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Riffed by Dr. Geek
from an idea by Vitriol


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working for the Big 'O'

I work for Company O. You've probably heard of us. We're one of the biggest software companies in the world. We're everywhere. Development organizations in the United States, China, India, and Ireland. Sales offices everywhere else. We are competent technically, but also have marketing and legal departments composed of men and women destined for the ninth circle of Dante's Inferno for the sins they commit in the name of Company O.

We are not IBM or Microsoft, but, they know who we are. We are one of their biggest competitors in certain software markets, and they recognize the leading market share our core product holds. Like Microsoft, we have our own flamboyant middle-aged, but eternally adolescent CEO. Like IBM, we want to build the Internet, not control it. Like neither of them, I think we strike a good balance of between size, competence, and bravado.

Into Company O., introduce me. I came here about 2.5 years ago to take my first job out of graduate school. By reasonable accounts, I've done well. I've gotten bonuses whenever they've been offered, and stock options that might even be worth something some day. I enjoy the work, and, for the most part, I like the people.

Things have been feeling a little more uncertain around here lately though. My old supervisor got shifted around about six months back, and I've been reporting directly my department's manager ever since. I think he and I get along well, but I haven't been dealing with him directly enough to figure out what he thinks of my performance since my last review. I'd like to know more about where I stand.

I've also been looking around at the organizational chart for our department lately. Most of the people I work with have job titles that are either the next level above mine, or what I believe to be an equivalent for a different job track. This causes me some anxiety. Maybe it's a question of seniority, but, then again, I haven't had a promotion in terms of title for over a year. I got my first promotion in just over a year, and that was nearly 18 months ago.

So am I left with questions. Have I started to slack off and get a little lazy in my work? Or is it the nature of the work instead? Or maybe they want more from me before they move me up to the next level? I don't know.

On the plus side, I feel like I am taking on more autonomous responsibility. I was just invited to participate in an internal company forum. When the forum met, I was certainly one of the more junior people in the room -- most of the people there managed other people. It felt good to be there to represent myself, and what I was doing. I was just asked a couple weeks ago to prepare a report for a junior Vice President. While it took a couple days longer than expected to complete, it seemed to be generally well received by my boss and my old supervisor.

Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. I guess I'll just have to sit down with my boss sometime soon and check with him to see where things are at.

said drgeek on 2003-04-03 at 3:42 p.m.

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The Wayback Machine - To Infinity And Beyond

those first two estates - 2009-02-04 12:58 p.m.
nativity - 2009-02-03 9:28 p.m.
I am with Brahman - 2009-01-28 9:43 p.m.
angry - 2009-01-25 2:58 p.m.
i am - 2009-01-23 8:33 p.m.