You worked for decades stuck in your position. You applied for numerous higher-level spots, that you were qualified for, and a perfect candidate, and yet you were always denied, overlooked, and simply dismissed? And now you cling to the hopes of not getting laid off, or if you do, you pray to get some sort of a mere pittance of participation package and feel gracious. I know this company is as toxic as they come, and has been for the last 20+ years, but do you specifically contribute this no growth phenomenon too?
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I got one of those IT certifications. The next rung on the ladder was outsourced!
When you haven’t done anything else besides splice cable, it seems high tech. Trust me, it’s not....by a mile. The bottom line is that unions protect workers no matter what, good or bad, skilled or unskilled and Seniority and luck are the only reason you lasted that long in craft. Just because you made lots of money as a union tech doesn’t mean you were highly skilled or deserved it. Unions s— for that very reason. They take people like you who don’t really have any valuable skill set in the real world, train you up a little, entitle you and get you a ridiculously high wage that doesn’t match your skill set and all of a sudden you think you’re special.
Why do you think most if not all of the manual labor at T is performed by level 0 employees? Running wire, placing drop, installing plastic boxes on the side of someone’s house, crimping wires together. Even the so called “high tech” stuff like loop and CO electronics, managed services and complex CPE are not that complicated to work on because the real “high tech” folks that make all of it a reality via software (I.e. those L2 and above people you think are so stupid) are hard at work ever day engineering and managing software solutions and automation so you can install a box and hit a magic button to make it all work.
No shame ....I positioned myself into the high tech jobs of fiber splicing, FWG. I actually enjoyed what I did .....and never stressed if I was going to have a job tomorrow. Enjoyed my contractual seniority, never had to s— up to a boss. I had a contract ....which as many of you NOW know will keep you employed. Know many people who went for it and were shown the door way earlier then they wanted! Nope life is great on the bottom!
“No shame in being a splicer for 43 years, there are plenty of men and women who have advance degrees and are technicians. You’ve heard it before, but with OT they can easily make 150 a year.“ Seriously.........Did you even spend 60 seconds doing the math on that $150k?? The average group 1 craft wage is $80,000+/Yr. You would have to work 20+ hours of OT (OT/DT combined) EVERY week of the year, including your PTO weeks to even get close. And to each their own...I would be ashamed if I spent 43 years at the bottom of the workforce hierarchy with an “Advanced” degree doing the same monotonous manual labor every day.
You never know but most are already filled. I was interested in a job posting and it actually had the 2nd level hiring uid. I pulled his direct reports and titles - posting closed and sure enough one of his direct reports went from professional to senior - fix was in.
I got my current job though the Career Opportunities site and it was a "Progression" not "Promotion", however, it came to me via a recommendation of an informed party. The hiring org re-opened the posting that had already been closed, I posted and it was closed back - all within 10 minutes. I interviewed and got the job as I was much more qualified that other applicants.
Actually I’m still a splicer after 43 years because I turned down a promotion! Job security was a much highet priority!!
No shame in being a splicer for 43 years, there are plenty of men and women who have advance degrees and are technicians. You’ve heard it before, but with OT they can easily make 150 a year. So let’s see move up the ladder get a 5% bump max to your base salary, substantial increase in your medical cost, and zero job security. Maybe if I’m really lucky in about 10 years I’ll be back to where I started , but most likely I’ll be outsourced.
@130cx9o0- “Yeah....I’m still a splicer after 43 years!” So you basically spent 43 years as a union tech splicing copper and fiber doing practically the same job with no aspiration to branch out into another field or work your way up the corporate ladder via further education or skill enhancement........Congratulations, you are truly a pioneer in the industry.
"Do you think that hasn't been done, about 5 times? Everyone knows that the only move a non-family & friend person can make is lateral. So there, that's the different ladder you can jump on, it's the SOS." At the same company? That's the same thing as trying to get milk from a different teat when the whole cow is down. I suggest spending less time venting and more time finding a new position at a different company. Double plus if you can do it after getting a separation package.
why would you want to?
You can’t climb because it is covered in green snot nose slime.
@-2oew,
"If you are stuck on the ladder, maybe it's time for you to get on another one."
Do you think that hasn't been done, about 5 times? Everyone knows that the only move a non-family & friend person can make is lateral. So there, that's the different ladder you can jump on, it's the SOS.
By design, the elitists have a lock on who they let into their club. Often, another reason why people get locked in, is age, and years in of service, and benefits (though much lost now) and truth, looking to make it to retirement on their own terms.
Other companies will not hire us due to ageism, and, special just for AT&T people, they don't want a former AT&T manager in their company. All of them know, as I've personally learned from interviews with Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, they are all more than well aware of the arrogance, and condescension of our custom crafted managers.
There a far more duds than not on the high potential list. It is like inbreeding that has led to ATT not being able to do anything productive or innovative
The definition of insanity is trying the same thing and expecting a different result. If you are stuck on the ladder, maybe it's time for you to get on another one. What's holding you back is probably FUD - fear, uncertainty, dread. With a tight labor market, what's keeping you chained to a sinking ship when you probably know there isn't a seat for you on the life raft. If you can retire, take it, and finally start doing something you actually like.
Successful Promotions are achieved by having an Area Manager like you. You are willing to fly their flag and fall in line behind them. You show blind loyalty and follow directions to a tee. If that Area Manager moves on, your Managerial Life depends on his successor or the other Area Managers under the General Manager. As that support group diminishes so does your Career Life with the Organization. The phrase “You’re only as good as what you’ve last done for me” applies. You are only as good as your perceived perception. Regardless of your true reality.
Happy to be "stuck" here at L2 after many years. The opportunities for most to move beyond that level went away with Cingular, when AT&T landline leadership came in and took over. I'm OK with it. I actually heard an L2 talking the other day about someone in another organization that was "promoted". This person was an L2 individual contributor that was moved into an AM role with about 20 direct reports. This is still L2. So you went from an L2 role with few headaches to a bunch of headaches with a bunch of direct reports. And they have the nerve to call that a "promotion". It's a joke.
Most of the jobs posted on the career site are already for those that are chosen. They are asked if they are interested in a job and if so please apply. Just watch the career site, notice that some jobs open only for one day or maybe a couple of hours. It’s to allow the person to apply and then close immediately so HR doesn’t have the ability to pick from a pool of people.
Yeah....I’m still a splicer after 43 years!
I worked many years ago at a company with the initials C.B.I. We said it stood for "cousins, brothers, and in-laws." Same at T. Lots of execs getting their adult children in the door and then promoted. It's always been "not what you do, but who you know."
Helloooooo..You are just coming to this conclusion now? I found after a couple of years of being employed. Friends and Family wich was the old MCI slogan but more befitting of AT&T.
I'm intrigued by “high potential" list is there an easy way to spot them? Are these the ones that get a promotion/progression on a yearly basis, etc...
Yep
There’s nothing but dog t–ds at the top of that ladder, so there’s no sense trying to climb it.
That cannot be done alone. You must have some mentor who takes you under their wing and you go up with them, who they have someone else pulling them up also. Gotta know somebody. You should never apply for a promotion. You shall be selected for a promotion.
Unless you are identified and are on the “high potential” list, the chance of moving beyond a 2nd line is very limited. If you don’t know about the HP list, that tells you all you need to know.
You have to be someone’s child or a sibling of a C-Suite executive!!
Just take a look at you CEO, breath deeply, and yes... he is the head of the company you work for... Wow! We can do better than that!