Downs and ups at work; or, Assertiveness pays off

[bironic]

A work thing I expected to stress me out in December is instead stressing me out now because I am slow and there wasn't enough time to finish before the holidays, plus I kept bouncing off it when I tried to work on it over the break. :/

Also my officemate L. quit before the break, on the heels of another member of our close-knit subgroup of coworkers in October. Even though L. had many reasons to leave and we'd been braced for her to do so for nearly a year, I like(d) her a lot and am really feeling her absence.

HOW EV ER, in the midst of feeling rotten about turnover and office politics and wondering if learning how to care less about my job would make things better, it occurred to me that a gap can be an opportunity, and I started to change my thinking to something more positive: presenting a case to my supervisor that I should be promoted, now that she doesn't need to worry about stepping on the more senior L.'s toes.

I gathered my arguments and was going to make them tomorrow, but the head of the office gave me the perfect opening first thing yesterday morning and I ended up pitching it right to her. And instead of grilling me on why I deserved a new title or telling me it couldn't be done because of budget or other priorities, she said it sounded like a good idea and asked me how we should tweak our office structure to accommodate the new role! My supervisor also voiced her support when I talked to her, and now the other managers are brainstorming about how best to use me, so to speak. Long story long, basically I'm being encouraged to design my own position. \o/

It remains unclear how long this might take, whether HR will approve a revised job description, and how closely that description might resemble what I want to do, but for now I'm super pleased by how readily my request was accepted. After three years and a few months on the job, it would be nice to show progress on my resumé.

(Now if I could just finish this #$%*! assignment.)

Comments

[yhlee]

Go you! And good luck on the assignment.

[bironic]

Thanks! It's a bit of cognitive dissonance, like - "You want them to promote you and you can't even get this one thing done?" But as usual, I'm meaner to myself than others are.

[serenadestrong]

Hooray! I hope things keep going in a good direction!

[thedeadparrot]

Yay! I'm glad that worked out. And hoping you figure out how to finish your assignment!

[sheafrotherdon]

Oh, that is awesome. Well done you on seizing that opening! I will keep all things crossed for you.

[cinco]

Hooray, this is so great! All my fingers and toes are crossed for you! <333

[marginaliana]

Woohoo! Congrats on going for what you wanted and on the success!

[jetpack_monkey]

\o/ Sweet!

[kass]

Go you!!!

[jjhunter]

*waves pom-poms of encouragement*

You are doing a thing I hope to emulate soon!

Well, not to much designing my own position as defining concisely for people besides my immediate supervisor exactly what my job is - I never got a written description and it's worth writing up to give my supervisor a way to communicate to HR / leadership why what I'm doing is already beyond whatever the level 1 entry level version of my particular unique job niche is. (Also, dammit, I figured out what the pithy appropriate job title should actually be a month in, and I really want that title or something like it officially on file instead of the not-at-all-my-job-also-entirely-different-team entry level placeholder.)

I'm so pleased for you, and I hope the version that (fingers crossed) gets approved matches what will make you satisfied to go to work every day (whatever would make it rewarding to get through even the #$%*! assignments).

[morgandawn]

good for taking the initiative!!

[celli]

Whee!

[topaz_eyes]

Way to go! \0/

[grammarwoman]

You rolled a critical hit on initiative - huzzah! :)

[stardreamer]

Congratulations! You definitely carpe'd that diem, so to speak. :-)

[roga]

YES! Go you, that is awesome and inspiring.

[bironic]

Me too! Thanks.

[bironic]

Thaaaaaaaaanks, <24 hours and it will be OVERRRRR

[bironic]

Thank you! Not too many things crossed, though, until you're on the mend. :)

[bironic]

Thank you! I wish I could offer you some of our open positions in the meanwhile. In fact I was just yesterday lamenting about your situation to a colleague.

[bironic]

Thank you!

[bironic]

Hoping things continue on that trajectory!

[bironic]

:D

[bironic]

Thanks! <3

[bironic]

Professor Keating would be proud, I guess. :) Thanks!

[bironic]

LOL, geek support is the best support. Thanks!

[bironic]

Thanks! I feel like I just got an encouragement sticker, which was, let's be honest, one of the best parts of being in school.

[bironic]

:D

And belated congrats to you as well on the employment front!

[bironic]

Thanks! It definitely feels better than waiting around for someone to (never) recognize our team members for doing well and handling a long rough spell.

*David Attenborough voice* Once every three to four years, the native bironic emerges from her burrow to take an ACTION.

[bironic]

You can do it! And yeah, if you can outline the entry-level position description and contrast it with the current position description (or a description that is a slight stretch, toward where you want to go), you should have a good case. Good luck!

[stultiloquentia]

Preparation! Execution! Victory! Gah, that is so cool.