Tough Decisions Ahead

I’m not sure how closely the construction management position relates to what you do with your current job, but it sounds to me like it will be a completely new position with different responsibilities.

When you went to college you went to become a bachelor in your field. The presumption is that you did so with the intention of becoming a “master” and so on in that particular field. If you leave it and want to get back into it in 5 years a lot of things are going to change and you have been away for 5 years. That could mean that you will re-enter the field 5 years behind on pay and the like as well.

That’s one thing I’ve learned through my career. As a new accountant fresh out of college I had to choose what route to go (tax, managerial, auditing, etc.) and would start out at basically the same entry level pay whichever I chose. I chose to be an auditor. 10 years in to auditing, I now can’t go be a managerial accountant and get paid for that 10 years experience and rightfully so. I don’t have 10 years of managerial accounting experience, I have the same as an entry level college student. If you leave the field for 5 years and come back you will be at the same level of experience as you are now, except the changes in the field will have passed you by and you’ll have to learn those too.

 

Get all the facts about the new opportunity and for your existing job and make a informed decision that meets your needs and goals.

 

Also, keep in mind. That while you get your chops in this field and move forward, think about all your skills and how they can help move thru life. Making money one way is just that, one way.

Being able to allocate your skills and time, will take you into another place. Like owning you own business (whole different thread)

DKurtz42 was tapping into this...
Knowing all your skills is powerful, marketing those skills and finding the demographic that needs those skills is huge.
Don’t ever feel like you owe someone because you work with them. This gets back to creating opportunity for oneself.

 

When I was younger it was only about $$$. Didn’t care what I did. Didn’t really think about what I wanted to do. Just wanted that $$$. Misguided youth. When my kids are working age, I will do everything I can to make them only take jobs they enjoy.

 

So basically Civil Engineering degrees in the state of GA qualify a person to be either a Registered Land Surveyor (with the extra 2 classes I took), a Professional Engineer, or a Construction Manager. I handle all I can construction wise from a surveyors standpoint, so I feel like it is something I may would enjoy doing.

 

Take it, just try and not burn any bridges with your current employer when you leave.

 

Where are the pics!!! Think I have been on TW all day.
Good group of people on here, makes me feel better about the world we live in.
Signing off.

 

Hi Ben, I haven't posted in a couple years but I feel for you and can't pass off your dilemma. Before making any judgment. I see a few unanswered questions about your situation.

1. What do you think is the reason your boss won't give you the opportunities to move up? Is it anything other than lack of backfill for you? Hard for us to understand without knowing the other roles.

2. Can you go into more detail on how the company is modeled around you as you said, and why? And why is it this way if you are "lowest" in your office?

3. Why is there a chance that the company would go under if you were to leave? Granted it is small, this seems to indicate a fundamental flaw in the business. Is it being squeezed out of the market, or maybe running inefficiently somehow?

4. Put yourself in your bosses position. Why is the company the way it is, why won't he do the type of work you suggest, and what would you do if your employee got a better offer and needed to take it? How could he leave in a way that would be desirable for you?

Your struggle is respectable, but like others have said, you can't hold yourself back. Your boss's hands may be tied but ultimately the companies fate isn't your responsibility, especially if you've made your requests and suggestions clear.

Lastly, if the company really would go under without you, it isn't fair to keep you in a low position longer than is reasonable. If that's the case, there is an imbalance and this situation is inevitable. I think you could leave with a clean conscience if you found a way to help the company thrive by training someone up or arrange for your coworkers to shoulder your load equally. If you're really concerned about it going under, maybe you can identify why it is imbalanced and suggest some major changes to your boss. Good luck in your decision and sorry for the lengthy post.

 

My last 2 cents. When opportunity arises, be ready to strike. Some people I’ve known have gotten chance after chance. Others passed on an opportunity and it never came back to them. You’re wise to think it through but there is someone else ready to pounce if you pass.

 

This is my plan

This is another reason I feel like I am spinning my wheels. I dont get to try my FULL potential where I am at(can elaborate more if needed),but also I am not 100% sure where my skills are best used yet in life. I really want to find out so i can be successful in life.

This is something I wish someone told my mom years ago as now I am here trying to decide what I need to do with my life and I have limited time to figure it out.

So I take it be short and to the point, but is there anything i should specifically say to soften the blow so to speak for them?

 

Finally, what would your boss do if he were you? If he is like a second father to you, he should also sesee what is best for you and I doubt he would be very upset if you left cleanly and professionally.

 

I see, so it sounds like there will be transferable skills either way. Also, managerial positions can be forgiving in many ways when it comes to technical knowledge, so you can still probably make a smooth transition back later on.

It sounds like you are ready for a change, so no harm in trying it. You’re young in the career and now would be the time to experiment with other jobs. I couldn’t change if I wanted to, so there’s a negative side to staying with the same thing as well.

Don’t lose sleep over the current company, you’ve done well by them. You can always do some informal advising for them if it makes you feel better.

 

Not really. Its going to go one of 2 ways. Understanding and respect or angry and butthurt. Just be professional

 

1. I work more hours than he does, and he doesn't seem to want to chase down the workload i desire. I understamd I cannot fully complete the drawings (they are a few aspects that finish a drawing that they have yet to show me), but I am willing to work 50+ hours a week for the pay. I understand my Boss and the #2 guy have families at home, but all I have is a gf who is on board with me working as much as I need to. They simply just don't want to work as much as I do and this is one thing that actually irritates me about the company. They want to work less than 40 hrs a week while I'm all on board with 50+ a week. (The guys below me want more work as well). It also feels like since they dont want to work the hours that they don't teach me all I need to know either.
2. The guy above me is his relative, but is no expert to the type of work I specialize in. All of a sudden we are getting types of jobs I suggested before and we didnt do them before I came here. They also depend on me to make the construction jobs complete correct and profitable. My boss basically said I'm only taking the jobs because I wanted to do them.
3. They have always had problems hiring people, I think it is because they don't truly try to.
4. If ask him to try to give me contacts of anyone who could do my job before he left if I was him, and is be ok with it that way.

 

this is another thought I have had.

 

Doesn't matter, the unemployment rate is at a all time low. It's hard for everyone to find the employee they want. That's why it's a good time to ask for a raise.

 

This is the feeling i get based on all the advice ive been hearing.

a simple truth that I didnt think of

 

What's funny is, I just got a raise a month ago... But 19/hr with a C.E. degree and 4 years experience doesn't cut it.

 

Nobody is more responsible for your life than you are. You and yours are priority #1. Be straight up with your current employer, give them a chance to to counter and if you choose to move on, make sure they know it’s is purely a business decision for your future. Don’t burn the bridge. Offer a longer transition period if the new employer will allow it, even offer to help interview for your replacement, and offer to assist as a consultant off hours from the other job until your replacement is up to speed. Make sure your new employer knows that are committed to help find your replacement for the previous employer after-hours.

And who knows, you may just find your replacement at the new job from someone that is also looking to and qualified to move up, but also feels stuck.

 

I've got to say, I'm a little irked to hear that the top of the company wants to work less than 40 hours. This sounds like they're depending on you to do the heavy lifting and keeping you where you are which is unacceptable just from what I understand. In my company (though it's not a small business) it is the opposite. Individual contributors work 40 to 50 hours (i.e. you can choose your hours so long as your work is done) and I see management putting in closer to 50-60. As for yours, we should always consider there may be more to the situation than you are aware of, but it sounds like you need to take your career development into your own hands. Perhaps you could come back to them one day with your new skillset.