Should I quit, or put up with it?

[SagaLore]

My scenario:

I work for a large accounting firm, my title is Network Engineer. I work with 7 other technicians in the IS Department. I do a lot of traveling between several offices I manage and get overly-reimbursed for it, I love my locations, I love the people I work for, I love the benefits, and the salary is decent. But I hate my department.

I started here about 10 months ago. It was pretty shaky in the beginning because my predecessor left everything in a mess, and people didn't trust the IS department or the technician that was assigned to them. It took me awhile but I've reached a point where I have fixed just about every problem, and everyone here loves me. But over the course of time my own department has outcasted me and my manager increasingly makes it difficult for me to maintain my sanity.

The reason this is occuring is because everyone else that is in the department orginated from the city where the headquarters is located - they have spent a lot of time with each other, all have similarly unusual personalities. It is more a "click" than anything. My background is different, I don't spend much time with these people other than over the phone or by email, and I don't see them often because I manage the western tier of offices in a more remote location. The department is split in half basically into two teams - we've got the Driver Expressive type who stay together, and the Driver Analytical who stay together. I am an analytical. My manager is part of the driver epxressive group, the group is usually quite unprofessional in their manner or humor. My manager however is professional and diplomatic, but he has this selective attitude that prevents the other group from bonding as a complete group effort. In other words, he plays favorites. It doesn't help that the majority of technicians aren't even 21 yet.

My dilemma:

Recently I was repremended for "lying", when I didn't lie, in fact I'm about the most honest person in this department. There was evidence that pointed to me tampering with an ASP file on our helpdesk server which is under construction. Somehow I managed to lockout the file, with no ill-will on my part or intrusion. But the only conclusion my manager could come up with considering that he was in a very bad mood at the time, was that I was getting into files I shouldn't have, and denying it when asked. The past 5 months have been torture, he's contanstly getting on my back about something, very hypocritically in most cases, and my dignity is getting shredded. But this most recent event he actually reported in my official file. After we had a private meeting, he decided that I didn't do any harm or was breaking into anything, and explained it was just a communication error on his part. But he's not going to retract the writeup.

What do I do?

1. I may have a very good job opportunity working at a utilities company, doing basically what I'm doing now, only the hours will be better, the pay will be better, the locations of offices are about the same, and I'll have the opportunity to do more programming which I can't do now at my current company. But I will have limited resources in receiving company paid training in MCSE, CCNA, etc.

2. Stick it out, and prove that I can succeed in a corporate environment regardless of personality clashes, earn everyone's respect and show that I really do know what I'm talking about - in hopes that I will get fair annual raises and bonues.

I really am fed up right now and deserve to work for a better boss, but I don't want to be a "quitter". I realize that much of this problem is due to my ego and pride. So I don't know where I should be drawing the line. My offices would hate to lose me, they won't benefit from me leaving. But I also don't want to stick around the next couple of years with no breathing room, just to be fired because my boss doesn't like me.

Anybody else in this situation? How did it work out?

 

[Hammer]

Talk to your HR department about it. They should be able to help resolve an disagreements between you and your manager. If I was accused of something like that (which I would never do) and I had some written into my record, and I would want it in the record that I did not do this and I was prepared to resign effective immediately. That should give your manager a wake up call, and if he persists I think you should resign and make sure its widely know why you resigned. If you well liked esp. by people at the same level or above you manager, he'll almost certainly reconsider. Point being, don't put up with it. If its in you record and you didn't protest, guilt is assumed.

 

[rahvin]

If you already have a job lined up walk. This is the real world, your own sanity is the only thing that matters. If things were tight for the company you would be gone, they have no loyalty to you so you should have no loyalty to them other than the paycheck and job satisfaction. One is gone, is the other worth it?

 

[DaveSimmons]

<< . If its in you record and you didn't protest, guilt is assumed. >>

and the longer you wait to deal with it, the more guilty you'll seem.

 

[Jimbo]

<< I really am fed up right now and deserve to work for a better boss, but I don't want to be a "quitter". I realize that much of this problem is due to my ego and pride. So I don't know where I should be drawing the line. My offices would hate to lose me, they won't benefit from me leaving. But I also don't want to stick around the next couple of years with no breathing room, just to be fired because my boss doesn't like me. >>


I would start looking and keep looking until I found a better deal. You have no future there unless your boss gets canned and YOU get his job. You can go to HR and express your views but I have never seen that make a difference other than your boss making your life more miserable. When the time does come to leave make sure EVERYBODY knows your reasons. Don?t try to be nice or cover up the real reason you are leaving. Start documenting your treatment and use it for your resignation letter and CC your boss?s boss to make sure the real story gets out. Just remember that your boss will demonize you and blame you for ALL problems after you leave.

