Ask a Manager

It’s your Friday good news!

1.  “After over a decade at a tiny company where I basically ran and WAS 4 different departments, I was completely frazzled by all of the shifting priorities and running around trying to keep up with my core tasks and any other tasks put on me by the company leaders. I finally broke down and started to look at other positions in the area of my job that I enjoyed most, encouraged by other good news posts. I rewrote my resume using every bit of advice I could find on your site and, with much anxiety, applied to 3 of the most interesting postings. Only one of them contacted me to talk and the posting sounded like a bit of stretch — but after the first interview, it was clear that it was absolute perfect fit and the wording in the posting was mostly from the author not fully understanding what the role does (it’s a bit niche, so that’s understandable). I was excited, the hiring manager was excited, and they pushed the process through faster than normal just to get me on board.

I knew that I was underpaid, but I also had a TON of flexibility, a very specific schedule that I had to work due to other commitments and personal limitations, and was able to work remotely for about 95% of the time. I thought I’d never find that somewhere else as a new employee. I originally planned to leverage all of your negotiation advice, but I never got to use it. Their offer came in 50% higher than the top of my asking range (which was already a 20% raise from my prior salary) with significantly better benefits and opportunities. My new boss was 100% ok with my required schedule and has no problem with any of the flexibility I wanted (if anything, she’s been even more flexible than my prior bosses). AND the position is 100% remote.

I spent so much time thinking that I’d never find the same flexibility at another company. I’m less stressed now, both mentally and financially, and I absolutely love all of what I do, not just pieces. I’m so thankful for all of the advice on your blog and wish I had taken much of it sooner than I did! For anyone not even taking the step of looking based on a bunch of assumptions about other companies, like I did, just do it. And if a job posting doesn’t sound perfect, don’t let that stop you from learning more!”

2.  “Over my time at my last, beyond toxic job I must have written you 10 emails a week in my head; they never made it to the keyboard because I already knew the answer. My boss sucked, and he wasn’t going to change. And I do mean sucked — despite being sometimes charming and incredibly kind, he also said and did vile things on the regular that made me sick to my stomach with distress. They were never aimed at me, but that didn’t reduce the harm, and at the end of my long tenure at that job I was realized I was barely living my own life anymore, just working, going home and crying and then going to sleep for the night to do it all again.

I knew what job I wanted next, and I bided my time. When something finally opened exactly where I wanted it to, I had to fight myself and my guilt and crippling anxiety to even apply. To show up for the interviews. To accept the job, and to give notice. Every step I almost let the guilt win out but I tapped on the accumulated knowledge I have from years of reading AAM and forced my way through.

Now, many months later, my life has changed. I love my new job. It has structure, and collaboration. People are kind. For the first time in all my years of working, it feels like I’m in exactly the right place for me — and that I can stay here and grow and thrive.”

3.  “I’ve been a prolific reader of your site for years now, and in 2022 started proactively looking for my next job opportunity. Your interview guide was invaluable in my preparations — in particular, asking in the room if there are any concerns interviewers have about my candidacy really shifted the dynamics in interviews. I could tell a lot about who I wanted to work with based on their answer.

I’m now in a new role with an incredibly supportive, well resourced team and I no longer accept ‘this is just what the industry is like’ as a way to be in business. Good companies prioritise the wellbeing of their staff and give them to tools to do their jobs well. Thank you for demystifying workplace culture.”

4.  “I come from a family of working class people and grew up within very moderate means. After some years of not really knowing where I want to go jobwise, I’m delighted to say that as of today I landed a job, that will put me in the 10 percent bracket of top earning people here!

Basically, I used the (soulcrushing, horrible) pandemic isolation to switch jobs in 2020, take on extra responsibilities within my job, regularly ask for raises and pester my employer about funding me in taking additional courses and certifications that I assumed would be helpful in job hunting (leadership training, method workshops etc). And since this very old-school, male dominated and backwards oriented employer still doesn’t see me or value my hard work, I patiently waited for the seemingly perfect job offer to come along. After a few months of interviewing here and there and even rejecting a few offers, I now accepted an opportunity which will pay 30% more than my current job. I will have more than doubled my salary within three years, have better benefits, a shorter commute and less weekly hours.

Granted, as I haven’t started yet I don’t know how this will pan out. And of course, better pay and better benefits are no guarantee for more happiness. But regardless of that, I’m super happy and proud to even have come so far! And even if it doesn’t work out I will have a solid financial cushion to fall back on.

Thanks to you and all the other wonderful professional women out there who share their knowledge and encouragement :)”