[AWSAWS]

Day to day my job is fine. It's easy, can be fairly care free and the people I work with are nice.

The issue is I feel under utilized. From the knowledge and the skills I've built up I should be a senior product manager. This place started doing agile 2 years ago. It doesn't work very well here if I'm honest.

I was a product manager until my then manager had a falling out with me. He hasn't let it go in 2 years. Unfortunately this company was a small start up bought by a US firm. We were a team of about 9 which has now become something like 25 based in the UK. The person I fell out with has a relationship with the site manager like a brother. There are 2 other managers who keepin with the site manager because it pays to. A clique if you know what I mean.

I had to leave my role and move back to QA as my manager was giving me very negative feedback. Not based on performance. I could go into more detail but I better not.

This company is probably likely to IPO in a year or 2. I have share options and I'm not sure if I forfit these by leaving.

Unfortunately there are alot of people who make very poor decisions and lack technical ability. I'm forever putting myself forward but I get rejected as they don't want to upset the top group here.

I have dotnet skills. I'm not great at programming but I can read code and understand it. I know all the technical aspects but in order to write an application I'd have to keep looking up the syntax if that makes sense.

I've looked at selenium and spec flow. I can understand that too but couldn't write it myself. I'm very technically minded. It's so frustrating that I'm not involved in decision making or even asked for help on things just because I'm disliked by one key individual and his mates.

I could help so much but instead poor decisions get made again and again and the company's efficacy slides.

My annual salary is not bad but it's going to be difficult to get much higher. I think 5% raises are the max where before I had two rises of 30% when friends with the right people. They can do anything for people they like. The politics here just gets to me so much!

[Soul_Glo]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

Day to day my job is fine. It's easy, can be fairly care free and the people I work with are nice.

The issue is I feel under utilized. From the knowledge and the skills I've built up I should be a senior product manager. This place started doing agile 2 years ago. It doesn't work very well here if I'm honest.

I was a product manager until my then manager had a falling out with me. He hasn't let it go in 2 years. Unfortunately this company was a small start up bought by a US firm. We were a team of about 9 which has now become something like 25 based in the UK. The person I fell out with has a relationship with the site manager like a brother. There are 2 other managers who keepin with the site manager because it pays to. A clique if you know what I mean.

I had to leave my role and move back to QA as my manager was giving me very negative feedback. Not based on performance. I could go into more detail but I better not.

This company is probably likely to IPO in a year or 2. I have share options and I'm not sure if I forfit these by leaving.

Unfortunately there are alot of people who make very poor decisions and lack technical ability. I'm forever putting myself forward but I get rejected as they don't want to upset the top group here.

I have dotnet skills. I'm not great at programming but I can read code and understand it. I know all the technical aspects but in order to write an application I'd have to keep looking up the syntax if that makes sense.

I've looked at selenium and spec flow. I can understand that too but couldn't write it myself. I'm very technically minded. It's so frustrating that I'm not involved in decision making or even asked for help on things just because I'm disliked by one key individual and his mates.

I could help so much but instead poor decisions get made again and again and the company's efficacy slides.

My annual salary is not bad but it's going to be difficult to get much higher. I think 5% raises are the max where before I had two rises of 30% when friends with the right people. They can do anything for people they like. The politics here just gets to me so much!

This is slightly off topic but I am a CBT therapist by trade and I have just read a fantastic book on organisational psychology called: Secrets to Winning at Office Politics by Marie G McIntyre and having read your post I recommend it!!!

[Soul_Glo]

Rant for today. People who imagine a race. That's right. The imaginary start line to the traffic Grand Prix. What's up with that? I had a guy in his rust bucket Passat under cut me twice today in the same stretch of 200 yards. How I wish the po po were around. However, they set up a speed trap on my way back today. Hope he gets his. Should be done for his illegal tints for one. May be he just can't see other road users because he prefers the dark. May be he is a vampire. Ass hat!

[Craig242]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

I have dotnet skills. I'm not great at programming but I can read code and understand it. I know all the technical aspects but in order to write an application I'd have to keep looking up the syntax if that makes sense.

I've looked at selenium and spec flow. I can understand that too but couldn't write it myself. I'm very technically minded. It's so frustrating that I'm not involved in decision making or even asked for help on things just because I'm disliked by one key individual and his mates.

Same boat as me tbh with regards to reading code but would take a while to write due to syntax etc.

Doesn't sound like you would have any trouble going contracting. Financially its the best decision I have made in my career and I'm only 25, testing for 6 years.

Let me know if you want to know anything else

[djgandy]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

Day to day my job is fine. It's easy, can be fairly care free and the people I work with are nice.

The issue is I feel under utilized. From the knowledge and the skills I've built up I should be a senior product manager. This place started doing agile 2 years ago. It doesn't work very well here if I'm honest.

I was a product manager until my then manager had a falling out with me. He hasn't let it go in 2 years. Unfortunately this company was a small start up bought by a US firm. We were a team of about 9 which has now become something like 25 based in the UK. The person I fell out with has a relationship with the site manager like a brother. There are 2 other managers who keepin with the site manager because it pays to. A clique if you know what I mean.

