I have been thinking lately that I am probably at the zenith of my career. I am fairly high in the structure of my company but I don’t think I will move up. I am well regarded here and I do think if I played the game, I would be given the opportunity if I wanted to, but I have been thinking that I am likely to decline it!
In order to go to the next level (partner) I have to buy my way in, and frankly I don’t think it is a good investment for me! It is an excellent company but the return is out of sync with when I want to retire. That in combination with what I see as a lot more stress for not really that much more money—I honestly think I would decline. I have talked to my friends in associated firms (and here) that are at that level and I just don’t like the terms that they had to agree to. Then I see the stress they have, and right now that level is the one that is taking it in the shorts financially to keep firms afloat. Now granted in good times that is the level that also makes the big bucks but I don’t see the good times coming back robustly before I retire (2015 or 16).
But it is sort of an odd realization for me, as that has always been a goal, but as I got closer, it is losing it’s attractiveness.
In many ways it is sort of freeing as I don’t care and don’t have to play the bullshit that is often associated with moving up. I am high enough in the company structure that I don’t have to worry about retribution if I piss someone off (unless it is the board!) so I feel I can just do my job the way I want and finish it out without ever implementing "the Peter Principle’.
Anybody else feel that way? That they are as high in their job as they will ever go? If so, how do you feel about it?
I’m not even close to being high up in my career (I’m a part-time temp at the moment), but I have to admire your ability to evaluate your situation and do what’s right for you, Hakuna. So many people get caught up in the game and forget that they’re supposed to still have a life.
I’m probably pretty close. I work for a very large, successful company on a game which will be really big when it’s released. I’m the head of the Effects department (incidentally, I’m also the only Effects Artist right now), so unless I want to go more generalized and become Art Director or Producer, I can’t be promoted any further. I love doing effects, so this is pretty much it.
The only way I can possibly advance would be to get at job at an even bigger company, like Blizzard or such. And I’m pretty sure that if I were to do that, I’d have to take a demotion and start working my way up again.
Considering I’m finishing up grad school and looking for a job (anyone need a policy analyst?) right now, and am currently under a blanket in my parents’ spare room on a Tuesday afternoon, if this is the pinnacle of my career, I might as well just go play in traffic.
God, I hope not. I’m at best a middle-manager. I don’t have the ambition to ever be a Vice President or anything, but neither do I want to be in my current job another twenty years.
Yep, 61 and counting down to retirement. I would still take the next level up job if they offered it, because it would mean a higher salary for calculating my pension and social security, and I could probably stand the stress for 3 or 4 years.
But it’s not likely. I’m not social, and I’m not political. I have a big mouth, and say what I think, which I think is why I don’t have to go to nearly as many meetings as I used to go to. Plus the person in that position, my boss, is unlikely to be going anywhere else soon, either to be promoted here or to go to another company.
So I go on doing my job, which can be pretty interesting most of the time. I feel secure, having survived several many rounds of layoffs, which have now stopped and we’re hiring again.
Roddy
Yes, it’s my fifth year teaching. Somehow I get paid more in this gig than any other music teacher in my province. I also won’t go into administration, and now that I’m in a small town, I don’t know if I could put up with the BS of city schools. So I guess as usual, the only choice for me now is to suck it up, or change careers.
Yeah, I’m there. I was a little freaked out about it when I realized it a few years ago, but I’m okay with it now. I’m at the top of the second tier in my organization, and to move up to the first tier (where my boss is), I’d need degrees I don’t have, and don’t have much interest in getting.* Frankly, if I were starting fresh somewhere, I’d probably need some of those degrees to get the job I have now, but I worked my way up in the organization so to some extent I am sitting on my past experience and track record of performance.
When I first started working for my boss, he was one of those “if you don’t want my job in five years, I don’t want you working for me” types – like if you weren’t hungry enough for promotion, you probably wouldn’t be putting in the energy he wanted. But over the years, it’s been a learning experience for both of us (we’ve chatted about it) – I wouldn’t be good at his job, I’m good at my job.
*Weirdly enough, the one scenario where I could imagine going back to school would be if I was retired, and had the time to pursue another academic degree without the stress of balancing it with working.
I’m a retail store manager, and have no desire to be a District Manager. As my father said when he turned down a promotion to DM, “It’s too much travel and screaming.”
Yep, I’m right there with you. There’s no further up for me to go in my organization, or my field. I’ll continue to get compensation package adjustments, but I’ll never be owner. My only move is out and on my own if I want something more as it would be very difficult for me to walk laterally into another organization at my salary.
I’m probably at the top. I’d need to leave clinical practice completely to jump up further, becoming a full fledged Medical Director. I’d have to negotiate, budget, and handle large sums of money. And I have no desire to do that, as the clinical part is what I love best.
So I’ve peaked at Associate Medical Director, seeing patients and doing mostly clinically related administration & supervision.
I wouldn’t consider it a demotion if I went back to full time clinical, and ditched the administration and supervision, either.
