Career Change - Transferring to a New Department
Yesterday was my last day at the bank. On Monday I start my marketing gig and while I’m looking forward to learning a new area of the business, I am feeling a little melancholy and a significant sense of loss.
As I’ve mentioned before, I loved the job I am leaving behind. The work was interesting and meaningful, and I worked with a terrific group of extremely bright individuals.
Regular readers know that I left this job because of the uncomfortable relationship with my boss. One commenter helpfully pointed out that perhaps the reason my boss didn’t like me due to an aversion to “large people” - an interesting theory (and while I would like to blame the strained relationship with my leader on weight discrimination, I am pretty sure that wasn’t the problem - this lady is nearly as wide as she is tall).
Anyway, the past week has been a whirlwind of activity for me - I have been writing a lot of “state of the union” memos, creating document reference guides, etc. While attempting to wrap things up for whoever may follow in my footsteps, I was often interrupted by the well wishes of co-workers, which while kind, are also awkward.
An internal transfer is a strange way to leave a job. Many of the co-workers that I consider friends cracked comments about how I was abandoning them and “trading up” for more money or a better manager - which I can’t deny. It’s a strange feeling, this combination of relief about escaping a bad boss, excitement about the new opportunities that await, and anxiety stemming from leaping towards the unknown. All of which are completely normal with any job change, but somehow these emotions are heightened by staying in the organization. My new job is fairly high-profile and the people that I worked with at the bank will easily be able to keep tabs on my success or failure.
As an aside - my old boss didn’t even say goodbye to me yesterday. My desk is right next to hers, so she had to go out of her way to avoid me all day - but somehow she managed to do so - and she slipped out around 3:00 pm without so much as a “thank-you,” “so long,” or “good riddance.”
If there was any doubt in my mind regarding the soundness of my decision to leave, it was completely resolved when it became clear that she wasn’t going to show for my “good-bye & good luck” happy hour. I laid awake all night rolling it over in my mind. I know that I need to get over it, and that I should have expected as much, but the fact that she didn’t acknowledge my departure really hurt my feelings.
As I tell my students, you can learn as least as much from the bad bosses as you can from the good ones.
Stumble it!
March 29th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
That is so true. She was unprofessional and she probably burned a little bridge right there without congratulating you, and taking it too personally
March 29th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Wow. That kind of sucks, but it’s great that she made it easy for you not to have second thoughts. I don’t think anyone would do well under such a boss.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:20 am
The last day at a job that was liked is always stressful and emotional. It makes me sad that a bad boss made you want to leave but it sounds like you made the right decision! And now you have a good opportunity at the new job. Take this weekend to process your thoughts and emotions, and have a wonderful first day at your new job!
March 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I had a boss just like yours a few years ago, and I also found a new position internally. I run into my old boss in the halls every so often and she gives me a look that would kill and NEVER says hello. I saw her at Trader Joe’s once and she turned and went down another aisle. We had a major personality conflict from the get-go. It was anything quantifiable–it’s just how you just plain don’t like each other on sight. Anyway, best of luck in your new position!
March 31st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
There was some awkwardness when I was undergoing an internal transfer, and I was a little resentful for a while. But everyone told me to forget about it, so I did. Now, there’s minor awkwardness when I run into that person, but it’s actually not so bad. I figure I’ll give it another 6 months before I approach her again with an idea that will save her a lot of stress. It’s funny that its something I had incentive but no opportunity to do before. Now I have opportunity but no incentive other than to be positive about life.
Good luck!
April 1st, 2008 at 6:29 am
Some people just don’t know how to interact with employees — I’m surprised she’s gotten into a manger’s role with those type of people skills BUT at least you know you made the right decision.
I hope your first week in the new role is going well!