I had to leave my role and move back to QA as my manager was giving me very negative feedback. Not based on performance. I could go into more detail but I better not.

This company is probably likely to IPO in a year or 2. I have share options and I'm not sure if I forfit these by leaving.

Unfortunately there are alot of people who make very poor decisions and lack technical ability. I'm forever putting myself forward but I get rejected as they don't want to upset the top group here.

I have dotnet skills. I'm not great at programming but I can read code and understand it. I know all the technical aspects but in order to write an application I'd have to keep looking up the syntax if that makes sense.

I've looked at selenium and spec flow. I can understand that too but couldn't write it myself. I'm very technically minded. It's so frustrating that I'm not involved in decision making or even asked for help on things just because I'm disliked by one key individual and his mates.

I could help so much but instead poor decisions get made again and again and the company's efficacy slides.

My annual salary is not bad but it's going to be difficult to get much higher. I think 5% raises are the max where before I had two rises of 30% when friends with the right people. They can do anything for people they like. The politics here just gets to me so much!

You're cosy. I was the same, everyone gets the same. My old company had the same old crap. Endless share awards and promises, but none of that can beat a fat base salary. 2 years on I'm earning a lot more guaranteed. No relying on shares, or bonuses, or what temperature it is on the Wednesday before the accounts are done. There is great money to be had in software/IT and loads of great companies out there. Don't be scared of a change, it will transform you. You'll become motivated and learn at a pace you've forgotten you could.

I'd not wait on an IPO either. The IPO market is dead. Money printing wasn't all it was cracked up to be and all that. Unless you have some obscene amount of share awards, I'd not hold out on for this reason alone. Check the taxation on them too. It's not uncommon to pay the employers NI. So £20,000 of shares becomes £10,000 once HMRC have taken their "fair" share. Waiting 2 years for £10k....You can earn that in your base easily elsewhere, and also have a job you like!

Loyalty to businesses does not pay. In my experience management are more likely to reward people they've only met in an interview than their own staff. They know all your flaws, but some guy they've never met? He could be the second coming of Christ.

I feel under utilized

This is the key problem. You are now better than your job and the company is not using you to your full ability. You'll struggle to change this without a move from what you've said so far. The best way to climb these days is to move around. My peer group is a great example of this. In general the people that are 5+ years in jobs earn FA and have lower job satisfaction. The ones that have had 2-3+ jobs (we're all nearly 30) earn more and enjoy what they do more.

[loknar]

+1 for feeling under utilized. The company doesn't need those skills.

I just never got callbacks for jobs that fit my profile. SQL DB Architect and .NET programmer. Used to be a project manager. Now working with poorly written classic ASP! No choice.. but I love their projects though. They could ask me to redesign their DB and migrate to .net but I see this happen maybe in 5-20 years.

In this economy asking for the perfect job seems like luxury.

[AWSAWS]

Originally Posted by Craig242

Same boat as me tbh with regards to reading code but would take a while to write due to syntax etc.

Doesn't sound like you would have any trouble going contracting. Financially its the best decision I have made in my career and I'm only 25, testing for 6 years.

Let me know if you want to know anything else

Thanks mate.

I'm quite liking the prospect of doing the graduate law diploma part time for 2 yrs and moving into something like a solicitors job after that if things are still not good.

[AWSAWS]

Originally Posted by djgandy

You're cosy. I was the same, everyone gets the same. My old company had the same old crap. Endless share awards and promises, but none of that can beat a fat base salary. 2 years on I'm earning a lot more guaranteed. No relying on shares, or bonuses, or what temperature it is on the Wednesday before the accounts are done. There is great money to be had in software/IT and loads of great companies out there. Don't be scared of a change, it will transform you. You'll become motivated and learn at a pace you've forgotten you could.

I'd not wait on an IPO either. The IPO market is dead. Money printing wasn't all it was cracked up to be and all that. Unless you have some obscene amount of share awards, I'd not hold out on for this reason alone. Check the taxation on them too. It's not uncommon to pay the employers NI. So £20,000 of shares becomes £10,000 once HMRC have taken their "fair" share. Waiting 2 years for £10k....You can earn that in your base easily elsewhere, and also have a job you like!

Loyalty to businesses does not pay. In my experience management are more likely to reward people they've only met in an interview than their own staff. They know all your flaws, but some guy they've never met? He could be the second coming of Christ.


This is the key problem. You are now better than your job and the company is not using you to your full ability. You'll struggle to change this without a move from what you've said so far. The best way to climb these days is to move around. My peer group is a great example of this. In general the people that are 5+ years in jobs earn FA and have lower job satisfaction. The ones that have had 2-3+ jobs (we're all nearly 30) earn more and enjoy what they do more.

Yes. I agree. I don't know how many options I have and tbh the buy price could end up being 5 or 10p under the sale price. With that and any tax on top I'm probably left with no more than a months wages. Other's will be getting enough to retire or buy a house outright.

Don't need this crap in my life. I have monthly bills to pay like anyone else so I have to weigh up my options.

One thing that really pains is knowing certian people are praised thanks to their rise on BS and their daily actions are actually hurting this company.

