paulr

I work in an office and have done the same job for quite a few years. However there's quite a few management vacancies and i'm getting a lot of pressure to apply for one. Basically i can do without the hassle. The money is a little more but it comes with lots of aggro. I'm thinking i'll stick where i am. Then you get the comments "you've got to move up the ladder sometime" or "you cant stay in the same job forever".

What do you think. Anyone else resisted the "lure of promotion" because they actually like what they are doing?

auto scooby

I would stay where you are Paul or it could be curtains for you !!!!

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Stick with what your happy with, it each to their own at the end of the day. If you need the promotion and the pros and cons that come with it I doubt you'd need to ask the question.

firesorter

mostly my work is about climbing ladders

scoobynewbie72

iTrader: (1)

Thats it, If your happy why take on more hassle,
If you feel that ur wasted in teh job ur in or that you could bring something new to the job then take it and show them, If not Be Happy too many people just look at promotion as getting 1 over the rest of the colleagues.

The Zohan

Hi Paul,

No, you do not have to climb the ladder, not if you do not want or need to. The UK has a cr@p work/life balance for most workers.

Management, more pay (usually) and more responsibility comes with more pressure to perform and then manage others. Suddely your head appears over the parapit and it could get shot off (metaphiorically speaking) other people you have worked with may resent you for it and things change as you get promoted, maybe no longer seen or able to be 'one of the lads' for example.

It is up to you, if you want promotion and all that goes along with it, there are good things as well as bad.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Be a contractor, sod politics, sod one upmanship, its all about the daily rate !

paulr

When i look at the long climb up the management ladder all i see is reports,reports,reports then more reports. Its only at the very top that there's any creativity.
Secondly i know some people get a kick out of the "power thing". Personally it doesn't do it for me.

jasey

If you don't move up watch out for the twenty year old who sacks you in 10 years time cos you're too expensive for what you do

paulr

Thats the other side of it, the newer,younger,faster worker who will do more for less money.

jasey

Or the polish one who'll do it better for half the money .

Depends what you do - but if you're in an Office you're probably an overhead - when the bosses are mulling over the costs they'll just see the bigger than average number for your salary next to your name for the job you're doing !

Sack you or sack the three poles

paulr

We have a few Polish workers here. However they are only doing the lower jobs. The language barrier is still a hinderance when it comes to climbing up the ladder. Secondly its a myth that they are all faster,cheaper and better.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

here here. they are when theyre on 3 month probabtionary periods, but not afterwards....

andy

speye91

Stay with what your happy with.

Two months ago,i turned down a offer to come off the tools to be a Supervisor.Don't regret it one bit.

The Guy who took up the offer after me,hates it now.

Matteeboy

Window cleaner?!

Have to agree about freelancing/contracting.
After about a million jobs, some good (but usually ended up being a pain due to politics), some awful (terrible high pressure sales with stupid targets and a very poor product/service), I'm now working with wife doing freelance PR and sales.

Work from home (almost no overheads and get to claim back some money as "office rent"), choose our own hours, manage our own budget and no politics at all.
Plus it pays very well indeed.

Could never work in an office again.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

can i ask how you get into this sort of thing from leaving school. like the progression you made. im not a genuis or anything, but im naturally bright, and would like to know what happens regards a career like this.

i made the mistake of finishing my college qualifications (art and design course), and then turning down the option of university, for the sake of my mother who was involved in a messy legal divorce.

anywho i missed my chance at uni, and now currently work in a warehouse, which although good money, has no real prospects.

how do people branch out, as ive heard of some real professions people do on here.

i dont wanna be a millionaire overnight, id just love a different line of work, but havent the necessary qualifications, unless they want someone who can draw ...

andy

SJ_Skyline

Paul,

You know what makes you happy and what you are comfortable doing, nobody else can tell you what that is. By the sounds of it you are happy where you are doing what you do. Maybe it's simply a case of talking to your line manager and explaining this is the case and also the reason why you won't be going for the promotion.

Best of luck whatever your decision

Matteeboy

Andy - To be honest, it's all been a bit random and I've had a lucky break.

Mostly been sales jobs which I seem to be quite good at (if I believe in what I'm selling) but a few really odd jobs like a Geotech Engineer (quite fun but tragic pay), labouring (!) and the like.
I guess a few of the sales jobs really have gone well and so I can use that to help with other stuff but a couple of years ago, I was in a real pickle.

The PR thing came along when wife started it (she has four years experience at an agency), it took off like a rocket, we moved to Cornwall, I had an awful sales job that ended messily (despite almost doubling sales in six months! - politics AGAIN!) and so started "helping out" and took to it pretty well.

Now have several clients of my own and it's all going nicely plus it's ideal for when wife has her baby in November (we work as a group of five freelancers under the company name run by wife and I so have good cover).

