As this was (and still is) my first full-time, “real world” job, I honestly tried to give my best. I was the stereotypical employee who believed the propaganda that was being fed to us by managers and the big boys in the big positions, who thought that hard work and proving myself capable of joggling responsibilities and taking on to-dos that aren't really in my job description, then my effort would be recognized.
Last year I was this close to getting the promotion I've been working towards and have been promised for about two years at that point. But then I was told some mumbo jumbo about how said promotion was not possible anymore and that I would be getting it at the beginning of 2023. I hung my head and accepted. Fast forward to 2023 and while being praised about my performance last year, I ask, again, about that promotion and I get told that it's actually a big responsibility and that is something that I am not ready for. I ask how long could it take until I would be “ready” for it, a timeframe of some sort, and I'm fed some nonsense about how my manager would just love to promote me but there's no way to know exactly how long it would take and it all basically depends on me.
I cried after that meeting.
Three years of going “above and beyond” that were, honestly, flushed down the toilet just because I'm obviously an advantage to management when I do the work someone above my position is supposed to be doing but for less pay.
Well, I suppose that if you're not going to pay me what I'm worth, I'll be worth what you pay me.