Tips for working at large companies

[peteblue]

I am good tonight Pete.

Good lad......

 

[carlos21]

Good lad......

You got any pets.

 

[Prevenger17]

I've never worked at a large company but I imagine going around acting the Billy Big Bollocks is the way to go

 

[johnnydawg68]

Hmm, not sure I agree there.

Ambitious failure in a controlled environment can have massive positive impact on your long term career if you learn the right lessons from it.

Keeping your head down, for me, shows a galling lack of ambition.

Well I think we can both be right here.you are correct that everything in life really depends on learning lessons from both failure and success. An example: I was frustrated with one of my business partners about a year ago. They were an acquired company and were still very much doing their own thing in regards to process....and i volunteered to take it on. That in itself was good...but there was a specific initiative that was really outside my "lane". But it seemed to me I could fix some major issues more quickly than the person who wasn't doing their job properly. So when I volunteered she was all too happy to put it in my lap. The problem is i thought I had everything i needed to accomplish the task....I didn't. So I got blamed for lack of progress at one point. It didn't hurt me long term, but my manager pointed out to me that I volunteered to own it so I did. No excuses. My lack of patience and foresight there could have been a bigger issue than it turned out, but it was a cautionary lesson for me.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Pretend to care, you'll be surprised how far you'll get.

Or actually care, but same difference. When others believe you care about them they will have your back.

A very practical piece of advice...when someone gives you kudos, do not be afraid to say thank you can you provide that feedback to my manager? I do it all the time. You have to earn it, but does you no good if your leadership doesn't know it. Most people understand how the game is played so I've never gotten any pushback on this. But it works the other way. Be willing to praise others when it's deserved.

 

[The Cowboy]

Haha yeah if you knew the half of it you wouod understand why.



Mate I have been for a secondment elsewhere and been blocked by my managers. I have had interviews that lasted less than 5 minutes , about 3 questions as well when they are meant to ask minimum 7 as they knew who they were hiring. I went to one interview where they wrote their own questions and then failed everyone and stopped anyone reapplying.

Sure I have had one or two which I have not interviewed well at, comes with the experience. But yeah, I have tried and tried and when you have so many interviews end up like that in administration so mostly under the same radar then you end up with the same results.

And my place told me I over answered questions once as feedback, when I gave them spot on answers. I had another tm where the job I applied for wasn't available but still interviewed me for a different job which meant my answers didn't relate to it. I even had one where they didn't wait to interview me by 24 hours, when I was in hospital with the baby despite knowing I was coming back the next day.

Does anyone of that relate to being bloody good at your job? lol after Christmas I'm going to start up trying again to get out of where I am, but you can see why work ability alone has kinda got me nowhere.

All these instances you describe - they're all at your current employer? And you're still there?!

1) get on jobserve and get yourself another job, as they clearly have zero respect for you

Or

2) You're not as good as you think.

 

[Eggs]

...as a career Civil Servant, I expect you will find the culture different even if you are still working in the private sector. I advise you treat colleagues as you expect to be treated yourself and get to understand the lay of the land.

 

[Ashtonian]

All these instances you describe - they're all at your current employer? And you're still there?!

1) get on jobserve and get yourself another job, as they clearly have zero respect for you

Or

2) You're not as good as you think.

Thing is I'm best staying under my current employer. Or within the organisation at least as it's secure work long term. Thst is what makes it more difficult, as much as I could leave for somewhere else it probably isn't in my best interest whilst There are bills to pay.

In terms of my ability, my workload turnover is 3 times my teams mates combined plus in terms of experience, I have it in about 5 to 6 roles within the department. I don't think anyone else can say they have experience in more than 2, let alone pretty much every role. I am even doing an NVQ level 4 which is for managers just to add it to my cv, along side the level 3, mentoring qualification, got training in working with disabled kids, health and social care qualifications etc. So yeah, I might bang my own drum but there is good reason for it.

 

[The Cowboy]

Thing is I'm best staying under my current employer. Or within the organisation at least as it's secure work long term. Thst is what makes it more difficult, as much as I could leave for somewhere else it probably isn't in my best interest whilst There are bills to pay.

In terms of my ability, my workload turnover is 3 times my teams mates combined plus in terms of experience, I have it in about 5 to 6 roles within the department. I don't think anyone else can say they have experience in more than 2, let alone pretty much every role. I am even doing an NVQ level 4 which is for managers just to add it to my cv, along side the level 3, mentoring qualification, got training in working with disabled kids, health and social care qualifications etc. So yeah, I might bang my own drum but there is good reason for it.

Yet you think leaving wouldn't be a good idea? You're mad, and it sounds like they're playing you for a fool.

