#careergrowth

And disillusioned with Fidelity.
Is it my imagination that career moves lateral up or sideways don’t exist?
I feel like I’m spinning my wheels making no progress.
Mind you it’s a good job decent enough pay clearly a nice benefits offering but I’m going nowhere.
I’ve made gains in my skills that show initiative and intellect.
Nothing seems to help me grow or advance in any way, shape or manner.
I feel like maybe it’s time to cut hair and look externally.
What is it they are looking for? I mean I hate to say it but it sure seems like young Asian women rule is it just I’m the wrong gender and ethnicity/race?
Could HR be this shallow?
I’m not speaking sarcastically I happen to be very intelligent, extremely professional and polite and nothing changes regarding my career here.

I've seen great employees kept in place because their managers didn't want to lose them. They make their department looks good, manager looks good, but they end up stuck because their manager sabotages their advancement for their own gain. If you've been stuck in the same position for a while and don't know why, this might be it.

Curious as to how a VG early in your career affects your career prospects with the company. Are you limited in how far you can go? Looking for personal experience

Will you immediately seek employment, go back to school, take a break, etc. What are your plans?
God Bless Us All.

March 2027 for me, so I'm a bit envious of those who got earlier dates, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

The majority of our jobs won't exist anymore in just a few years.

People join, learn the ropes, build their resume, then leave for something bigger. I've been noticing it more and more.

Got a nice raise of nearly $20k. Nothing like getting laid off and realizing you were being severely underpaid in your previous position.

Just wondering how long you have spent or plan to spend in your current role? I have been with the company almost 20 years and in my position for a good portion of that time. I used to really like it. The last few years, not my immediate director, but the next level up has become extremely controlling. It is to the point that I don’t even know what decisions I can make or not without vetting it through both levels. It’s incredibly frustrating and has led to burnout for me. Theres always a chance for turnover I guess, but I am also considering moving to a different group. It has been quite a while since I have tried something new.

When I got the notice, I thought my career was over. Instead, it was the push I needed. I found a role with actual work-life balance, a team that respects me, and no daily dread. And I'm not alone, I keep a running list of ex-colleagues who've moved on and thrived. Not one of them regrets being let go. It's a strange comfort knowing that getting cut might be the best thing that ever happens to me.

Ex-Verizon here. Seeing all these RIFs even after I left still hurts. And each time, I see people that I used to work with put on the open to work banner on LinkedIn.

I initially joined Verizon as part of an early in career development program right out of school around the COVID era. I quite liked the program at first, but as time moved on it really seemed like I wasn’t learning anything relevant that could be used outside of Verizon. Still quite glad for the opportunity, met some great people who helped a new kid find their feet in the working world. Though it probably was a silver lining when I got caught in one of the big RIFS a few years back, managed to land in a pretty good company after that.

For those who are still in the program, new grads who just joined, or those that graduated from VLDP/EIC, how is the program now? How is the management and mentorship? I can’t imagine morale being high with all these problems. For those that remember the old program, how much has changed? Hopefully it’s still going strong, but with all these issues it feels a bit hopeless, coming from someone on the outside.

Professional and Technical Tier guidelines have those positions

Associate
Expert
Senior expert
Principal
Senior principal
Chief

Do they correspond to a specific CL?
Or rather a CL band (like 27-29)?
What’s the base pay for Expert or Senior Principal ?

as an external hire, just because everyone can see other people’s “tier” online I inferred this isn’t the same as CL. Anyone can shed light on what it is and how to upgrade this ?

It's waste of time. I applied for over 80+ positions in the past 4 years, for promotion roles. I got few responses and like may be 5 or 6 initial interviews. Except one position, I am pretty sure that all other interviews are fake and they just interviewed me for documentation purposes.
Everything else is an automatic rejection email. Internal mobility for higher roles is a SCAM!

Bumped from @bk+1kxk1gpmb.

I'm documenting everything and training two new hires. Either I'm getting promoted or I'm getting fired.

Pretty much…if you don’t like it, leave.

I’m working on that, Gunjan, don’t worry.

It’s clear if you are remote or not in one of the main hubs, there is no longer any growth for you. They want you to leave.

So disheartening after years of dedicated work to just feel like I’m being pushed out!

Left after 5 years, no regrets. New role pays 18% more and I actually take my lunch breaks.

