Head Games
Work always confuses me. It's not the technical stuff. I know some people would be very confused at my job because it's very technical nitty gritty stuff. It's not administria or journalism or even banking. It's hard core engineering and really boring mind numbing stuff if you don't like it. What really confuses me at work are the people. Today was especially interesting and I'll tell you why:
Yesterday I was in my bosses office to talk about something and he asked me if I wanted to basically take over a supervisor's position when she goes on materity leave. Ummm... wasn't I the one that turned down a position to supervise Admin positions? Why would I want to supervise production employees. Isn't that like a step down from the Admin?
Then today, the VP of Sales called me up and started to prep me. Saying, relax, drink some coffee, kick up your feet, get into a happy place (are we doing some type of group therapy session here or what?), now I want you to think out of the box (I can feel it coming) I'm just throwing out some ideas here (wait for it wait for it) I was thinking about this for a while and I don't know how exactly it's going to work (okay this is starting to get annoying just ask me already....) Do you wanna do the SW Sales?
Um... NO! Jesus Christ how many times do I have to tell you that Sales is not for me. That dealing with customer is not for me. I know I'm good at it. That's because I'm a professional, not because I like it. Professionals don't get annoyed with people because they are being dumb and are taking up a lot of my time. They stay calm and cool and act like the person they are talking to is the most important thing in their life at that moment. They flatter, and try to help them. They don't show what they are feeling -- because they are an adult and a professional.
I know we talked about this earlier -- but I thought that you might be interested in doing something like this. "Well ... I don't think Sales is really what I want to do." This gets ignored and I get something like think about it you could move somewhere with great weather Arizona (do they know about my interview?), Colorado, you don't have to move to California (phew! probably not...)
Clearly a big fat NO is not working here. Okay -- I'll think about it over the weekend. I know you're having a hard time figuring out this whole sales staffing thing.... lallala quit talking to me I don't want to do sales.
So WTF is this? I tell them a couple weeks ago that I want to work on the design engineering stuff and I get offers to do everything but? So I get a little fired up -- almost just go in and ask "Why am I being considered for everything but an engineering position for which I've actually expressed interest, because I definately have not expressed interest in anything that is being offered." But figure, you know what, it's their perogative, and even if I ask it's not going to change anything. All it has potential to do is leave a bitter taste in their mouth when I do leave. So, I'll just leave it. Whatever, not my problem.
Go and call the travel agency scheduling my interview and hotel --- do all that. Call another place that wants to do a phone interivew for a product engineering position -- I can't remember if the position is in AZ or CT... whatever, lady doesn't answer. Go back to talk to someone.
Find out that we got yelled at for going to lunch together. Apparently we can't go eat together. We can't go get coffee together. We aren't allowed to date (remember those guys that Mom always said you can't date - and that just drew you closer together -- yeah that's definitely where I'm at.)
At litterally 5:02pm we get called into our bosses office to discuss someone staying until 6pm everyday because the Bitches are Bitching again. I turn the dicussion into -- the real reason they are bitching about everything is they were promised more help 9 months ago and haven't seen it yet, they are really stressed out right now, and really legitamately are starting to need help. So, let's try this for a week or two and see what really happens - if it is actually necessary to have someone answer calls after 5pm.
I get asked to stay a little longer to go over some work and answer some questions about a quote. Lalala finish that. My boss turns to me point blank and asks "Do you want to be in Sales." "No." Well you said you want to travel ... but I didn't say I want to put up with customer bullshit all the time either. Travel is all good if you don't have to babysit people. I'm annoyed enough with having to deal with customers why would I want to do it more?" Discuss more and more what do I want to do... ummm... Engineering... you know that four year degree I got.... yeah I'd like to do some of that. He comes to the conclusion "well I guess we'll have to find an engineering position."
I don't really know what to think about it. Because knowing them, the CEO will not view me as that, and it will be a huge uphill battle -- that i'm not sure that my boss is willing to take on for me. The reality is I would really have to think hard if they offered me a true engineering position. IT would really get me to where I want to me -- and after a year I could go into either Marketing, Sales, or Engineering. The problem with looking for an engineering position right now is that I don't have any experience and it would take a huge leap of faith on the part of another company to get a position in it. Marketing and Sales are not much of a stretch from my current position -- which is mainly the positions that I have been interviewing for -- technical marketing. It's really a critical point in my career where if I go into Sales or Marketing there's not really any turning back. (And no VP of Sales -- A Sales position now would not round me out as an engineer -- no one in their right mind would consider me for an engineering position after a couple of years in Sales.) An engineering position would be a hard thing to turn down...
It's really all a head game though. Because they mention stuff like this -- and nothing every comes of it. It's all empty promises and false hopes that they put in your head. It's ridiculous. If they think I'm young and naivee still -- they are just fooling themselves. I'm not going to stop looking for something else until I know my full options. I will not survive on false hope and empty promises. I've tried to eat that manna in the past -- and it's never been nutritious.
