Back in early 2016, I felt really stuck at my job and didn’t feel like I had anywhere else to go or any way to grow. At the time, it sucked because I wanted to stay at least at the job until I graduated with my MBA, however, all the signs pointed to me needing to leave ASAP or risk stagnating.
So, I made a game plan to interview for positions that would expand my skills and take on new challenges, I even was open to relocating to Chicago (I still very much want to move there). After a constant stream of interviews, I finally landed a job; I felt would be that next-level job.
When I first interviewed for this job, I was told the position would be as an onsite recruiter for a company where I would manage the temporary workforce and have a high degree of visibility to the company leaders. It all sounded good, and I leaped at the chance to make a change! I submitted my notice to my current job and in two weeks I started in my new position.
To say I was in for a rude awakening is putting it nicely.
First, the company changed the requirements of the position within days of me starting, I went from being a recruiter to being demoted to a recruiting coordinator. For those not in the industry, a recruiting coordinator is a fancy way of saying administrative assistant, doing tasks such as booking flights, hotels, and scheduling interviews. I wanted challenges and growth, not somebody else’s busy work. The reason, my company didn't actually signed the contract with the client company until AFTER I was hired and when they did, the company changed their requirements.
Second, the company itself was not what I signed up for. During the interview, the recruiter didn’t mention by name the company, only the location. While I won’t name the company here, I will say, the sheer level of arrogance the employees there possessed would make Kanye look like a humble saint! Never have I worked with co-workers who were so concerned about their job titles or their so-called rank, as if they were royalty or something. I was called out so many times for refusing to give in to their arrogance, but in the end, I just stopped caring.
Lastly, diversity, and this is a stickler for me. If you are a business located in or near a major diverse city like Milwaukee and Chicago, there isn’t one good reason why your workforce shouldn’t also reflect this diversity. And my company at the time (and still) have major issues with diversity hiring.
In the end, I left this job after only five months as did two of the people I referred, and two other people, all specific to this one client team. Why? We all stated the same grievances, from changing our job duties without talking to us first, not being transparent about the work, and dealing with the actual client was a pain, it was all too much. In fact, when I first started, they had me working with the woman whose job I was taking! They put me in an unbelievable situation, which was upsetting and uncomfortable for all involved.
Thank God I got out of there!
Here were my mistakes and how you can avoid them:
Take Your Time: Even if your current job sucks. Don’t be in a rush to leave. Create a game plan and stick with it.
Research: Leverage LinkedIn, Glassdoor, word of mouth, social media and local/national news to get an understanding of your company and industry.
Ask Questions: I should have asked a TON of questions before agreeing to leave my job. Asking those questions would have given me the answers I need to make a more informed decision.
Be Transparent: Don’t be shy about your wants and needs. This goes for pay, location and the type of work you want to be doing.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to walk away. If a job isn’t a fit, then it’s not a fit. I wish I would have done this!