I'd just say look around, take a pay cut if needed but aim to be freelance in a few years - You need to really know your stuff, get as many contacts as you can and think of something you can "consult" in.
I'm sure there are a number of opportunities in your line of work.

logiclee

I was once "On the tools" but a shiny airconditioned office, leather chair and oak desk with more money soon had me climbing the ladder, supervisor then foreman and onto engineer etc.
I got it all and found myself constantly under pressure, working longer hours and having a heart attack at 35.
Still doing the same job but dont put myself under the same presuure or work as long.

If we have a big job on at the weekend I'll get mucked in with the lads and I really enjoy it. Makes you think if it's all worth it if your happy doing what you do already.

Cheers
Lee

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

thanks matteeboy.

it wasnt just specifically your line of p.r. work im interested in. just something different to warehouse work, its so lame, and really depressing. i believe thats why i started doing commission work again, people appreciate it on a high level, and it would be fantastic to do something like that day in day out, getting paid for something i love and am admittedly talented.

id love to exploit my forte in life, and make money from something i enjoy. but this town, the surroundings, the bloody foreigners, its all crap. i have a mortgage etc now and at 22, it seems my lifes planned out.

being on the property ladder will help me in years to come (unless you listen to pslewis), but its limited my ability to move to a big city and look at a more skilled profession.

apologies for the hijack...

andy

SJ_Skyline

Andy,

One possible route open to you could be from warehousing into driving. One of my mates took this route about 12 years ago, through various companies starting out as a warehouseman and then multi-drop in white vans he's now got his HGV1 license and has just taken his Hazchem exams.

Of course, if you have a burning ambition to do somthing then do something about it - get out there and get involved.

Best of luck fella

TelBoy

I've shunned promotion to keep the job i have, yes. I'm crap at people manegement in any case, and i have no desire to "be in charge" at work. It's not the wrong decision, but it depends how specialised your job is. If anyone can do what you do then you might be seen as lacking ambition and eventually that will catch up with you in terms of poor pay rises perhaps, but if you don't care about that then don't change just for the sake of it, or because of peer pressure. If your job is specialised, as mine is, then it's looked upon as a totally valid career option not to "progress". Management isn't for everyone.

Boost II

iTrader: (1)

Go for the management job mate. Let the oiks do the work, if they do good you take the credit, if they do bad then use 'em as scape goats.

Leslie

I did exactly that Paul, I could have continued up the "career" ladder but decided that I did not want to leave flying for an adminstrative job so I volunteered for what is called "specialist aircrew" which means you remain in a flying related job at all times.

I think that job satisfaction is incredibly important and as I loved my job I considered myself to be very lucky to be able to do it for all those years. I never regretted that decision.

Les

Abdabz

I worked my way up through from call centre agent at 21 through call centre management, then up off the floor into IT projects and into project/process management with a team of 8 analysts beneath me by the time I was 30. It was hard graft.
I loved the project element (I know it sounds boring) but wasn't keen on the direct man management aspect (121's, disciplinaries, medical issues, pay thresholds and all that bollox), so took VR after 8 years with that organisation and became a Business Analyst - all of the fun without the man management hassle
So I had reached my career goal by 30 - well above average income, flexible hours, no stress
2 years and 2 companies on, the only step I am considering next is consultancy / contracting because of the cash. To be good enough, I feel I need to do another 18 months here first.
Now, I could have pushed on to be a Project / Programme manager - more wedge, 60 hour weeks, stressfull deadlines, boardroom pressure, everyone thinking your a ***** head... Nah...I've seen plenty of them burn out in my time and I just think "mugs", rich mugs I grant you, but mugs all the same.
So, IMO, pushing up to the top isnt all it's cracked up to be

paulr

Thats pretty much how i feel. Inside i know i hate managing people.
Thanks guys.

pnbond007

iTrader: (1)

are you a vision technision ?

Hoppy

It takes all sorts. Some people thrive on the stress of senior management and love the spotlight, others suffer on the stress of dull jobs that do not provide satisfaction. There is no universal rule.

In 30 years I have been to the top and back with the same company. I have served in at least 20 different roles. Some were great, but some were not.

What I have learned is: the more you get paid, the more **** you have to handle. Also, no job is for life these days - here today, gone tomorrow.

But that is more a comment on today's universal commercial landscape than pointing a finger at any particular aspect of business. The world is constantly changing, and changing fast. Adaptability to new circumstances is the key.

Richard.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Cause vs effect isn't it? Only move up if the money makes it worth while or short term pain for long term gain ie small pay rise today with prospect of bigger ones in the future ...

Alternative is that "management" is of no interest so stay where you are or move on to another similar job elsewhere.

TX.