Should I quit my job? or “Why the hell did you hire me?”
July 10, 2007 12:42 PM
The job that I was hired for doesn't exist. My boss doesn't seem to notice I have an issue with it. How do I confront him about this?
I was hired for a position in a new company that was starting up in April. It was to be a dream job - international travel, partner-level position, doing work that I love. I moved from China to the US for this. I accepted a pay almost half of what I could get elsewhere. I left my old position sooner than I would have liked and lost several vacation plans in order to start sooner. Then I discovered the position I came for no longer existed.
My boss never told me that the new position wasn’t going to happen. The new company was to be spun off from this one. After I came he said the old company would instead expand to include the role of the new company. Unfortunately, everything he’s asked of me has been within the scope of the old company. He has actually asked me to stop some of my proactive efforts towards the newer role. He will agree to the expansion until I actually start doing that work instead of the older. I have now accepted that my boss has no intention of starting up this new company, and I am stuck in his older company. A previous employee had just left this older company, and I have filled his place. (The companies were both going to be two-man operations. At the moment there is only myself and my boss in it.) There is nothing international about this job. I hate the work that I'm doing, and have had to relearn everything about it. I am not using any of my unique skills I brought from my previous job.
[Note: My boss is an infinitely nice guy, but avoids conflict at all costs. I have brought other issues to him that fall by the wayside, as he apparently doesn't want to change. I'm actually sad to disappoint him, even though I'm mad about my situation. He fully intended to start the new company when he hired me, I’m sure.]
So now the question: How do I confront my boss about this? I figure I have a few options --
1) “Give up”: Wait until I have a new job lined up, give 2 weeks notice.
2) “Hard Work”: Wait, and push harder for the role that I was hired for. My boss, through inertia, is obviously more dedicated to his older company. I have zero interest in the older company, and the new one would have been perfectly aligned with my skills and goals. My boss says that he would be willing to expand the scope of the original company, but he so far has shot down my efforts.
3) “Feel-Good Conflict”: Bring an ultimatum to him -- The job I came for does not exist. I would not have agreed to the one I've been doing. Hire another employee for the older company and start up the new company as planned or I walk.
I'm sure there are many variations on this. Does anyone have any experience with the above? Which method would lead to the best success rate? What other recommendations can you give to me?
Bonus question: How on earth do I present this in my resume? Is it normal to include “reasons for leaving”? Would this be okay in areas where 2-page resumes are the norm?
I have begun looking for other work, but I think it is now difficult to sell myself. I left my old job early, and am leaving this one just three months into it. I have suffered many sunk costs by moving, and will likely need to move again to find a job I like. I don't think new employers will look kindly at this.
I was hired for a position in a new company that was starting up in April. It was to be a dream job - international travel, partner-level position, doing work that I love. I moved from China to the US for this. I accepted a pay almost half of what I could get elsewhere. I left my old position sooner than I would have liked and lost several vacation plans in order to start sooner. Then I discovered the position I came for no longer existed.
My boss never told me that the new position wasn’t going to happen. The new company was to be spun off from this one. After I came he said the old company would instead expand to include the role of the new company. Unfortunately, everything he’s asked of me has been within the scope of the old company. He has actually asked me to stop some of my proactive efforts towards the newer role. He will agree to the expansion until I actually start doing that work instead of the older. I have now accepted that my boss has no intention of starting up this new company, and I am stuck in his older company. A previous employee had just left this older company, and I have filled his place. (The companies were both going to be two-man operations. At the moment there is only myself and my boss in it.) There is nothing international about this job. I hate the work that I'm doing, and have had to relearn everything about it. I am not using any of my unique skills I brought from my previous job.
[Note: My boss is an infinitely nice guy, but avoids conflict at all costs. I have brought other issues to him that fall by the wayside, as he apparently doesn't want to change. I'm actually sad to disappoint him, even though I'm mad about my situation. He fully intended to start the new company when he hired me, I’m sure.]
So now the question: How do I confront my boss about this? I figure I have a few options --
1) “Give up”: Wait until I have a new job lined up, give 2 weeks notice.
2) “Hard Work”: Wait, and push harder for the role that I was hired for. My boss, through inertia, is obviously more dedicated to his older company. I have zero interest in the older company, and the new one would have been perfectly aligned with my skills and goals. My boss says that he would be willing to expand the scope of the original company, but he so far has shot down my efforts.
3) “Feel-Good Conflict”: Bring an ultimatum to him -- The job I came for does not exist. I would not have agreed to the one I've been doing. Hire another employee for the older company and start up the new company as planned or I walk.
