Warning – long text. TLDR at the bottom
I switched jobs during the pandemic, like many people did during “the great resignation”. I thought it made perfect sense because I wasn't sure I was going to be able to continue working remotely in my old job and this job allows me to work remotely. Also, the salary is higher. So I thought “this is a no-brainer, I'm gonna take this job.”
Well, immediately after I started working at this new job, one of the two people that hired me completely changed. During my interviews, she was very nice and personable and now she was extremely rude, would cut people off mid-sentence and make snide remarks and nasty comments. She was supposed to be the “director” but talked like a teenager. For example, she would often say things like “what the FUCK was that?!” after someone not in our team gets off of a call. Long story short – she quit after 2 and a half months of me being with this job. I'm super happy she's gone.
The other person that hired me (my direct boss), who I thought was a really nice guy when I interviewed, has evolved into the worst boss imaginable. I thought at first he was just nervous because I was new, but he has gotten worse every week over a 5 month span. He has shot down every idea I've ever proposed. He takes my ideas, slightly changes them and presents them as his own. He gives me constant directions on how to do things I know how to do. He only gives me tasks that one would expect an administrative assistant to do. He makes me submit everything to him for his review before I send it to anyone. I'm not even allowed to respond to emails, half the time he'll even say “don't respond, I'll reply to them”. Nothing is “correct” and everything I've ever done “needs to be edited”.
One time he told me “your work isn't really close to what we need. Why don't you look at colleague's name's work? His work is much closer to what we need.” This is the same colleague that he openly favors, texts with (he has said that they text) and gives high visibility projects whilst holding his hand the entire time (not literally).
In one meeting I asked him “what can I do to improve my writing skills so it's acceptable?” He replied “umm..you just have to get a sense of how we write here at company name it's not something you can take a class or learn about, you just have to get a sense for it. ”
In another meeting, he said that he doesn't want to let me interact with anyone because he's afraid I will misspeak and say something that I shouldn't. According to him, there's no possible way for me to understand the political underpinnings of a company like this and he's “protecting me”. I asked him “is there a way for me to learn 'what ought to be said or done and what ought not to?'” He laughed and said “when you find that out, why don't you let me know”.
He can be nice about 5% of the time. But this gets lost when he's constantly instant messaging me asking for updates. Telling me to re-do simple tasks over and over again and pretending like everything I do is substandard. He also reacts as if his micromanagement is a nuisance to him.
Anywho TLDR: My new “dream job” is terrible because of a patronizing, micromanager. Remote work is amazing and I will always prefer it over working in an office. But, remote doesn't always equal good. Also, don't let a good salary fool you into taking a shitty job, unless you need the money. If you can survive off your current salary and you can stand your job – keep it.