Can I save my job?

January 14, 2008 5:11 AM

I am 99% sure I will be out of a job this week...am I on the right track professionally? What next?

I have been working for a year and a half at a small technology company as a project manager. I was the first project manager and as such took on a lot of different hats at the company. Now they are saying they would like to let me go in order to hire someone new with more programming background...I have been working in technology project management for almost five years and have a great deal of experience managing projects throughout its lifecycle, managing QA, resources, etc. I'm not a programmer by any sense, but have never run into problems with lack of technical experience until now.

I have an opportunity, which may or not pan out, to "reapply" for my own job and show them that I can do a more formal project management job. The job previously was a hodgepodge of project management, administrative stuff, general office function. I know I can do a more formal job at this company and elsewhere. My question is, how can I try to convince them of this, and failing that, should I switch course if I don't have a programming background? What do I do next? Sorry if this post is a bit incoherent, but this really came out of the blue, just yesterday.

posted by sweetkid to work & money (13 comments total)

I'm not sure why your company would want to hire a project manager with more programming experience. Are they wanting their project manager to do coding as well? Are they assuming that someone with programming experience would do a better job of scheduling projects?

I would think that someone with your experience managing software projects would have no trouble finding a new job. And a lack of programming background isn't an impediment, in my opinion: coding and project management are completely different skill sets.

If you really want to work at this company, your best bet might be to take the layoff and then wait a bit. They may discover that your skills were more valuable to them than they originally thought. Then, you can negotiate a better job and compensation package for yourself.
posted by davetill at 5:43 AM on January 14, 2008

I don't think a lack of technology skills is what is behind their decision and if I were you, I'd stop focusing on that company and cast your net far and wide for a new opportunity somewhere else. If they just wanted more tech skills, they could send you to school or create an internship opportunity with a local school (and maybe you could try suggesting that), but since they just went to the replacement option I think the tech skills thing is a cover for something else. I'm sorry, I know it is a shock, but try and keep your wits about you and negotiate a good exit package and focus on new opportunities. Good luck.
posted by 45moore45 at 5:46 AM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite]

If they're talking about "letting you go", and suggesting you could "reapply", then I'd look elsewhere for a new job. For some reason, they're not generally content with you or your work, otherwise they'd be helping you to adapt to a slightly different role.
It'd be much easier to make changes and impress people with a fresh start, and I don't think I've ever known anyone to be happy and successful in a job after either they or their employers have threatened to end it.
posted by malevolent at 5:47 AM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite]

Don't reapply. "Lacking programming experience" sounds more like a lame-ass excuse to get rid of you. The real reason is probably a different one like you being a girl or some other really stupid thing they can't say outright.

If you have confidence in your skills as a PM you should continue in that field and you'll probably do well. As you don't want "hodgepodge" on your resume you should get your references straight with your boss. That might give you some clues as to what went wrong too.
posted by uandt at 5:50 AM on January 14, 2008

Let them let you go. Apply for NY state unemployment immediately. That will take the pressure off while you look for a better job.

I did admin assistant work/whatever for a few years and it (and me) were ALWAYS undervalued, until I left. Because, you know, girls do it, and it's just typing or something like that, and it can't be hard at all, right?

Be patient and look for a job that is what you really want at a company that you really like.

I think that your lack of programming experience is probably a bullshit excuse. I bet they want to hire the boss' nephew or some poor unpaid intern to do your job. If so, they suck.
posted by sondrialiac at 6:17 AM on January 14, 2008

Oh, and DON'T QUIT. That will make you ineligible for unemployment.
posted by sondrialiac at 6:17 AM on January 14, 2008

"...they are saying they would like to let me go in order to..."

You are persona non grata there anymore.

The only reason they would let you know that is they hope you will just quit, saving them increased unemployment premiums, and they can hire whoever they want. And I think they already have someone in mind.

Start looking for something new, dont quit unless you have something to go to, let them fire you.

And good luck!
posted by sandra_s at 7:11 AM on January 14, 2008

Thanks...is there a way I could have seen this coming in some way?
posted by sweetkid at 7:26 AM on January 14, 2008

Typically if they want you to reapply for your own job and have changed the job specifications they want one of two things:
1. Legal way to get rid of you and/or
2. Way to make someone lose their job and then reapply for it back at a lower salary (cost savings ploy - circuit city pulled this on all their sales associates at one point)

As mentioned above, don't quit. Reapply, but also cast your net far and wide and get something better.

Re: Is there a way I could have seen this coming in some way?
- Did you have a change in management?
- Has the development group changed at all?
- Is the company facing hard times?

If any of these are the case, you may need to learn to keep your ear to the ground better...
posted by zia at 7:43 AM on January 14, 2008

Email me; my company is in NYC and we are hiring technical project managers.
posted by bingo at 8:08 AM on January 14, 2008

bingo, I emailed you. Thank you so much.
posted by sweetkid at 8:23 AM on January 14, 2008

I Nth getting away from those folks. They're weird on multiple levels. They'd 'like' to let you go, and they're having a conversation with you about who they'd replace you with? And for project co-ordination they want someone MORE technical? If that was their real gripe and they had any sense (I cannot determine the accuracy of either of those things) they'd just send you to some training.

People with technical skills that you can point in a direction and supply with compilers, twinkies, and jolt are easy to find. Good communicators who can plan, co-ordinate, and manage time while understanding technology are hard to get. If their priorities are that whack you're better off without them.

I think rather than considering if you could have seen this coming - something that you cannot do anything about anyway at this point - you should consider whether you were growing your skills, contacts, and credentials. A perfect example for a project manager was whether you were in any way working towards a PMP certification, the sort of gold standard for project management. I doubt that would have been realistic given what I read between the lines about your employer, but step one is being aware of it and having some sort of goal and personal growth plans.

You should make it a personal project this week to sit down and update your resume with the accomplishments and tasks you undertook at this company in the last 18 months. Even if you decide to pursue re-applying for your job - and if you are, I'd ask them for a formal written job description of what they think this new position is going to be - you should have an up-to-date resume and be able to articulate what you've done there to a naive listener.
posted by phearlez at 8:24 AM on January 14, 2008

They're trying to make you quit so they don't have to deal with you getting unemployment or calling you a layoff.
posted by rhizome at 9:42 AM on January 14, 2008 [1 favorite]