I've been wanting to do this for a while now but I finally found some time. I need some advice from those of y'all who have some insight. I've been working as a consultant for one of the largest telecom companies here in Dallas. I'm nearing the end of my year's contract. Last week I was told by my manager that they (company) would not be renewing my contract due to budget constraints. I found out that another consultant who joined about 6 months after me was getting his contract renewed. I've never trusted my manager and although I never had any dust ups with him, I didn't feel he was a stand up guy. A lil back story. When a perm job opened up in the second month of my contract, my manager hired another consultant who had started working at the same time as I. I tried to apply but found out that the manager had already approved the other consultant's application. I had a talk with the manager and expressed to him that I'd like to apply for a perm if one became available. He seemed reluctant even then, giving me bs reasons that it would not pay as well as contract (yeah ahole, I know that, but I want the paid vacation, benefits package and stability). Then a couple of months later another consultant came on board. A month into this, another perm job became open and this new consultant, while gossipping with me, confessed to me that the manager had been emailing him and IM'ing him urging him to submit his application for the perm job. I immediately knew the sumb!tch was trying to get this guy in. I promptly emailed my manager and questioned him about it. He didn't reply back for a week and after that, just replied that I was not qualified for the position (even though the other guy wasn't any better qualified than I was). Long story short, the other consultant got this perm job, and he could work from home as well. I then sat down with the manager and once again expressed to him that I'd like to get a perm position and that I was passed over for guys who joined months after me. He kinda seemed to agree but it felt it was more to get out of the meeting that he said that he'd make sure I got the next available opening. A couple weeks ago another perm became open, but ahole manager tells me my contract is done so adios. There are a few more documented pieces of evidence (emails, IM messages that I've saved onto a thumb drive) I have that clearly demonstrate that the guy was doing his best to keep me out of a perm job in order to get folks that he liked in. Do y'all think I'm right in assessing that this is as clear a case of favoritism and cronyism or am I missing something? TIA
I think the dude just didnt like you. I assume he didnt know the other guys he hired as perm before joining the company, if this is the case then there really is no cronyism per say. The only thing that may make it cronyism is if say he is white, everyone he hired was white and you are not white but otherwise similarly qualified. Same thing would apply if you are white but all of them are not, otherwise not sure how you can say cronyism. Maybe the guy just doesn't like you.
Maybe he just likes conservatives. Sorry, Roger, I just couldn't resist. But seriously, sounds like he never considered you as a long-term option for whatever reason(s) and I can't imagine that trying to force him to hire you will work. Even if you could, do you really want to work for this guy? I hope that when one door closes another will open for you.
Not trying to be silly here, but did you piss in his Cheerios? Park in his spot one day? Is he aggy & you're decorated with Burnt Orange all over your cube? There could be something minor & simplistic to you & me but to him, it could be enough to not like you. Hell, for all you know his wife used to be your GF & you don't know it.
You apparently have asked the right people, because the advice on this thread is exactly on point. So, follow this good advice. I have worked on various sorts of employment disputes for almost 30 years, and I agree exactly with the "stay professional" advice--you can't do yourself any more good than gracefully getting out of the bad situation. It's not really a law issue, though. I have observed this in my life: There were always groups in which I could never quite get traction. I wasn't in on the inside jokes. They seemed to make plans that I wasn't in on. Things just ran rough, and I was marginalized. Then, though, there were groups where for some reason people thought I was brilliant. Everything I said was interesting or funny. Without me even trying, success in the group came naturally. I call these my "A" people and my "B" people. There wasn't really any rhyme or reason as to why some people were A's and some B's--it just happens. Here's the punch line: your B people, who don't give you a fair chance, never will, no matter how nice, productive, thoughtful or belligerent you are. So, walk away from the B's and find the A's. Do it for your romantic relationships, your friends, and for your job. Live among your A's, and you will interesting, brilliant, funny, and successful. It's a great life!
^^^^^^^^^^^ Great advice, VYFan. I frequently review past conversations and worry about what I should have said differently. A close friend of mine told me to just worry about what I can control. If someone doesn't like you, don't worry about it. Just be a good person and do the right thing. What other people think is out of your control and worrying about what they are thinking will drive you crazy. There isn't much you can do about it anyway.
Office politics and ***-kissing seem to get one ahead more than doing a good job in many situations. It's sad but true. If you can get a position no one else likes doing, you might be safe, but otherwise, you might be advanced or replaced based on taking the boss to lunch or the tried and true method, playing golf, or based on your political views, religion, attractiveness to one of the opposite sex, or any number of other factors. I've seen this so many times, a few times myself, mostly with significant others. The only good thing about it is, the politickers who shoehorn themselves into management jobs often get fired when it becomes apparent they can't do the job well.
