I was going to apply for a promotion ...

[prand]

Submit it anyway.

I went for a management role (my boss moved on) that surprised everyone as they thought I wasn't up for it (big lesson there - tell everyone important what you want from work and you're likely to be pigeonholed ready for the opportunity to come along). I worked really hard on my presentation and potential answers, got given the job as a bit of a gamble by the boss, but proved quite a few people wrong once I got going.

[fat80b]

Always apply if only to let management know that you are keen to progress. Even if you
don't get this one, people will bear you in mind for things in the future.

My only bits of advice would be:

1) don't apply for a job that you don't really want - these are the ones that you tend to get which can then leave you in an awkward position.... As you have said that you are itching to do this, then it sounds like you should definitely apply.

2) Try not to get too offended if you apply and don't get it. I appreciate this can be difficult if you feel you should get the role. You don't want this to be the beginning of the end which it often can be....

Bob

[blindswelledrat]

oldbanger said:

Anyway, the supervisor of another team has moved on and I was intending to apply (internal vacancy). I went to speak to the hirer though and was asked not to apply because they'd rather keep me where I am - doing the technical stuff. I know I'm good at what I do currently (too good for my own good, obviously).

I really was quite surprised at the reaction I got.

I would categorically state that this was just a nice way of telling you that they don't think you are up to the job yet, but value you as an emplyoyee in your current role. Just hink about it sensibly for a moment: Do you honestly believe that there is a single company in the world which witholds promotions from people because they are excellent?

If you genuinely believe you are better than the alternatives, then approach them again with it in mind that they disagree and change thier mind with fact and figures and reasons. Make sure it's all about you and not how st your rivals are.

[Simbu]

blindswelledrat said:

I would categorically state that this was just a nice way of telling you that they don't think you are up to the job yet, but value you as an emplyoyee in your current role. Just hink about it sensibly for a moment: Do you honestly believe that there is a single company in the world which witholds promotions from people because they are excellent?

This absolutely happens, especially in bigger companies. Managers get selfish about their employees because their performance makes said manager look good, and they want to retain that, so they obstruct progression for their own interests. stty thing to do but it happens.

In the OP's case, i'm not hugely surprised by the response he got. If you're good enough at something and do it for long enough you become 'indespensible' and are perceived as irreplaceable. This position gives you great job security but can hinder your progression, as the OP has found.

I'd apply anyway, to make it clear you want to progress. If a company was conciously hindering my career progession i'd seriously question whether I wanted to keep working there. Don't read that as "If I don't get the job I'd quit" though.

[PaulG40]

doogz said:

This. By the same token, people in here seem to get promoted up out of the way of the technical positions, because they don't really have the technical skills required.

This has just happened at my GF's place of work, a girl got moved from her branch as a semi sideways promotion to co-ordinate heavy plant shutdown periods up north, was given a company car, expenses etc. But after a couple of months said girl can't cope and kept fooking things up, so to get rid of her, they promoted her into a SPoC (single point of contact) co-ordinator back at my GFs place of work as they can't sack her. The missus was highly pis&ed off to say the least as that was part of her job and had been really making a name for herself. Said girl is buddy buddy with the boss though, and her 'position' wasn't even advertised as available.

[BrabusMog]

PaulG40 said:

This has just happened at my GF's place of work, a girl got moved from her branch as a semi sideways promotion to co-ordinate heavy plant shutdown periods up north, was given a company car, expenses etc. But after a couple of months said girl can't cope and kept fooking things up, so to get rid of her, they promoted her into a SPoC (single point of contact) co-ordinator back at my GFs place of work as they can't sack her. The missus was highly pis&ed off to say the least as that was part of her job and had been really making a name for herself. Said girl is buddy buddy with the boss though, and her 'position' wasn't even advertised as available.

Sounds like this other girls position is underneath/on top of* the boss

• delete as appropriate

If you think you are up for it, OP, go for it. I got held back by a tt of a boss a few years ago and now I'm in charge of them...

[omgus]

In my previous role I was payed a daft amount for the job role, simply so that I would have to take a paycut to go into management, I was deemed more valuable as a supervisor dealing with the client than as a manager having very little dealing with them.
I have moved sideways simply to open up management opportunities in the future. Very few people are vital to a business but most people are much more valuable in certain roles, if they feel you should stay technical, then they should insentivise it for you.

[Ultuous]

Simbu said:

blindswelledrat said:

I would categorically state that this was just a nice way of telling you that they don't think you are up to the job yet, but value you as an emplyoyee in your current role. Just hink about it sensibly for a moment: Do you honestly believe that there is a single company in the world which witholds promotions from people because they are excellent?

This absolutely happens, especially in bigger companies. Managers get selfish about their employees because their performance makes said manager look good, and they want to retain that, so they obstruct progression for their own interests. stty thing to do but it happens.

In the OP's case, i'm not hugely surprised by the response he got. If you're good enough at something and do it for long enough you become 'indespensible' and are perceived as irreplaceable. This position gives you great job security but can hinder your progression, as the OP has found.

I'd apply anyway, to make it clear you want to progress. If a company was conciously hindering my career progession i'd seriously question whether I wanted to keep working there. Don't read that as "If I don't get the job I'd quit" though.

Agreed.... It's often the 'easy' option in a technical organisation to keep the tech people in their current positions and hire another another manager- more than anything it saves any worries and expense with regard to backfilling the tech position.

IMHO the best managers are those that have enough technical grounding in the area of concern to support making correct decisions/ see through the bullst, whilst being able to maintain an overview...

I'd say go for it if you genuinely feel you have the right skills and it's the path you wish to take... At best you'll get it, at worst you won't - and it the case, chances are you'll at least be noticed and considered for future opportunities when they arise!

[Simbu]

If you do decide to 'send a strongly worded email' then perhaps ask in that to follow it up with a face to face meeting when time allows, to discuss your career development. This ought to be covered in a performance appraisal though really, so if you've got one coming up anytime soon I'd save it for then.

[New POD]

Management Roles SUCK. Everyone will hate you. You will hate YOU. You will reach a point where you wish you were dead, rather than have to go to work.

But I'm glad that I did that 1 year as a Production Manager, back in 2006, because despite the fact that I nearly had a breakdown, I am now a much better technical guy, and get on better with both managers and workers as a result, because I can see both sides.


I would be asking for opportunities to deputise and to take on parts of the management role, with a clearly identified independent mentor, in another part of the company

[Rude-boy]

oldbanger said:

Thanks I'd already done deputising for a couple of years, but without the mentor, until the part time manager I was covering was made redundant. I really enjoyed it.

This is important. On a similar but different level I have seen a number of people who have been great 'floor' workers promoted to management and within months they are wanting to step back into their old job as all of a sudden the World is on their case and their former co-workers start to exclude them slowly.

I would make it clear that you are after progression though as if you are good then the company will be less willing to lose you to a competitor than they would suck it up promoting and back filling.

[bazking69]

Sometimes the problem is that if you are genuinely good in your current role some managers deem it easier, for them and the company, to keep you where you are, on the pay you are, doing the good job you know and do well, and get someone else 'with experience' in to fill a higher roll.

It's an easy rut to fall into sadly, so sometimes you have to let it be known that you have bigger ambitions and plans to give managers something to ponder.