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Advice needed - boyfriend has almost 3.5 years of finance experience at a bank. Interviewed for PwC valuation senior associate and now recruiter says they want to hire him at “experienced associate” because he has no valuation experience. Is this too big of a step backwards in career? Should he push back and see if it gets him anywhere? If he does accept Associate, is it reasonable to ask for written, definitive timeline (1 year?) for promo to Senior upon meeting standards? Help!
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Hi fishes! I volunteer with The Art of Good, a creative collective helping small businesses affected by the pandemic. They are seeking a little help from a media professional. Need an SEM POV for a small business looking to change their name and relaunch their brand. This is non-paid. More about giving back while in-between gigs. :) If you can help out or want to learn more, please reach out to me via LinkedIN. Thank you!! www.linkedin.com/in/karenkohn/
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Rising Star
Get out. The situation will not get better.
Never a better market for you to be stuck in this situation than now. Get applying.
I went from a big network shop to a small independent agency a few years ago. It kinda sucks. For some reason, the founders assumed that because I worked at such and such agency I was some genius who would give like brilliant Lion-worthy ideas on round 1 of every brief no matter how much work I had or how lame the brief was. A few months in when they realized I was good but not great, their disgust and contempt for me was evident. That’s on them for having unrealistic expectations, not on you
Wow I’m really sorry that happened to you! So many “lion worthy” ideas are contingent on so many things that are out of your control. I don’t know why they think they could even recognize a lion worthy idea on the first go around anyway. Sounds like a huge problem with them, not necessarily even your talent.
GTFO. This exact situation happened to me recently, and there was no recourse but to leave. No shame at all, you gotta look out for yourself.
Chief
Print out ALL the condescending emails and start keeping a record. Seriously. Odds are they’re inventing this crap to lay you off.
The recent “bonus” isn’t one. It’s a setup so there’s a paper trail to make them look good.
It’s to create a BS record to paint themselves in a positive light, saying that you were a great employee until you received a bonus. HR’s non-response is a big red flag and a sign of things to come. Sorry to say but Ive seen this before. And always at independent shops.
HR doesn’t isn’t there to protect employees. It’s there to protect the company, shareholders, and the C-suite. They know exactly what’s going on too.
I’m sorry this is happening to you. Take a breath though. We’re behind ya! Know that the job market is great right now so you’ll definitely land in your feet! Start hunting and get out of that abusive environment.
I just went through something very similar. Feel free to DM me, but def get out.
Thank you ALL for your responses. It’s been a weird and tough couple of days, but this forum is so valuable and feels like sincere support. I am moving as fast as I can to find something else. In the meantime it is like walking on eggshells everyday. With some pills and deep breathing I am making it through. I sincerely appreciate you all.
Chief
Go get ‘em!
Update: I was finally let go today. The toxicity of the last week and how my boss managed the situation was inconceivable. Karma will catch up with them. They might be a “gem” as a professional but as a human-pure rubbish.
Rising Star
Oof so sorry. Better stuff is ahead.
Start applying for new jobs now even if it’s freelance. When the stress of work seeps into your personal life, that’s when you know it’s not healthy and you deserve better. Work shouldn’t make you miserable
It's time to leave before things get any more toxic. If you want to join a more collaborative and uplifting independent agency, my inbox is open.
Chief
Re-read those emails. Could they be trying to document perceived poor performance? If so, you may be in trouble. Better to get out if so.
Chief
Good point!
If they are in an At-Will Employment state which they most likely are, the Employers do not need just cause to fire them.
I worked at a small agency too andpreviouslyonlyworked at thebignetwork agencies. I feel your pain. You deserve better.
You deserve better. Good riddance and all the best for your next opportunity!