If you value your job security that much, then stop whining and while out your days. Or you could get a different job in a better company. Your choice.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

The corporate world is full of greasers and show ponies

I spent nearly 20 years working my way up in a PLC. I've never been any good at office politics, as I've always taken the view that you can judge me by my results. However, that only got me so far. I was trained to take over a regional directors position, having to take on a number of different roles in order to prove my worth along the way, as well as undertaking 2 years of study at Warwick Uni business school.

However, despite doing everything asked of me and producing great results, I was passed over - twice, by blokes who had nowhere near the same track record, but played the game better than me. They were more corporate in their thinking and got key allies on the board to assist their passage.

I decided after that to spew it, and have only worked for medium sized family businesses since, I find it far more rewarding and much more akin to my personal philosophy on how business should work.

So my advice would be, play the game, work hard, produce great results, but don't forget to ensure that you've greased the right arse along the way. It's a tad shallow, but it's the way it is.

 

[Moomin]

The corporate world is full of greasers and show ponies

I spent nearly 20 years working my way up in a PLC. I've never been any good at office politics, as I've always taken the view that you can judge me by my results. However, that only got me so far. I was trained to take over a regional directors position, having to take on a number of different roles in order to prove my worth along the way, as well as undertaking 2 years of study at Warwick Uni business school.

However, despite doing everything asked of me and producing great results, I was passed over - twice, by blokes who had nowhere near the same track record, but played the game better than me. They were more corporate in their thinking and got key allies on the board to assist their passage.

I decided after that to spew it, and have only worked for medium sized family businesses since, I find it far more rewarding and much more akin to my personal philosophy on how business should work.

So my advice would be, play the game, work hard, produce great results, but don't forget to ensure that you've greased the right arse along the way. It's a tad shallow, but it's the way it is.

Pretty much how it is, I was asked last year to go for a regional managers role on the golf course with the sales director. But, the amount of work and time away from home is not for me personally.

My plan is to carry on working in sales for a few more years then become a consultant for a local company. I'm personally not motivated about going up the corporate ladder and prefer to have a settled homelife with my own time being for me and family.

 

[Ashtonian]

Yet you think leaving wouldn't be a good idea? You're mad, and it sounds like they're playing you for a fool.

If you value your job security that much, then stop whining and while out your days. Or you could get a different job in a better company. Your choice.

Except i won't get better elsewhere. That is the problem, it isn't just a contract, its the pay, the holidays, the benefits etc All better than elsewhere, which would be a gamble.

It is not as easy as move elsewhere, especially when you can't afford the risk of potentially ever being out of work. plus if i managed to move out of where i am and get into a different department under a different umbrella then things would probably improve draqstically, certainly anyone who has ever left our department has talked about how much better it is. Long term i would love to get into clinical coding, then move to a hospital closer to home. but even those jobs, normally are 1 position and 100 applicants, so very difficult to get there.

 

[The Cowboy]

Except i won't get better elsewhere. That is the problem, it isn't just a contract, its the pay, the holidays, the benefits etc All better than elsewhere, which would be a gamble.

It is not as easy as move elsewhere, especially when you can't afford the risk of potentially ever being out of work. plus if i managed to move out of where i am and get into a different department under a different umbrella then things would probably improve draqstically, certainly anyone who has ever left our department has talked about how much better it is. Long term i would love to get into clinical coding, then move to a hospital closer to home. but even those jobs, normally are 1 position and 100 applicants, so very difficult to get there.

1. 'Except I won't get better elsewhere' - have you checked? Cos I left my very nicely paid job for an even better paid job. Sounds like you're making excuses not to leave.

2. If those jobs are so rare, why wait around? Why not just go look elsewhere. You don't have to leave this one to apply for other jobs.

3. Not sure how old you are, but you're not stuck in one job, not by the sounds of the experience and qualifications you describe. They are transferable. Go use them.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Some great advice in here. I've got limited experience of big companies but one very important thing I learned early on was to make sure you don't get overworked. Naturally if you're new to a job you'll want to impress and take on as much work as you can but be realistic in what you can cope with. If you let yourself take on too much work you risk juggling too many things at once and instead of giving 100% to say 10 tasks, you'll end up giving 80% to 15 tasks etc... It'll only look bad on you in the long run. Just prioritise your tasks and knock them down one by one. That's all you can really do.

In my job it's quite common to be understaffed, and the only way I'll get everything done is if I work 2 hours+ overtime every day, which is something I did at first before I came to my senses. You rarely get thanks for going the extra mile and your happiness and wellbeing will suffer for it. You'll become resentful of your job particularly if it's eating in to your personal time.

Know when to say "No sorry, I've got too much on right now". You'll be respected because you're showing you're focusing on what's already in front of you.

Obviously don't just be a lazy sod because that isn't good either!

 

[The Cowboy]

Also, depends what you mean by 'large company'. My company has so many departments and sub-departments that it's essentially a series of small companies working under one name. I only really interact with about 20 people out of thousands of employees.

You might just be a number in HR world, but you can still quickly make a name for yourself in your little world.