A recruiter reached out to me for an IT management position. During the interview process she told me there was another candidate but the hiring manger really liked us both. The other candidate – we can call him David – was offered the manager role. I've been stuck in the “Not enough experience, no opportunity for management experience” loop for a while now. I was offered the senior role reporting in to David. The recruiter told me that they wanted to offer me progression and would give me everything I needed to get there.
I ask for a meeting with the hiring manager. She explains that she thought I impressed through each interview stage. I asked very directly and she said they would want me to move in to David's role within 6 months. So I left a job I enjoyed for the agreed progression route. I asked for it in writing and they said they could not promise anything but that there would be not shortage of progression opportunities over the next 12 months.
At every 121 I brought this up with David and he said the hiring manager knew I was keen to progress. I worked very hard trying to impress and I felt like I could have done everything David did if given the responsibility to do it.
What do you know… 6 months comes along and I ask what's happening. Suddenly there is no hiring going on for the rest of the year and she never remembered promising me anything about David's role. I left without notice, the director added me to a Teams call and tried to belittle me in front of HR, and that I had no integrity. I told him that he is making job offers with false promises. They told me whatever they could to get me to accept and worry about the rest later.
I have heard 8 others have handed in their notice since. This is a major UK company. David was very sorry to see me go.
Don't ever let people jerk you about and have no respect for you. I am doing a contracting role now, no progression, no bullshit. Just do the job and go home. Beats bosses lying to you and dangling a carrot for years.