Being Successful at an Unsuccessful Company
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Question

Being Successful at an Unsuccessful Company

umatrix (Mechanical)

(OP)

25 Oct 21 17:47

I’m in the early stage of my career with about 3 years experience. (5 years if I count the internship while finishing my graduate studies.)

Every company I’ve worked for( 3 in total) has been very dysfunctional. Here are the typical stages/ pattern each company has followed:

1. Current CEO, upper management is in process of running company into ground with bad management and misuse of resources.
2. Company in process of bankruptcy, outing failed CEO and upper management.
3. Post bankruptcy, fresh CEO and upper management. Repeat process.

It’s always the same spiel starting a new job. HR makes a bunch of hollow noise. “We’re happy to have so and so join our team.” “ Umatrix will make a perfect fit.”

Then reality sets in, bitter boss, disjointed teammates. H1b insider information club, of which I’m not allowed to join. My questions are met with polite obfuscated responses. Why would they help me anyway, I guess.

It’s been weeks without any new assignments, even after asking. If I do get an assignment it is typically one that boss wants to offload and find a potential scapegoat. So during down time I’ve been learning everything I can. I’ve signed up for seminars, practicing the software. Reading manuals etc.

I feel that I have a lot to offer a company, perhaps I have not found the right one.

The answer I would give to myself is that I’m the only one responsible for my career, so it’s time to find a new position, but what if they are all like this? Perhaps it is as the Experienced engineer told me one time, he said “ around year 5 you will hear a pop, don’t worry that is just the sound of your head popping out of your a**”. Could it be the perfect place does not exist and that I’ve been too naïve?

I am curious to see how others experiences compare. Also how you deal with the lack of job security, resource misuse and, ineffective management etc

phamENG (Structural) · Answer 1 · 2021-10-25 18:12:56

So you're averaging a job a year. Is this because the companies keep failing or are you leaving voluntarily?

What field of mechanical engineering are you in? Product design/development? Manufacturing? Building design? The type of work you're doing, the industry, the size of the company, etc. all impact the answers.

Yes, you are being naive. There is no perfect job. Unless, of course, you make it the perfect job. Don't go into a place expecting to fit in, but look for ways to fit in. So your boss doesn't have a task for you? Find a co-worker with some time under his/her belt and shadow/assist them with their tasks. Don't take the tasks for make yourself the one who everyone else dumps on, but make yourself a part of the team.

The three jobs in three years is really suspicious - to me as an online stranger and even more so to the next HR manager looking at your resume. You're driving yourself to unemployable really quickly as it won't be long before they won't even bother giving you a chance to explain why you left the other jobs.

GregLocock (Automotive) · Answer 2 · 2021-10-25 19:42:02

Every company I have ever worked for, was either going under, bought out, or mortgaged to its back teeth at some point. Despite that I've had a successful and satisfying career. If you are a self starter then messy environments aren't really an issue. It sounds like you are doing the right thing with training and so on.

Cheers

Greg Locock

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Ron247 (Structural) · Answer 3 · 2021-10-25 22:43:34

Consider this. You keep finding a new job at a company others have already left because it is failing and therefor created your open position that needs filling. Failing companies rarely take on additional staff just replacement staff. You sign on just to find out your riding out a failing company. Then you do this 2 more times? You need to spend more time researching who your are going to work for, OR, you are REALLY unlucky.

It is like your are on a really good life-boat with plenty of supplies, flairs and a radio, but luckily you see an ocean liner that sees you and takes you aboard. As your climb aboard, your notice the ships name is "Titanic" and say to yourself, "Now that is a sturdy sounding vessel".

Also, really good firms get bought out just like bad ones.

Sparweb (Aerospace) · Answer 4 · 2021-10-26 04:46:38

Before 2020, I would have just said you are making bad choices, but after 2020, somehow this seems closer to par score. I have never seen more job-hopping in my town than I have this year. So I won't come down hard on 3 jobs in 3 years.

But you really still have to work on your job satisfaction. It isn't your boss's responsibility to give that to you. Take a hard look at what you can do to get more out of the job you have. If you decide to leave this one (tho you probably shouldn't), then count it as your last chance to improve your job-hunt strategy to find a better match to you.

geotechguy1 (Civil/Environmental) · Answer 5 · 2021-10-26 05:48:39

Have you found these jobs applying online, or via personal connections at the company / networking at conferences etc?

Possible attitude issue aside, jobs you find advertised online where the job doesn't go to someone they already had in mind when the posting was made (or shortly thereafter) are liable to be not the best jobs.

Also, consulting firms lie, for the most part. They tell clients whatever they want to hear to win jobs and then tell candidates whatever they want to hear to staff them, and then try and win variations and swap out high-chargeout rate seniors for low-chargeout rate grads and try and turn a profit.

umatrix (Mechanical) · Answer 6 · 2021-10-26 09:44:58

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.
I do believe it is a mix of misplaced expectations and not being selective/diligent with research about a potential company.

