Transitions
I’m not new to the blogosphere, but I am returning after a hiatus due to total and complete “blogging burnout.” This time, I plan to do things differently than my previous journey into blogging. You’ll see what I’m talking about in future posts. For now, bookmark me and spread the word if you read something interesting here.
Over the past two months, I have been making a transition from a very large Fortune 500 company to a very small company with less than 40 employees. I won’t mention either company’s name for obvious reasons, but I will say that both companies are in IT. I started my “career” after college in the Fortune 500 company, and while I remained there a number of years, it was never my intention to stay with them. I always despised the idea of working in the corporate grind and had goals of my own. In other words, I was not going to be somebody else’s employee for the rest of my life. I was going to make it doing my own thing, on my own terms. Unfortunately, those goals were pushed back because I let other things get in my way of fulfilling my dreams. Specifically, the Fortune 500 company I worked for was draining me emotionally, mentally, and even physically. Towards the end, I realized that the company and environment I was working for was not healthy for me.
The Fortune 500 company that I worked for, like many, was embroiled in a stock options backdating scandal. This, of course, had a rolling effect across the company as many people’s jobs were cut. The so-called “executive management” at the top were more concerned with how to protect themselves over the people that make the company a success. While much of the chaos at the top didn’t effect my business unit, we had our own problems to deal with.
The working environment of my business unit deteriorated to a point where many of the best workers left for greener pastures. To give you an idea, here is a broad overview of what went on:
- Total lack of accountability from the employee level all the way up to the management level
- A festering culture of “misinformation” and withholding knowledge to maintain job security for less than stellar workers
- Sub par (way below) salaries that were completely uncompetitive with other similar industries
- Abusive managers who were allowed to berate employees and other managers without any consequences
- A problem with too many “captains” trying to run the ship
There were many more problems than that, but I think those points hit a home run as to why I and other employees left my former employer. My main reasons for leaving concerned the working environment and compensation. I was fortunate enough to work for/with a great manager, but it wasn’t enough to keep me there. So, I decided to venture out and find a new job.
I purposely sought out a small company as my next employer. I had zero interest in working in a large corporate environment. I took my time and ended up getting employed by a wonderful employer. From time to time, I will share some of my experiences here as well as anything else going on in my life.