to others in the team, and then at the end, I asked if he was the hiring manager (I was not aware at that point). He said yes, and that if I didn't like his "dry humor" then it may not work out and he didn't want me joining and leaving "after we put our heart and soul into you". He said it in a nice way of course and we had a good conversation about the role and company.

Now I thought if I end up there, I am taking a big pay-cut from my most recent 2023 job. I was overqualified for that 2023 job in the first place as I have not been able to advance over the last 10 years as there are hardly any higher level jobs in my city and I stupidly did not move. So this job is better than no job, but I don't expect to stick around and make 2% increments every year. I will keep looking almost immediately as an advancement to me represents a Director level job. Many of my former batchmates are at VP etc and a few at C level but I don't have that kind of destiny I guess.

But who knows what the future holds? In a couple of years I will be an empty nester and nothing holds me back, I can take all the risks I need to. Financially I am very secure and that took decades of struggle and sacrifice. Time to use all that.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im like you OP. I was at the same company, over about 5 different roles, for 14 years. I got laid off Feb 2023.

I literally had no linked in. I had an account singed up for in 2010 i think, when I kind of started my career, but it had my name, no picture, and my first role and I had never logged back in for the next 13 years. THAT will never happen again.

I agree with you, I was only looking for roles internal to where I was because I was generally happy with the company. I will always have Open To Work on there and be updating my resume/linkedin profile quarterly just to see what's not going on, and depending on the climate may peruse other opportunities from time to time just to see what's out there.

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I am happy to see the responses to this thread, as this is more of a "strategy" kind of discussion. I have a long work history but I cannot believe how stupid I was to assume that I would be safe. My boss loved me, my coworkers and I got along really well, no negativity, no toxicity in the teams I worked in, nothing could be better. I had transformed my team into a "messy" one into a sharp efficient one. And working on futuristic AI projects that had the attention of the C level. The company just last week made announcements of the AI projects that I started and managed. Made me go "wtf".

Sheet happens.


Lessons I learned.

1. Always keep the resume fully ready to go. You don't want to get laid off and then have to work on this in a bad state of mind. I recommend you pick the first Saturday of each month to do a quick review and update. Should not take more than 10 minutes.

2. Do not take a long term approach for your job. You don't own the company, so why should you care? Obviously you don't tell anyone this. Everything you do should potentially be a line item on your resume. If you cannot use it to sell yourself, don't propose it and try to get out of it. Only work on projects that look good on your resume and you can sell yourself with.

3. Keep your LinkedIn always in an "Open for Work" mode but without the green thing so that people don't know you are available but recruiters do. If you get called for a higher position, go for it. If you get the job, weigh the pros and cons and if everything checks out, make the jump. You don't own anyone anything. You will get calls when companies are in high growth mode. It is also easier to get a job. When the downturn comes and you get laid off, all you can do is get a lateral role or a downgrade. In my previous company I was Sr Manager. I got a call for a VP job at a startup. I ignored it. Dumb dumb. Never do this.

4. When you join a company, create annual goals. "By the end of xxxx year, I should be promoted or be close to one". Do not just meander along. If you are not close to the goal, start looking and GTFO when something good comes up.


If this sounds cynical, I will say that it is realistic in today's corporate scenario. I wish I had done this 10-15 years ago.

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If this sounds cynical, I will say that it is realistic in today's corporate scenario. I wish I had done this 10-15 years ago.

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Not cynical at all. Smart!

Capitol Ag said:

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Quote:

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If this sounds cynical, I will say that it is realistic in today's corporate scenario. I wish I had done this 10-15 years ago.

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Not cynical at all. Smart!

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Wish I knew this when I started my career decades ago. I was too idealistic back then.

I believe you should consider another half to your strategic career plan.
While in linkedIn
-perform a search on a key topic of interest to you (search box upper left corner of the page)
-click the See All Results option at the bottom of the drop down list of search results.
-This will place you in the LinkedIn world supporting that topic.
-One link will identify interest Groups related to your area of interest.
-Join a couple of those groups.
-Their content will feed your Home Page. Use that content to run an ongoing SWOT analysis of your industry. Monitor those Groups. Where are you strong? where are you behind? What disruptors are being discussed?
I think it's reasonable to give up an hour of tv/entertainment each week to invest in your future.

Been at the current gig for over 10 years, but hired on 1 level higher than initial posting due to experience, and got a 2nd promotion a year in, but nothing since. No indication anything will change in that regard.

Headhunter hit me up the other day about a random gig, so we chatted. Sounded like a good fit so gave him my resume. VP of the group contacted me the next day and I just had an interview with him and the CTO which went well. Talking to another VP tomorrow. All indications point towards flying me out soon to see if they like me and if I like them.

TL;DR version. Always make time to feel out opportunities, even if you aren't actively looking. Getting comfortable is the worst thing to do unless you are a few years out from retirement.