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I need your help please guys! I'm thinking about what to say in a kind of formal letter to the high-up boss to try to save my career, so I'm not canned. Another boss (who's not as high up) says I'm not showing enough or fast enough growth, but I'm trying my best to fight this. I know I've been doing a darn good job in the last 2 yrs I've had the job!
Here's where I need your help. I've had a couple of mentors: 1 had the time, but wasn't genuinely interested in my learning or success so sh didn't show me much. The other "seemed" like she cared, but had much less time to teach/show me things.
HOW would you word in the letter that I wasn't getting enough help? I don't want to just say, "I didn't get enough help." I want to be more detailed without really bad-mouthing anyone.
This is the last ditch effort to try to save my job. If you don't have anything helpful or constructive to post, please don't waste either of our time. Thanks a lot!
Probably going to need more background information... to try and get to the root of the problem, then go from there... whether it be sending the email or another plan of action.
I'm in grad school where it's MANDATORY for the university that I have mentors throughout various terms in school. So in this case, they ARE obligated to help me & show me things to do my job effectively.
I had gotten hired where I'm getting my full salary for this job in the field I'm in school for. I think I've been doing a d@mn good job keeping up with job & rigorous grad school duties. After 2 yrs of being on the job, they said not enough & not fast enough growth. Well, I'm trying to fight this because I was NEVER evalulated like I was supposed to during my 2nd year on the job.
Honestly, my mentors have been lousy & I explained why in my OP.
Now, let me know how YOU would word how I didn't get enough help from my mentors. Thanks!
Last edited by Forever Blue; 04-17-2013 at 05:17 PM..
Mentioning the lack of mentoring can be seen as an attempt to shift the blame.
W/o knowing the specifics, some reasons for your poor performance (aside from your ability) can be attributed to :
- workload
- lack of processes, documentation, tools
- stuff you need to know is tribal knowledge
- things are accomplished by who you know instead of what you know
- things take longer now because they're more complex
I'm in grad school where it's MANDATORY for the university that I have mentors throughout various terms in school. So in this case, they ARE obligated to help me & show me things to do my job effectively.
I had gotten hired where I'm getting my full salary for this job in the field I'm in school for. I think I've been doing a d@mn good job keeping up with job & rigorous grad school duties. After 2 yrs of being on the job, they sway not enough & not fast enough growth. Well, I'm trying to fight this because I was NEVER evalulated like I was supposed to during my 2nd year on the job.
Honestly, my mentors have been lousy & I explained why in my OP.
Now, let me know how YOU would word how I didn't get enough help from my mentors. Thanks!
Sounds like you lack self-initiative -- if noone will show you how it's done, you can't figure it out on your own. You cannot blame your poor performance on your mentors.
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Going over the head of you superiors is the kiss of death. Unless you have documented proof of discrimination against you and you are in a protected class (and go to HR, not top managers) such an attempt is likely to backfire. Your "mentors" are likely to have acceptible arguements against your claims, and I have no doubt that the higher up managers will consider your letter to just be a last resort to save your job by blaming others.
I don't expect anyone to know because you haven't been in my shoes the last 2 yrs, but I've been working my @ss off!
I'm done with my letter to the big boss after a few edits & it will be submitted today. The boss can either do something or can't. If he/she can't, I'll accept it of course & know it's not meant to be. One thing I'll never do is never give up, so I'll work earnestly toward getting another job.
Here's the letter if anyone cares to read it:
For the last two years I've been working as a ___. I first interviewed for (the other ___) position by ___ and he/she really talked me into working as a ___ instead of a ___. I was promised help (which was made mandatory by my grad school program), a lower workload, and a part-time position (3-4 days a week) to work permanently or if I ever want to work full-time. I have my __ license as well, but since ___ had the faith in me to offer a ___ position, I took the position. I was given help, but not enough help. I was trying to learn as much as I could with the time available. I also attended ___ and other trainings (which were informed to us by and approved by ___) and received certificates so I could learn more and understand the scope of my job even better. When ___ evaluated me last year, he/she noted some things that I needed to improve on, which is understandable. I made great improvements, but no one evaluated me in the second year to see if I improved or not. Then my I get a letter stating that I will not be able to stay in my position. When I asked why, I was told and I quote, "you didn't show enough growth", despite that he/she never observed/evaluated me. No one told me that I was not doing something correctly or doing a bad job. I did what I was told to do. Of course, I realize that I had a lot to learn and maybe being a ___ was a little much too soon, but I also have my ___ license.
Before ___ left, he/she created an analysis of how short-staffed the company is on ___ and how it is not just about the workload size at each site. According to him/her, the ___ is short on 30+ ___. He/she also calculated how many days per week each ___ would have to work at his/her site(s) to do his/her job adequately. Many of the veteran ___ were thrilled to hear that this kind of analysis had been done. Well, myself, being new, was technically doing a full-time job in the part-time schedule that I had, so in addition to my job duties at the ___, I've also been doing my rigorous grad school program of homework assignments and tests.
First, I talked with the ___, who was unable to be of assistance. I then talked with ___, regarding this situation and he/she advised me to talk with __ and keep him/her in the loop. I talked with ___, but ___ said and I quote, “you did not show fast enough growth” and would not offer to give me more help, or change the situation. I returned to ___ to inform him/her of what was said, and he/she said he/she would look into the matter and email me.
Well, he/she emailed ,e only to tell ,e and I quote, "After reviewing the conversations you had with both __ and __, the ___ and ___ will not be bringing you back next year as stated in the letter you received from our office dated ___."
I first started working for this company when I was a ___ starting in 1999. She has since received her __ degree and two certifications. I have many letters of recommendations. When ___ first hired me, I was told and I quote, "You're well respected amongst the ___ here." They all loved me when she used to fill in for them.
___, please don’t let them take my career with __ away or forbid me from getting another position for the company. I wants to have a long career here. Please, look into this for me.
Another couple of facts I'll add is that a couple of the not-as high bosses are being let go by this high-up boss, so he/she isn't too fond of them either.
Also, this high-up boss was the ex-boss of one of my parents. My parent is actually sending them this letter on my behalf. Honestly, this writing to the high-up boss wasn't even my idea, but my parent's suggestion to do & I agreed that it couldn't hurt to try.
Oh well, what's done is done & if it's a no, then it's a no.
I would add toward the end "Consider this my two week notice"
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