I am so angry and upset.
The company I've been working at right now as a social media manager told me everything I wanted to hear when I interviewed. They claimed to have a positive work environment along with paid time off, which was more than I could say for the job prior. They offered me nearly 10k less than they claimed they would, but because it was 10k more than the job I was working at the time, I took it.
It would not be a stretch to say I work 3x as hard for that $10,000 increase. I was lied to when they promised I'd be managing a team who would assist me. I manage two businesses' social media accounts independently. I am ridiculed by my boss daily, being told that I don't do enough work despite doing all outreach, digital design, posting, scheduling, boosting, etc. I found out today that my coworker who rarely has any tasks and often goes home early was OFFERED a generous raise at three months. I have been here for almost six and never was offered any additional compensation.
I am currently applying to jobs where the description is nearly the same, with many also having multiple social media accounts to manage. These jobs pay 2-3x more in salary than I make, with benefits (don't have them now), and more paid time off than I currently get. I'm sure there are plenty of incredible candidates, and I may get lost in the shuffle, but knowing that there are people doing identical work to me remotely and are actually able to survive just kills me.
I am broke. Dead broke. People always praise me for being a social media and marketing manager as if it's an accomplishment. Sometimes I have to decide if I put gas in the car or if I want to eat for the week. This week I had to repair my car and will be unable to sustain myself because of it. My boss was angry that I couldn't be in-office despite the fact that I am still working at home, yet she comes into the office once a week. Knowing that she spent all of last week at Disney with her family while I can't even afford to care for my partner and dogs right now fills me with rage. She often insults my work, which feels like a ploy to get out of giving me a raise. Our social media engagement has increased over 1000% since I came into this role, and yet, I'm “bad at my job”. Yet clearly not bad enough for her to fire me, of course.
I hate being in this position, because it puts an immense amount of pressure on me to find somewhere that will value me and my time without exploiting my abilities or mental health in the process. Every job that reaches out for an interview fuels my anxiety, because there is so much pressure riding on me finding a job where I don't have to fear homelessness. I truly cannot handle the weight of these piling bills, and my growing resentment for my boss concerns me. I have to be careful not to cop an attitude, since being jobless certainly wouldn't help either.
I guess more than anything, this is just a rant. I just feel worn down, tired, and used. I put my heart and soul into our social media, digital design, etc. I have been given so many tasks beyond my abilities and job description, and I perform them promptly with a positive attitude. I absolutely love the work I do. I love corresponding with customers and influencers, I love designing content, I love everything I do… I just despise who I do it for.