100% agree that a job is what you make it. I really appreciate those comments.

I should have initially given a more precise job timeline to show I do not hop jobs. Which from my post gives that impression.

Internship 2.5 years (typical duration)
Company 1. 1.5 years (Covid closed entire department)
Company 2. 1 year ( still here) and I like the place and work, which is good. However I wish it didn’t come with the job insecurity.

phamENG (Structural) · Answer 7 · 2021-10-26 12:12:32

Ah, I see now. Thanks for clarifying. That timeline makes good sense.

Get used to the insecurity. I'm firmly of the opinion that if you derive your job security from your employer, you're doing it wrong. You could work for a Fortune 500 and come in one day to find a pink slip on your desk. You have to earn your place every day - the moment you start feeling too secure is likely the day the other people in your department surpass you and management puts you at the top of the downsizing list. I find insecurity to be a motivator, but perhaps there's something wrong with me?

LittleInch (Petroleum) · Answer 8 · 2021-10-26 13:20:58

Have a look at the post under yours - there's some good / interesting discussion there.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

cranky108 (Electrical) · Answer 9 · 2021-10-26 13:54:49

I see it differently. Every job, or every training, is to change me to fit some pattern.
I suspect you are the same. You need to fit the job, not the job fit you.
Change you.

IRstuff (Aerospace) · Answer 10 · 2021-10-26 17:17:54

I had a run similar to, but not quite as bad, and did have thoughts that I was the Typhoid Mary of bankruptcies, but that was in the distant past.

The very first job I got in college summer, I showed up on the first day, and the company parking lot was empty and there was no one home. So, I headed back to my apartment to start looking for another summer job. I get a call around 10 am; the guy that "hired" me says, "Where the bleep are you? Why aren't you at work?" I reply that the company's doors were all closed and there wasn't anyone there. "Oh, right, we moved to a new location." Apparently, to escape their creditors, since they even changed the company name in that interval

So, everything's fine for a while; I take off for July 4th, to visit family; I get back and, "Oh by the way, you were laid off, but you were rehired, so everything is cool!" Them a few weeks later, Friday rolls around, I get my check and am told that I've been laid off. Monday, I get a call around 10 am, "Where the bleep are you? Why aren't you at work?" I explain that I got laid off, "No you're not, get back to work" The last time, I actually did get laid off, but school started, so machts nichts.

Then, there was another company known as "Fxxx University, where you learn what not to do" 10 general managers in 5 years, as an example.

If you are a decent engineer, you'll survive this and move on to bigger and better things.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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TheTick (Mechanical) · Answer 11 · 2021-10-26 17:22:31

RE: Being Successful at an Unsuccessful Company

TheTick (Mechanical) 26 Oct 21 17:22

A receding tide lowers all boats.

CWB1 (Mechanical) · Answer 12 · 2021-10-26 17:57:08

Someone told me years ago that you should either learn or you should earn, preferably both. If you're not doing either then find another employer. Job hopping every year will make you seem flakey but nobody does a career at 2-3 employers anymore nor do employers hold onto most employees that long. Role-hopping every 3-5 years is pretty standard and encouraged, so that's when I would jump if another internal role doesnt interest you.

My standard advice for junior engineers is to get out of your home area and chase the work around the country/world for 5-10 years at large corporations to gain industry experience and perspective on where/what you want both in and out of work. Large companies tend to very methodically train employees and use the latest methods and tools whether its engineering, project management, or otherwise. They also tend to have fairly rigid standards for everything. Not to knock them, but many smaller companies shoot from the proverbial hip on "minor" details, so you may discover CAD models look pretty but are poorly organized, documentation or process lacking, or other "minor" messes which let you develop bad/difficult-to-break habits. Large companies also tend to be more publicly scrutinized, so researching future employers' stability and opportunities is usually easier.

I would take phamENG's comment about job security one step further - make your own but quickly reach the point where you dont worry about it. People/managers do dumb things at times, and crap happens so be prepared for layoffs. Within a few years you should reach the point both in your skillset and in your personal finances where layoffs arent a question of financial survival but rather a question of walking down the street on Monday or taking a few months off.

hemiv (Structural) · Answer 13 · 2021-10-28 14:51:33

I relate. Most jobs I've had have been similar. Every manager I've had has been at least somewhat jaded and cynical and not that interested in mentoring others. I'm not sure why. I know they have a lot on their plate...but I do too, i.e. trying to learn how to do this work. Any comments here about you needing to change to fit the job are misguided and a recipe for burnout. But there is some truth there. I've realized that it's best for me to learn as much as I can during my time as an employee, seek mentorship outside of my employer via professional organizations, and work towards self-employment. Best of luck in your situation. For what it's worth, I don't think you'll hurt your career one bit if you moved on to another job right now. You're early on and you've been at least a year at each company.

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Being Successful at an Unsuccessful Company
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