 

[BuckleDownBen]

Give your notice and take your other job. Your exit interview will be the most enjoyable day of work you've had at this company. If you don't quit, your boss will find a way to make you leave the company on his terms (i.e, he'll find a way to fire you). Cetification is well and good, but it is not as important as feeling good about where you work. Also, you never know. Maybe the new work will pay for jalf of your training if you pick up the tab for the other half. Or they may pay for everything if they like you enough.

If your motivation for not quitting is that you've only been at the company 10 months, then you need to get caught up with the times. 10 months is about average for an IT job. If anyone asks, say you cleaned up all the problems at the accounting co, and you are looking for new challenges. Job-hopping is not a problem in the IT business. At my last work, there was a guy who had about 11 jobs in 8 years, and he had no problem getting work. Each place he was he picked up a new skillset, which made him more hireable.

 

[Jzero]

I'd find the door and not look back.
At the very least I'd fight back, but it would just cause more resentment and animosity.

 

[Stealth1024]

if someone doesn't trust you, don't trust them


I learned this the hard way...

 

[amdskip]

I would stay there until you found and secured a new job for sure. The technology job market is shakey and you would definately not want to be unemployed.

 

[Amused]

Burn it down, Milton.

And do it fast before they take your stapler and move your desk into the basement.

 

[Thegonagle]

Always quit. Work is for suckers, or at least that's what my cousin and I have figured out.



J/K

But seriously, life shouldn't be about going to a job that you hate. What is success in a corporate structure anyway? What do you really get from it?

Take the new opportunity, but make sure the people who are on your side know where to find you.

 

[db]

SagaLore, whether you leave or not does not matter, you still must do the same thing, and that is to accept that politics is a reality no matter where you go,and you must slightly adapt b/c of that. In the eyes of others, perception is reality. It is crucial that you make that slight but important distinction in everything you say and everything you do.

If you want to try an experiment, do this: Get pissed about your situation at work, but keep it to yourself. People who you don't like or who don't like you, totally change the way you deal with them. As if you were starting out new with them, just act pleasant and appropriate, keep it simple, say no more than necessary. Act like you have no concerns about them or anything else for that matter. No worries.
Same thing with your boss. Keep it simple. Be pleasant, convivial, but keep it short and to the point. Do not bring up unnecessary details. Do not go on tangents. If your boss never acts on certain issues brought to him, stop bringing them to him.
Back away and see that everything is, in fact, simple rather than complicated. Do NOT bring in unnecessary details or clutter your brain or anyone else's with anything unnecessary.
Keep everything at work simple, because it is. If you always go the extra mile, stop. That will drive people crazy because most co-workers hate it when someone goes the extra mile. Be good at what you do, but do not do anything extra.

In a week or two, you will notice something....YOU feel better, your job became simple instead of complicated, and people are totally baffled. Keep your secret. Relax, enjoy.

If it doesn't work out, go get the other job.

 

[Rickr]

Do a half-assed job. It's the American way!

Just kidding. Line up another job while you are still working, then make the move. Like someone above said, make sure you let the boss' boss know that your boss screwed you over.

 

[HappyPuppy]

If you have a better job offer take it, otherwise shut up and quit whining. Anything that is in your personnel file at your current job can never leave there. When applying for a job at a different company, your current employer cannot, and will not, divulge anything about you other than the fact that you have worked for them. For them to do anything else would leave them open for a lawsuit.

 

[irrigating]

Like others have said, stick with it, and plan on a future move. You'll want a good resume, everyone moves around a lot at first. The cool way to deal with a click, is to have an upbeat personality larger than life, and know your stuff. Don't step on toes and leave with that good resume. Although what HappyPuppy said is true, its a small world, everyone in that business knows everyone else, and word gets around.

Information Systems Auditing @ BDO Seidman is the only large firm I can think of that was doing that kinda stuff. A side business for them. But don't tell me

 

[gotsmack]

jump ship. Things rarely get better. and don't worry about anything, if they say anything bad about you that prevents you from getting a new job, you can sue for slander.