OK peeps... job / career advice welcomed

[ReVOLver]

I've been in my current job 5 years and 4 months. I am a big fan of my company, especially the company owner who is one of the most ethical people I've ever met in business. It's a great work environment with good benefits and low pressure. Sure there are personality conflicts here and there but those are everywhere and I'm not naive enough to believe otherwise. I get great perks and nobody bothers me as long as the network works.

My problem currently is that my role is maxed out under the current company structure. I have the title of Director, but the company vision is not to grow very much and therefore I am always told that more IT staff can't be justified. Even though I'm a director, I only have one direct report and I'm basically the "IT guy"... from putting on a suit and hobnobbing with clients to fixing a laptop, I'm responsible for all of it. Unfortunately because the company is small (+/- 80 people) all of the managers have to be hands on and there is very little time or effort allocated to strategic issues. I try my best to push strategic IT as an agenda, but everyone else on the management team is always putting out a fire or has something else to do. I don't feel unloved, but I do feel underutilized, minimized, and a little disrespected from time to time... for example I created a Technology Steering Committee made up of of key managers and executives that met every other week on Mondays back in the fall.... until they decided to schedule a weekly client call at the same time as my TSC meetings. Because of the makeup of the TSC, every other Monday is the only day we can do it... but the client call could've been scheduled at any time. Another example is that I'm supposed to meet with my boss (VP of Finance) in 10 minutes and he isn't here. Those meetings are every other Friday. Back in October I let it fall off the calendar to see if he would say anything... he brought it up last Thursday, January 12th. There are many other examples I could draw where my initiatives were ignored even though they are initially met with great excitement by people above me as a general rule.

My question to you fine people is not whether I should continue to do what I'm doing because I already know the answer to that question. 5 years was my preset tipping point to re-evaluate my direction. I'm about to turn 37 years old in February... I'm almost halfway through my MBA... and I know that in 10 years I'd like to be entertaining job offers as a CIO / CTO / VP of technology. For me to be there in 10 years, now is the time for me to be working in a more strategic role and managing more people. I'm not going to be able to stay in this role for another 5 years and be where I want to be in my career.

So my question is... should I just continue to apply for jobs outside my organization that I know are more conducive to where I want to be and not say a word to anybody, or do I owe it to my company to sit down with my boss and/or president plus HR and officially explain to them my stance? To be clear, I have informally told them for a while that I wanted to be pushing towards more of a strategic role and that has gone largely ignored. The only thing that worries me if I sit down with them is that they might see the writing on the wall that I'm leaving and be more proactive in finding a replacement and letting me go. That being said, my company's owner / president stood in front of the entire company about 18 months ago and told them I was the most important person in the room.

I'm just unsure on how to handle the subject of my personal growth. I'm not good at walking into a room and saying "This is what I have to have or I walk" because I have a family and a mortgage and bills just like everyone else. Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[VOLMAN]

having a "sit down" with your boss has much chance of producing the results within the company that you'd like. I sounds to me as though what you're looking for can't exist with the situation you described, it appears to me that to obtain the involvement and role you desire you'd have to take a position with a much larger company. Just a word from experience though, the amount of time expected from you once you've moved up the ladder may be more than you and you're family can tolerate and the pressure, and resulting stress, mounts exponentially also which can impact family life as well. It may be different in you're field though.

[RockinGrannyVol]

Well, let me tell you what I did when I didn't want to be in management any longer.  I went to my VP (when I was IT Manager) and had a long talk with him that I really didn't want to do this any longer, my last child granduated college and I was pretty much burnt out.   We talked for a long time -- he told me to think about it -- and when I came back to his office the next day to say I was going to resign, he asked me to come back as a contractor.  I told him only if I could work part time, since my husband was retiring, I didn't want to work full time.  He told me to set my hours and rate and we'd work it out.  That was in 1998 -- today, I make more $$ working 3 days a week as a contractor than I ever would have made in the position I was in.   No way I could have ever done that with the previous VP at this company (I've been with them almost 26 years now).

The point of this whole story is to say, only YOU know if you have that type of relationship with your boss.  If you do, then you would probably be successful in talking to him..knowing you are looking at moving on to get where you want to be in your career might wake them up a little.

[RockinGrannyVol]

One more thing....I agree with Volman as to the increased stress and time involved in moving on up the ladder.   I was managing a staff of about 20 folks when I left....now the job I had has been split between 2 different people and there is a total of about 40-50 employees and contractors working for the IT division.   I stayed in management a long time because I was a single mom and had to put 2 younguns through college...once that was done, I was ready to be done with management!  HA!   Now I do what I love best and I don't have all the stress and time requirements the management position required.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

[ReVOLver]

One more thing....I agree with Volman as to the increased stress and time involved in moving on up the ladder.   I was managing a staff of about 20 folks when I left....now the job I had has been split between 2 different people and there is a total of about 40-50 employees and contractors working for the IT division.   I stayed in management a long time because I was a single mom and had to put 2 younguns through college...once that was done, I was ready to be done with management!  HA!   Now I do what I love best and I don't have all the stress and time requirements the management position required.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

I know there will be more stress. I'm OK with that. Somebody has to fill those roles and that's what I feel called to do.

[RockinGrannyVol]

I know there will be more stress. I'm OK with that. Somebody has to fill those roles and that's what I feel called to do.

Good for you -- we need good strong leaders!   I just didn't like dealing with the people issues -- the rest of it I enjoyed. 

[Volznut]

I would vote for continuing to look outside. Sounds like you are looking for growth, and you need to "strategically" start looking for that at the age you are at if you want to meet that goal you have set.