Yesterday I was in my bosses office to talk about something and he asked me if I wanted to basically take over a supervisor's position when she goes on materity leave. Ummm... wasn't I the one that turned down a position to supervise Admin positions? Why would I want to supervise production employees. Isn't that like a step down from the Admin?
Then today, the VP of Sales called me up and started to prep me. Saying, relax, drink some coffee, kick up your feet, get into a happy place (are we doing some type of group therapy session here or what?), now I want you to think out of the box (I can feel it coming) I'm just throwing out some ideas here (wait for it wait for it) I was thinking about this for a while and I don't know how exactly it's going to work (okay this is starting to get annoying just ask me already....) Do you wanna do the SW Sales?
Um... NO! Jesus Christ how many times do I have to tell you that Sales is not for me. That dealing with customer is not for me. I know I'm good at it. That's because I'm a professional, not because I like it. Professionals don't get annoyed with people because they are being dumb and are taking up a lot of my time. They stay calm and cool and act like the person they are talking to is the most important thing in their life at that moment. They flatter, and try to help them. They don't show what they are feeling -- because they are an adult and a professional.
I know we talked about this earlier -- but I thought that you might be interested in doing something like this. "Well ... I don't think Sales is really what I want to do." This gets ignored and I get something like think about it you could move somewhere with great weather Arizona (do they know about my interview?), Colorado, you don't have to move to California (phew! probably not...)
Clearly a big fat NO is not working here. Okay -- I'll think about it over the weekend. I know you're having a hard time figuring out this whole sales staffing thing.... lallala quit talking to me I don't want to do sales.
So WTF is this? I tell them a couple weeks ago that I want to work on the design engineering stuff and I get offers to do everything but? So I get a little fired up -- almost just go in and ask "Why am I being considered for everything but an engineering position for which I've actually expressed interest, because I definately have not expressed interest in anything that is being offered." But figure, you know what, it's their perogative, and even if I ask it's not going to change anything. All it has potential to do is leave a bitter taste in their mouth when I do leave. So, I'll just leave it. Whatever, not my problem.
Go and call the travel agency scheduling my interview and hotel --- do all that. Call another place that wants to do a phone interivew for a product engineering position -- I can't remember if the position is in AZ or CT... whatever, lady doesn't answer. Go back to talk to someone.
Find out that we got yelled at for going to lunch together. Apparently we can't go eat together. We can't go get coffee together. We aren't allowed to date (remember those guys that Mom always said you can't date - and that just drew you closer together -- yeah that's definitely where I'm at.)
At litterally 5:02pm we get called into our bosses office to discuss someone staying until 6pm everyday because the Bitches are Bitching again. I turn the dicussion into -- the real reason they are bitching about everything is they were promised more help 9 months ago and haven't seen it yet, they are really stressed out right now, and really legitamately are starting to need help. So, let's try this for a week or two and see what really happens - if it is actually necessary to have someone answer calls after 5pm.
I get asked to stay a little longer to go over some work and answer some questions about a quote. Lalala finish that. My boss turns to me point blank and asks "Do you want to be in Sales." "No." Well you said you want to travel ... but I didn't say I want to put up with customer bullshit all the time either. Travel is all good if you don't have to babysit people. I'm annoyed enough with having to deal with customers why would I want to do it more?" Discuss more and more what do I want to do... ummm... Engineering... you know that four year degree I got.... yeah I'd like to do some of that. He comes to the conclusion "well I guess we'll have to find an engineering position."
I don't really know what to think about it. Because knowing them, the CEO will not view me as that, and it will be a huge uphill battle -- that i'm not sure that my boss is willing to take on for me. The reality is I would really have to think hard if they offered me a true engineering position. IT would really get me to where I want to me -- and after a year I could go into either Marketing, Sales, or Engineering. The problem with looking for an engineering position right now is that I don't have any experience and it would take a huge leap of faith on the part of another company to get a position in it. Marketing and Sales are not much of a stretch from my current position -- which is mainly the positions that I have been interviewing for -- technical marketing. It's really a critical point in my career where if I go into Sales or Marketing there's not really any turning back. (And no VP of Sales -- A Sales position now would not round me out as an engineer -- no one in their right mind would consider me for an engineering position after a couple of years in Sales.) An engineering position would be a hard thing to turn down...
It's really all a head game though. Because they mention stuff like this -- and nothing every comes of it. It's all empty promises and false hopes that they put in your head. It's ridiculous. If they think I'm young and naivee still -- they are just fooling themselves. I'm not going to stop looking for something else until I know my full options. I will not survive on false hope and empty promises. I've tried to eat that manna in the past -- and it's never been nutritious.
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