Sit up straight and take note: The key highlight from the Raytheon Global Town Hall is Raytheon is hiring and hiring bodies -including your kids, grand kids, neighborhood friends and family members, the local bartender, the bagger at the grocery store, kids at the carwash, telemarketers... there is no need to have any experience as one can make a career at Raytheon attending meetings or training without the expectation of performing any work. Even those with a tepid pulse whose only skill is to occupy a chair need apply as Raytheon is anxiously awaiting your arrival with open arms.

Whats new or different on your review and goals being stressed? Im assuming when mine comes it will be more hyperventilating about using AI and being pushed in thinking of new ways to use AI or commit to taking some type of AI training or certiications. Seems like this will all be used to eliminate anyone not 100% in on the AI cult mentality.

...did this on an external AI too but translated all of my annual reviews into files, told it to parse them, told it my salary, & asked how hosed & stifled I am here compared to market. It told me not only to leave immediately (both Claude & Grok) but that while delivering more & more every year & outworking everyone else around me I've been deliberately sidelined, pushed around, & my personality used against me by my bosses in their responses to hold me down. That i'm leaving $50k/yr on the table & over the time I've been here have missed-out on $200k in earnings. No wonder I've felt so squeezed by this place & am barely surviving. Everyone else in my role & field is ki-ling it compared to me. This place su-ks & has stolen almost 10 years of career & growth from me.

I can't even get my boss on a regularly scheduled 1:1 for 15min to ESTABLISH a 1:3:5 for me after 2 years. He flaked yesterday while 'working' from India.

Combined with recently being told by my director to fudge numbers on Clarity & that my SSL usage is being tracked & used against me for (carrot dangle) prospective promotions - fu-k this place.

Let's not even discuss how I'm being split between two teams this year & how exhausting that is. They LOVE to keep me dangling in the wind moving from team to team to team - because I'll do it & can do it, I don't push back (thinking eventually SURELY some good has to come of this for me). I never get anything, all I get is hosed & progressively poorer, stolen from in lost earnings by this place. Sc--wed over at EOY in bonus while these shady executives hoard it all for themselves.

Anywhere else I'd be a senior engineer IC or manager by now. My loyalty has cost me a real career & major earnings.

I'm a swe earning under 100k after 8 fu--ing years. I'm done sulking & being a loser about it though. Now I'm on a mission.

Good job blowing me off manager, you just lost an employee.

Whether a role can be performed effectively from home ultimately depends on the nature of the work itself.
In many cases, remote employees go above and beyond compared to their in-office counterparts. For example, when meetings are scheduled at 6:30 a.m., remote employees are generally expected to be online and fully engaged. This is particularly common for employees based on the West Coast who report to leadership teams on the East Coast. Remote employees also put more hours in work on an average.

Ironically, employees working from the office often benefit from greater visibility and more opportunities for informal interactions with leadership. Remote employees, on the other hand, frequently contend with the classic "out of sight, out of mind" challenge, which can impact recognition and career progression despite strong performance.

We certainly have skill issues, but attributing those issues to remote work misses the mark. The root causes lie elsewhere, and remote work is not the driving factor behind them.
If we're being objective, some of the weakest performers are sitting in Franklin Lakes, which makes it difficult to argue that location is the root cause of the problem.

Bumped from @fv+1kvtn2txr.

All of us basically have got three choices. Stay and take the abuse. Move up internally for a real raise. Or leverage the name on the resume and get a big bump somewhere else while Oracle still means something (it won't for long). Frankly, I don't want to stay where I'm not valued.

Any one want to share about internally moving to a lateral position or higher? How is the process to tell the current manager that you want to move elsewhere ?

After spending 25 years at Big O across multiple organizations and technologies, I feel I'm in a good position to share my perspective.

One thing many people misunderstand is how compensation works. In my experience, bonuses, salary increases, and RSU's are not automatic rewards for hard work or tenure. They depend heavily on your manager's recommendation, the leadership chain, and the budget allocated to your organization.

Even if your manager believes you deserve a significant raise, there are organizational constraints. Most teams receive a limited compensation budget, so managers often have to make difficult trade-offs. In a team of 10 people, only a small number (Read 1 or almost 2) may receive meaningful increases while everyone else gets little or nothing. That's simply how the budgeting process works.

Because of that, I've learned not to assume that working harder automatically translates into better compensation. Performance really doesn't matter a lot, but manager advocacy, organizational priorities do have their share.

At Big O, timing and organizational placement often matter as much as talent. You could have the abilities of Elon Musk, but if you're buried in an org that's five or six levels below an EVP, don't expect exceptional career growth. Realistically, you may spend years capped at something like IC4, irrespective of your performance.