There are areas where we have made no progress in since the 3 yrs back I raised them.

The new #1 focus this quarter (efficacy) has been something I raised 1 yr ago. I was ignored.

I could go on and on.

[AWSAWS]

So get this. The guy who was hired and took on my old role, wants me to get the job. He's done some interviews of people from agencies and doesn't rate any of the candidates. He can't understand why I can't get the job. Looks like he'll be made to pick one though.

What are the laws on discrimination? If I can show I can clearly do the job but aren't being considered. Not on ability but on some people disliking me.

[djgandy]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

So get this. The guy who was hired and took on my old role, wants me to get the job. He's done some interviews of people from agencies and doesn't rate any of the candidates. He can't understand why I can't get the job. Looks like he'll be made to pick one though.

What are the laws on discrimination? If I can show I can clearly do the job but aren't being considered. Not on ability but on some people disliking me.

Hard to say as it's circumstantial and you'll need to show a decent argument that you are being held back for personal reasons. My advice to people when this happens is to keep a diary of things and seek legal advice.

You might end up going down the constructive dismissal route, arguing that they aren't giving you work for your capabilities and preventing you from promotion.

[djgandy]

Going back to shit parking.

Did my best to find a nice space at the airport, and parked pretty much on the lines. Left a huge space next to me.

Sadly this person with a articulated lorry couldn't find another space and performed this great piece of parking

They also left a pot of half eaten noodles on their seat. That's going to smell nice on return.

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by djgandy

Going back to shit parking.

Did my best to find a nice space at the airport, and parked pretty much on the lines. Left a huge space next to me.

Sadly this person with a articulated lorry couldn't find another space and performed this great piece of parking

They also left a pot of half eaten noodles on their seat. That's going to smell nice on return.

If I had a micra I wouldn't give a shit either! Hope they don't damage your car

on a side note - wow, loving the colour and looks like it's in good nick! Wish I had an M3 lol

[djgandy]

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

If I had a micra I wouldn't give a shit either! Hope they don't damage your car

on a side note - wow, loving the colour and looks like it's in good nick! Wish I had an M3 lol

Neither would I. But I wouldn't park in the way making it as difficult as possible for me to get out of my own car!

[AWSAWS]

Don't mean to be a d*** but I suspect it's a female driver who's not the best with judging spaces. They've not made it easy for themselves to get out.

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by djgandy

Neither would I. But I wouldn't park in the way making it as difficult as possible for me to get out of my own car!

I've seen a lot of people do this, it's usually those who make a quick trip to the supermarket for some bread and park like a maniac in the belief they'll only be 30 seconds in-n-out and it wont inconvenience anybody else.

I hope to own a forklift truck someday and drive around picking these cars up and throwing them inside some kind of giant car crusher.

[AWSAWS]

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

I've seen a lot of people do this, it's usually those who make a quick trip to the supermarket for some bread and park like a maniac in the belief they'll only be 30 seconds in-n-out and it wont inconvenience anybody else.

I hope to own a forklift truck someday and drive around picking these cars up and throwing them inside some kind of giant car crusher.

Quite funny you say that.
I've seen a video of I think it's a Jag being moved for crappy parking when it accidentally slips off fork lift and land on it's roof. So a bit of a joke turns into a real messed up situation.

So no need for a crusher in your case I guess

[AWSAWS]

ah, it was a Maserati

[loknar]

Originally Posted by djgandy

Going back to shit parking.

Did my best to find a nice space at the airport, and parked pretty much on the lines. Left a huge space next to me.

Sadly this person with a articulated lorry couldn't find another space and performed this great piece of parking

They also left a pot of half eaten noodles on their seat. That's going to smell nice on return.

Wtf is a micra ? It looks like a mutated animal in terrible pain, begging someone to end it's misery.

[AWSAWS]

Originally Posted by loknar

Wtf is a micra ? It looks like a mutated animal in terrible pain, begging someone to end it's misery.

You can say the same about many small and economical cars

It's pretty flippin aweful isn't it.

I always wondered who'd buy one of these and not question their sanity every time they saw it.



It's even more mutated than the Micra.

[Soul_Glo]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

You can say the same about many small and economical cars

It's pretty flippin aweful isn't it.

I always wondered who'd buy one of these and not question their sanity every time they saw it.



It's even more mutated than the Micra.

Yes that is ugly as hell. Beggars can't be choosers. Once I needed a lift and this was the only transport. It felt like a solid car on the inside and drove well but boy was it embarrassing to be in. If I could have a few cars removed off the roads I'd choose this, all Nissan Micras...

[Soul_Glo]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

Don't mean to be a d*** but I suspect it's a female driver who's not the best with judging spaces. They've not made it easy for themselves to get out.

If women are bad at parking it's because they are constantly lied to about what six inches looks like ?

[loknar]

Originally Posted by AWSAWS

You can say the same about many small and economical cars

It's pretty flippin aweful isn't it.

I always wondered who'd buy one of these and not question their sanity every time they saw it.



It's even more mutated than the Micra.

Wow. Thanks. Now I cannot UNSEE this...