"Conformity isn't one of your strong suits": I was just denied a promotion...

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WeSeeIt

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This was one of the reasons I was just given when I was denied a promotion and a pay bump that was potentially as large as 20k.

Along with the conformity reason. I was also told I wasn't professional enough, when several of them (it was a 5 person interview) showed up in blue jeans.

I had an interview and a presentation. It lasted over 100 minutes. The presentation came last, and they even recognized that my voice was strained after speaking about myself nonstop for over an hour. They said, 'do you need to grab some water'. Part of me feels as if they knew this would happen, and elected not to let me do the presentation first.

During the feedback, they pointed out that they worried that I wouldn't just carry out orders when given if I disagreed with them. And that they expected me to fight back or debate with them why certain things were being done.

I also had one interviewer who I felt didn't want me to have the job regardless of how I performed, she snapped at me, 'Do you see this department as a stepping stone to get what you really want?' What kind of interview question is that?!?!?!

A couple of the other people in the room looked at her like :what:.

My current manager has a notorious reputation for blocking the progress of those under her, so I'm worried I may have been a victim of it.

Now I'm thinking I need to find a new company to work for, but the benefits and vacation packages are amazing.
 
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Haha. I wouldn't exactly say confused. Upset. But not confused. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I'm not too proud to ask for help.
 
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WeSeeIt

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I definitely believe a job search is in order. I asked my boss about career path and employee development and she goes, 'Go ask X about it.' And I'm thinking to myself, 'You're the manager of over 30 people, why don't you have the answer to this? Why would you tell me to go ask someone else, when I'm the employee under you? And why are you not interested enough in having this information for yourself in case one of your other 29 employees asks you?'

Craziness.
 
Kid McNamara

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WeSeeIt said:
I definitely believe a job search is in order. I asked my boss about career path and employee development and she goes, 'Go ask X about it.' And I'm thinking to myself, 'You're the manager of over 30 people, why don't you have the answer to this? Why would you tell me to go ask someone else, when I'm the employee under you? And why are you not interested enough in having this information for yourself in case one of your other 29 employees asks you?'

Craziness.
Click to expand...

What industry do you work in? You are answering your own questions here. If she is your direct supervisor, she is unlikely to help you improve yourself. This puts her in a position of vulnerability, say you excel, her job is now on the line. You should be looking at making connections with folks who are at least two steps ahead of you in the career ladder. This does the following:

1. It allows you to find a mentor who is older than you and likely in the position you wish to be in the near future (if they are not, or they are negative, not worth your time).
2. A person two steps above you is unlikely to feel threatened by your drive, work ethic, or intellect. I focus on work ethic, if you're a hard worker with a bit of talent, others will want to mentor you.

You're showing your hand by asking your direct boss anything. Make moves, stop asking the wrong questions and stop addressing them to the wrong people. Furthermore, if your direct boss is unlikely to be promoted, save your best work for higher ups. Spend some time in your company directory looking at folks who are where you WANT TO BE in 10 or 15 years. Try and reach out to them and pick their brain with substantive questions. "What would you do in this situation," "How did you make the decision to..."

Finally, get to understand your industry and invest in yourself.
 
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