The same applies to layoffs. From what I've observed over the years, layoffs are not always a pure reflection of talent or performance. Its just big fish eats small fish. One influential manager saving his and sacrificing some one else. Or its a bid. A manager will be asked how many you can get rid off. Sometimes excellent employees are affected while others remain. That's the reality of working in a large corporation.

My advice is simple: don't spend too much emotional energy trying to predict the next raise cycle or the next round of layoffs. Forums like Layoffs.com and Reddit are full of speculation, but nobody outside leadership truly knows what's going to happen.

Instead, invest in yourself. Keep your skills current, interview occasionally, build your professional network, and make sure you always have options.

One lesson that surprised me after leaving Big O was this: spending decades working on internal systems and technologies doesn't automatically translate into equivalent market value outside the company. Many of the tools, processes, and systems are unique to Big O. In many ways, you have to rebuild your external profile and prove yourself again. If you're fortunate enough to find a role using similar technologies, the transition is easier—but that's not always the case.

This is just my experience after 25 years. Others may have had very different experiences, but I hope this perspective helps someone focus on what they can control rather than worrying about what they can't.

Hi Gang

No help needed this time, i already told them there will be no growth for 3 YEARS 🤣 and got away with it.

Asta la vista babies

does anyone else find it interesting how as soon as the deadline passed for the VSP, new jobs are being posted?

part of the terms of applying for the VSP was not being able to apply for internal roles. if your application is approved, then you cannot go back and change your mind if you see an internal role you’re interested in.

halfway annoyed as there are three positions I’m interested in. I’ve been waiting for MONTHS for a growth opportunity. there seemed to be little to no opportunity with the “hiring freeze” and looming layoffs in the future. now all of the sudden, 50+ roles have been posted in the last week??

I guess I’ll just wait and see what happens.

For those who moved up internally, how many jobs did you apply to, to get a new role internally? In the US.

Most people quit too late.

Look out for these 12 signs:

1. Dread Every Morning
   ↳This isn't a bad week, it's a pattern that won't shift
   ↳Ex: Your stomach drops every Sunday night before Monday

2. Growth Has Stopped
   ↳You've learned everything this role can teach you
   ↳Ex: You could do your job in your sleep and haven't been challenged in months

3. Values Don't Match
   ↳The company rewards things you don't believe in
   ↳Ex: Leadership praises long hours over real results

4. No Real Feedback
   ↳Your manager never talks about your future, only your tasks
   ↳Ex: Your last three reviews said "keep doing what you're doing"

5. Constant Small Lies
   ↳You're asked to bend the truth in ways that add up
   ↳Ex: You're told to tell clients a project is "on track" when it's not

6. Health Keeps Slipping
   ↳Your body is sending signals your calendar ignores
   ↳Ex: You've had three headaches this week you didn't have last year

7. Talent Keeps Leaving
   ↳Good people quitting is a signal, not a coincidence
   ↳Ex: Three teammates left in six months and no one asked why

8. Raises Feel Impossible
   ↳You've asked clearly and gotten vague answers twice
   ↳Ex: "Let's revisit this next quarter" - for the second year in a row

9. Passion Feels Gone
   ↳You used to care, now you just show up
   ↳Ex: You stopped raising ideas in meetings months ago

10. Trust Is Broken
    ↳Something happened that changed how you see leadership
    ↳Ex: A promise about your role or pay was quietly broken

11. Skills Are Stale
    ↳The market is moving and your role isn't keeping up
    ↳Ex: You haven't learned a new tool or skill in over a year

12. Gut Says Go
    ↳You already know, you're just waiting for permission
    ↳Ex: You catch yourself checking job boards every day at lunch

Staying too long doesn't just cost you time.
It costs you growth.

https://www.leadershipgs.com/newsletter

Stuck in grade 8 since last 7years and salary is 170k in Bay Area. Performance rating is always good with stock options(30k) alternate years, but no promotion. How is it for everyone? I'm pretty demotivated to put the same effort another year!

I remember when Dell actually pushed us to learn and grow. That seems like ancient history now.

For those who previously worked at CDW, I’d appreciate hearing which VAR you’ve joined and how your experience compares to your time at CDW. Many of us are exploring opportunities within VAR organizations that place a stronger emphasis on coworker value and overall culture, and your insight would be extremely helpful.