I'm sure there are many variations on this. Does anyone have any experience with the above? Which method would lead to the best success rate? What other recommendations can you give to me?
Bonus question: How on earth do I present this in my resume? Is it normal to include “reasons for leaving”? Would this be okay in areas where 2-page resumes are the norm?
I have begun looking for other work, but I think it is now difficult to sell myself. I left my old job early, and am leaving this one just three months into it. I have suffered many sunk costs by moving, and will likely need to move again to find a job I like. I don't think new employers will look kindly at this.
2 and 3 don't work. The company does not bend to your whims. It's important to set up your next job before leaving/getting fired. Job description/actuality mismatch is common reason for leaving right away, and also explains leaving your other position. Saying exactly that without getting into bad-mouthing details is what you need. If someone inquires sympathetically, you could mention the split-off/cancellation drama without trying to disparage the former employer.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:04 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:04 PM on July 10, 2007
#1. The guy is a flake. Move on and let him fail by himself.
posted by rhizome at 1:44 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by rhizome at 1:44 PM on July 10, 2007
This all depends on how senior you are in your career and how senior your role in the company was to be. It also depends on your ability to raise money.
If you are very senior and you were to be the new CEO of the new business, you could propose your boss that he continue paying you as you write the business plan and get the new business funded. There are probably a half dozen variations on this theme. If you are less senior than not so much.
posted by zia at 1:48 PM on July 10, 2007
If you are very senior and you were to be the new CEO of the new business, you could propose your boss that he continue paying you as you write the business plan and get the new business funded. There are probably a half dozen variations on this theme. If you are less senior than not so much.
posted by zia at 1:48 PM on July 10, 2007
You should leave as soon as possible. You cannot trust their promises and, even though you gave up a lot to join this company, you don't actually have enough invested there to make staying worth it.
posted by cotterpin at 1:59 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by cotterpin at 1:59 PM on July 10, 2007
Combination of #1 and #3. Look for a new job. When you get it, give two weeks notice and tell the boss "This isn't what I signed on for. If you can make it work for me in the next two weeks, I'll stay."
posted by solid-one-love at 2:17 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by solid-one-love at 2:17 PM on July 10, 2007
If this was a larger company, I would be giving you an answer slightly different than OMG QUIT RIGHT NOW.
It's just him? This is not a good situation. The only time when it is really good to be in a 2 person company is when you are 100% satisfied or have 50% of the control of the direction that the company is taking. Right now, you are maybe 50% happy or less, and have 0% of control over the direction of the company.
You need to give your notice.
On the bright side, I imagine that living in China over the next few months would have been hell with the Olympics around the corner.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:22 PM on July 10, 2007
It's just him? This is not a good situation. The only time when it is really good to be in a 2 person company is when you are 100% satisfied or have 50% of the control of the direction that the company is taking. Right now, you are maybe 50% happy or less, and have 0% of control over the direction of the company.
You need to give your notice.
On the bright side, I imagine that living in China over the next few months would have been hell with the Olympics around the corner.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:22 PM on July 10, 2007
If you're willing to compromise a bit, I'd go with a variation on #3.
"The job I came for does not exist. I would not have agreed to the one I've been doing. I have outlined a list of activities/responsibilities that I would like to be engaged in to try and make this job more worthwhile for me."
Give him the opportunity to make it work. Lead him in a constructive direction. Outline a timeframe in which you would like to see the changes occur. If he agrees, but then doesn't hold up his end of the bargain by helping you develop the role into something more rewarding, then leave.
However, if he refuses to address your request at all or won't agree to go along with the timeframe you present, get out immediately.
posted by clpage at 2:27 PM on July 10, 2007
"The job I came for does not exist. I would not have agreed to the one I've been doing. I have outlined a list of activities/responsibilities that I would like to be engaged in to try and make this job more worthwhile for me."
Give him the opportunity to make it work. Lead him in a constructive direction. Outline a timeframe in which you would like to see the changes occur. If he agrees, but then doesn't hold up his end of the bargain by helping you develop the role into something more rewarding, then leave.
However, if he refuses to address your request at all or won't agree to go along with the timeframe you present, get out immediately.
posted by clpage at 2:27 PM on July 10, 2007
Sounds like he made a bunch of shit up just to get you in the door. You will never do the work you thought you were being hired to do. Honest. I've seen employers do this to others.
Get out.
Now.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:32 PM on July 10, 2007
Get out.