[Jedi Master]

1. Finish your MBA.
2. Continue to apply for jobs outside

You don't have the leverage now to move your company to "strategic IT."  You're just getting lip service from them, now.  Further your credentials (MBA) while you have it "comfy." Then, find a better external opportunity.  Only then, when faced with losing you, will you have the leverage for your current company to possibly counteroffer in a meaningful and lasting way.   And the odds are, they will either not be in a position, or will not desire, to counteroffer in a meaningful way (their mission or culture could be ingrained).  So you will then likely choose to take the "better" external job.

[ReVOLver]

1. Finish your MBA.
2. Continue to apply for jobs outside

You don't have the leverage now to move your company to "strategic IT."  You're just getting lip service from them, now.  Further your credentials (MBA) while you have it "comfy." Then, find a better external opportunity.  Only then, when faced with losing you, will you have the leverage for your current company to possibly counteroffer in a meaningful and lasting way.   And the odds are, they will either not be in a position, or will not desire, to counteroffer in a meaningful way (their mission or culture could be ingrained).  So you will then likely choose to take the "better" external job.

This is really advice I hadn't seriously considered, but it makes sense. It is possible that I won't be able to find a job that I want without finishing the MBA, so this is definitely a possibility.

[Volcreed]

1. Finish your MBA.
2. Continue to apply for jobs outside

You don't have the leverage now to move your company to "strategic IT."  You're just getting lip service from them, now.  Further your credentials (MBA) while you have it "comfy." Then, find a better external opportunity.  Only then, when faced with losing you, will you have the leverage for your current company to possibly counteroffer in a meaningful and lasting way.   And the odds are, they will either not be in a position, or will not desire, to counteroffer in a meaningful way (their mission or culture could be ingrained).  So you will then likely choose to take the "better" external job.

Good Advice:

this strikes home for me

"I am a big fan of my company, especially the company owner who is one of the most ethical people I've ever met in business." I had chance to leave within the last few months, but pass due to fact a that my boss goes out of his way to take care of me and my family. He sees my family as me and makes sure I take time with my wife and small daughter which is so rare these days, but I do miss the chance for new growth within my current company. I am maxed out I will have same job as long as I am here. As mid 40's first time Dad I guess job title and career for a few years takes a backseat to begin "DA DA", but at some point be it 5 years ,10 years or next week  I am going hit the same crossroad.

[Quasi EVol]

Good for you -- we need good strong leaders!   I just didn't like dealing with the people issues -- the rest of it I enjoyed. 

One of my nightmares is my job evaluation being based on how other people do their work.  I don't mind being project lead, but programming's a helluva lot better than having to deal with office politics. 

[Volznut]

1. Finish your MBA.
2. Continue to apply for jobs outside

You don't have the leverage now to move your company to "strategic IT."  You're just getting lip service from them, now.  Further your credentials (MBA) while you have it "comfy." Then, find a better external opportunity.  Only then, when faced with losing you, will you have the leverage for your current company to possibly counteroffer in a meaningful and lasting way.   And the odds are, they will either not be in a position, or will not desire, to counteroffer in a meaningful way (their mission or culture could be ingrained).  So you will then likely choose to take the "better" external job.

Most of the time you don't want to take it, even if a counteroffer is made, because now they know you may try to leave again and may try to hire someone to push you out as soon as they can.

[ReVOLver]

Most of the time you don't want to take it, even if a counteroffer is made, because now they know you may try to leave again and may try to hire someone to push you out as soon as they can.

I took a counteroffer from my company once, about 5 years ago next month. It was sort of a special situation where I wasn't looking and another company came after me. I would not do that again with this company.

[PirateVOL]

This is really advice I hadn't seriously considered, but it makes sense. It is possible that I won't be able to find a job that I want without finishing the MBA, so this is definitely a possibility.

Jedi's advice was the first thought that crossed my mind when I read your post.  I agree that you should finish the MBA then make the decision one way or the other. 

About a year ago I was in a somewhat similar position (with a significant additional factor) and made the decision to jump.  Though I'm a lot further along the career path (and have no desire to go much higher) the decision to jump out of my comfort zone was a difficult one.  Almost a year into the change I miss the easy nature of my previous position but enjoy the challenge of the new position.  Also, if I desire it, I will have the opportunity to advance thatI didn't have before.

[10EC]

Do you have any business systems experience?  If not, that might be what you want to target in your next job.  I am sure there are lots of other examples where I am wrong, but most larger companies I have had experienced have their IT directors come out of either 1) Finance systems or 2) Supply chain.  Your MBA should definitely help you get into one of these types of roles.

[EmerilVOL]

I've been in my current job 5 years and 4 months. I am a big fan of my company, especially the company owner who is one of the most ethical people I've ever met in business. It's a great work environment with good benefits and low pressure. Sure there are personality conflicts here and there but those are everywhere and I'm not naive enough to believe otherwise. I get great perks and nobody bothers me as long as the network works.

ReVOLver you know I am and what I have been doing the last ten years also and you know I have been there and been through the wars as well.  I know what I am about to say might be greeted by some as self serving crap but it is definitely true.  I know small companies are difficult at times to work for cause I have done them several times.  One company I worked for was only 8 people when I started working for the company and their first year I was with them we made exactly 25K net.  When I left the company after five years they were making over 8 million a year NET.  I was responsible for quite a bit of that growth since i was the chief person that led the process of getting those systems out and operational at the customers sites.  I understand the kind of "burnout" you go through in this business and the frustations and I would suggest oyu discuss this with your boss and tell him your concerns and dont make it a "if you aint willing to do this then I will seek another position" kind of meeting. 

It is apparent to me that you need to seek other employment to meet your long term goals.  What you might want to do is to network with other professionals and see what is available in a Middle Management role at a bigger operation but be prepared to fight the same battles at times that oyu are fighting at your present company.