Got a phone interview scheduled with another company for this Friday afternoon. The position is with a local oncology clinic. Starting pay pretty dang close to what I make now after ten years. I didn't take the VSP, and obviously haven't been notified if my position within EBOS is being cut as I guess that's supposed to happen within the next couple of weeks or so. But with all that going on in CC with seemingly no positive changes on the horizon, it might be wise for me to, in the famous words of Cobra Kai, "strike first." What do y'all think?

Let’s motivate ourselves to leave. I’ve applied for 3 so far and I’m applying for at least one today. How many jobs have you applied for so far?

Experts are providing guidance on how individuals can proactively prepare for potential job losses. These strategies aim to mitigate the impact of unexpected employment changes. The advice focuses on financial planning and skill development. It encourages individuals to build emergency funds and explore new career avenues. Following these steps can help navigate challenging economic times.

Washington D.C.

https://www.wusa9.com/video/money/wheres-the-money/how-to-plan-now-for-potential-layoffs-wheres-the-money/65-87affe0a-ae80-4540-95e0-f3801e0a4e30

All through my years I was just delivering something for Oracle based on company /team requirements from top. Most of these are non-innovative, mundane, repetitive tasks occupying my time, energy, efforts. I have done some valuable things but are not rewarded for those. I was happy with 2% increments.

Here is the problem, your friends in other companies are seeing hyper growth for what you are doing now. Even in small company they grow big and paid more.
Its a hare and tortoise game. We run fast and want to rest in shade of Oracle tree thinking management directions will help us grow and move forward. Where the tortoises are winning.

Oracle is/has become a Political Junk yard.

It is tough out here finding a new job. If you have one with benefits and good pay try to make it work. It will get better some day, but it is really bad right now. I have been looking for a while after leaving Oxy and the whole job situation has changed. On the techinical side each opening (if it is really an opening) gets 100's of resumes if not more. A lot of the jobs are ghost jobs on LinkedIn and other sites, and it is just a je-k around of people trying to get your data and then selling it. I have applied to many jobs and got one Teams interview and that had been it. I know sometimes your situation might be bad at work, but believe me it is terrible out here on the job market. I am not with HR and just want to let all my old Oxy co-workers know how bad it is. Make the most of what you have in hand.

Hi, I saw a previous post mentioning that Cognizant's FDE role is intended to automate production delivery tasks.

At FIS, there are now internal FDE openings, and some employees are being "encouraged" to apply. You might wonder why I'm asking this here, but I'm interested in how others view the situation.
If the responsibilities of the FDE role are changing significantly and you decide not to apply for the FDE position, choosing instead to stay in your current role, do you think that could make you more vulnerable (immediate target candidate) during future layoffs? Or would you simply stay put and accept that risk?
I'm looking for opinions.

I had a long and mostly good career at Intel. I remember the early days, when it was demanding, but in exchange, there was a meaningful employer/employee relationship. Towards the end, and sadly like so much of tech, it is now just transactional, you are here for the moment, then not. In the last chapter of my career at Intel products side (DCG), I felt our mission and goals were always shifting with the rotation of VPs, job clarity and purpose were low, and you spent as much time navigating politics, turf and survival as you did actually focused on delivering anything to our customers. Still, I always saved, maxed out 401k, additional savings along the way.

When our team was hit a year ago, I took the money and ran. We only have one shot at our lives, so for the next chapter, I focused on finding a job and organization that had more meaning to me, and not about the pay or title. I landed a role that pays about 1/3 of what I made at Intel (was double digit grade level), but I have very clear job clarity, ownership, accountability, I have direct line of site where my contributions add value, there isn't a re-org every quarter, the management is stable. This is a much better space than the nonsense of working on ever shifting goals, and one day you are told what you do matters, and the next day the team is CPM'd.

The key, if you are there navigating Lip-Bu's 'you are born to suffer and work hard' mindset, is save, save, save, and as you have more and more socked away, your options beyond Intel, and beyond tech, grow, grow and grow.

I am grateful for the wealth accumulation Intel provided my family and I over the years, and I do wish the remaining Intel colleagues the best of luck, I hope Intel and those that are there succeed (still have stock), but have to say the employment experience - from the perspective of meaning and purpose - decreased significantly from the Intel I joined in times past.

Hey everyone! Does anyone have any recent job interview tips? It’s been a long time since I last interviewed, so I’m feeling a bit rusty. Please post some tips if you have any!

Hey everyone! Let’s help each other out—drop your best resume tips or favorite formatting hacks below so we can all level up our applications!