Now.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:32 PM on July 10, 2007
Another vote for 1 and 3, but honestly it just sounds like the job isn't there anymore. What can you do? I'm sorry, this situation blows.
posted by xammerboy at 3:04 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by xammerboy at 3:04 PM on July 10, 2007
Start looking for a new job.
You don't tell your boss what to do. If you do, then you should not have called him the boss. If he is actually the boss, he gets to choose what to tell you to do. If you don't like this, you can walk. Have a chat with him about it, sure; but have your walking papers (i.e. a new job) lined up first.
For what it's worth, I would not assume 'disorganization' or that your boss is 'nice'. He lured you with false promises to move overseas and take a serious pay cut. How is that "nice" of him exactly?
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:41 PM on July 10, 2007
You don't tell your boss what to do. If you do, then you should not have called him the boss. If he is actually the boss, he gets to choose what to tell you to do. If you don't like this, you can walk. Have a chat with him about it, sure; but have your walking papers (i.e. a new job) lined up first.
For what it's worth, I would not assume 'disorganization' or that your boss is 'nice'. He lured you with false promises to move overseas and take a serious pay cut. How is that "nice" of him exactly?
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:41 PM on July 10, 2007
Are you in California? You might want to take a look at Labor Code 970.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 5:59 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 5:59 PM on July 10, 2007
Thanks for all the advice. I think I will do the 1-3 combo, and give my boss one final chance to bring everything together as planned once I'm getting new offers. I would have been doing most of the work for the new company, anyhow. I just don't have the seniority to raise funding for it alone.
Finding another job could take a while. And I'll need the income in the meantime.
I am in California, so it's good to know I can consider a civil suit if it gets nasty.
posted by FuManchu at 10:21 PM on July 10, 2007
Finding another job could take a while. And I'll need the income in the meantime.
I am in California, so it's good to know I can consider a civil suit if it gets nasty.
posted by FuManchu at 10:21 PM on July 10, 2007
Sorry to hear about the lead on.
If you don't have a written, signed job description, your lawsuit option may be a hard fought "he said, she said" battle. also,
Did you get flown over for the interview¿
Was it a face to face interview¿
Whom was present at the interview¿
Did they fund your trip¿
These are some questions to ask yourself before venturing into lawsuit territory, but I firmly believe it is your right to sue them for falsely representing a job position, inconvenience and being responsible for retarding progress of your chosen career, forcing you to not continue "the position", not as advertised.
Hit them in the wallet. If you have the time and money. And the signed contract outlining the job description and your role.
Three months is just enough time to make a move. There may be a statute of limitation regarding time in present employ before filing a lawsuit. Get some legal aid information regarding this matter.
IANAL.
posted by alicesshoe at 11:11 PM on July 10, 2007
If you don't have a written, signed job description, your lawsuit option may be a hard fought "he said, she said" battle. also,
Did you get flown over for the interview¿
Was it a face to face interview¿
Whom was present at the interview¿
Did they fund your trip¿
These are some questions to ask yourself before venturing into lawsuit territory, but I firmly believe it is your right to sue them for falsely representing a job position, inconvenience and being responsible for retarding progress of your chosen career, forcing you to not continue "the position", not as advertised.
Hit them in the wallet. If you have the time and money. And the signed contract outlining the job description and your role.
Three months is just enough time to make a move. There may be a statute of limitation regarding time in present employ before filing a lawsuit. Get some legal aid information regarding this matter.
IANAL.
posted by alicesshoe at 11:11 PM on July 10, 2007
FuManchu if you want to talk about options for making a go of the business, my emails in the profile. I've raised money and started businesses.
posted by zia at 11:29 PM on July 10, 2007
posted by zia at 11:29 PM on July 10, 2007
Fraudulent inducement for employment is so serious in California that it carries triple damages.
posted by Tacodog at 12:50 AM on July 11, 2007
posted by Tacodog at 12:50 AM on July 11, 2007
"Trying to hold on in hopes things will get better is probably not wise."
This is probably the single best piece of advise about work situations that I've ever seen. It certainly matches my experience.
posted by nthdegx at 1:40 AM on July 11, 2007
This is probably the single best piece of advise about work situations that I've ever seen. It certainly matches my experience.
posted by nthdegx at 1:40 AM on July 11, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
However, "The job I was hired for didn't exist when I showed up" is a legitimate reason to leave. I wouldn't hold it against a job applicant.
I think you should start looking for something else. If things get better before you find another job, then it's gravy. If not, find yourself something better, give your notice, and leave.
Trying to hold on in hopes things will get better is probably not wise. This is much more likely to be a harbinger of things to come.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 12:53 PM on July 10, 2007