The long version- So I worked as a mechanic for a large company for other 15 years- In that time I transferred around different divisions of the company and built quite a formidable skill set. I knew how to run production machines in the manufacturing side, as well as the packaging division. My specialty was a running a piece of “legacy” equipment (old and half broken down that they don’t want to replace) that no one else could quite get to run. I also worked to organize the inventory in the repair shops in two locations during my time there, I could keep the department afloat when the boss went on vacation, ie dealing with vendors, contractors, and other interdepartmental issues. I was one of the guys my boss always said he could count on… Thing was that the pay never matched my skills. I Never had a bad review, but despite all this (and them being a multi billion dollar business) they could never manage more than a 3% raise each year… they’d dangle the carrot in front of me, they’d make assurances that they were going to “help our department out” but it never happened. I would voice my displeasure, and tell my bosses that if things didn’t change they would start losing guys. It started with some of the less talented guys stuck on the night shift, but they wouldn’t listen.
So I finally got up the courage to update my resume and see what else was out there. It was scary as fuck. But I did it.
Within two weeks I had an interview, then a job offer for a similar job at a 25% pay raise. I put my two weeks in and have started the new place and just found out through former co worker that my old position was posted 3 weeks ago (starting $5 less than I was being paid to do it) and they haven’t had a single applicant for yet. What a shock.
I’m glad I finally did it. It was now or never- if I had stayed longer I would have been stuck their for the rest of my life. And it was scary- i started in my twenties and I’m in my forties now. But I hope for my old co workers that the old place realizes they need to pay the mechanics more and they spread a bit of wealth to the crews that keep the machines running, and if the company doesn’t respond as they should, then I hope I’m the pebble that starts the avalanche of long tim con workers going elsewhere to go find work.