edit: jeez, sorry, very long post… apologies
In order to fully describe the situation I’m going to have to change few things: so, when you read car reseller think of my real profession and when you read mechanic think of the different role. All the names are made up, obviously.
I lived abroad for years and I was able to grow a lot professionally. Thanks to that, my last role before leaving that country was “manager car reseller”. And I loved it. I moved back to Italy and I received a nice offer right away: we discussed, and:
- they made clear that I would be working as a manager car reseller, I would have a team of mechanics to lead, but for the first 6 months I had to bear patience and work as a mechanic
- I made clear I had no intention to work in body rental (basically company A hires Tom and “rents” Tom to company B. It’s a shitty model of work, trust me), and I wanted to work in my role; I was ok to wait 6 months, as a good sign.
We agreed. The company has a VERY NICE standing, so I trusted them.
First day of work my company gives me the email address of a guy in company X telling me to ask them what should I do. WTF, didn’t we say I wasn’t going to work in body rental? “No don’t worry it’s just to get the work assignment”. Guy from company X says that I’m going to work as senior mechanic for company Y and I should report to Jim. WTF again.
As this wasn't enough, they present the work contract that day and the role says “senior mechanic”: I ask them why and they tell me that by the law they need to write that and it will change in few months. I decide to trust them.
Fast forward 1 year later: I’m still working with company Y in body rental, I managed to get back in my role, managing some of their mechanics, I asked many times to my boss to make me work in our company as originally agreed and he always refused; he refuses to recognise to me this role, he says the company doesn't need it because “we don't sell cars” and even says that the company Y complains about me all the time (just trust me: it wasn’t true because I was in tight contact with the EMEA area manager and she was super happy with me). In that meeting there was him, HR lead, boss secretary: I tell them that I'm going to start looking for another job, he insults me (with HR saying nothing) and end of the meeting.
Few months later I hand in my resignation and not a single manager ever speaks to me until I leave. (I've been told that after I left they said I played dirty and ruined their business by suddenly leaving).
Knowing what just happened, when interviewing for the new job I make it crystal clear what happened and what should be my role: I get a nice offer but, instead of accepting it, I interviewed the company managers TWICE because I wanted to make sure I was not going to be played again.
The company is called XXX, has been bought by company YYY but will maintain its identity, so I'll be 100% XXX employee. The boss says “You know better, that's why we hired you: you tell us how to sell cars and we'll do it”. It sounded quite convincing. When I start working I meet these 4 young mechanics and they tell me they're happy because they'll be learning a lot with me. I get told they will be my team.3 months in, I have no team, 3 mechanics leave the company and I learn about it only after they already left. I ask my boss and he says he forgot to mention it. I ask to the last mechanic and he says that they were upset that the company promised they would be working with me but it never happened.HR from the holding YYY asks me how I am doing and I politely tell them what is the situation. Lot of things happens but, long story short, HR is by my side and tells the company to fix the issue and make me work. 1 month later nothing has changed, HR keeps pushing XXX, and XXX says they don't need me anymore. HR asks if I'm ok to move in their company and I have only 2 alternatives… either I quit the company or I try to finally get things to go well… so I accept the change…
Now my new boss said clearly that he didn't have an opening for a manager and he cannot simply make me manager because all other senior people will get upset and leave… understandable, but I'm fucked… Moreover, he makes me work as a chef.
Now it's officially 3 years that I'm not working in my profession, I cannot change job right now because I bought a house and I need the bank to see stability in my work, so they approve the mortgage: it will take 12-18 months (it's another long story…), so when I will finally be able to quit this company it will be 4 years that I don't work in my role: who will want to hire a manager car reseller that doesn't work as manager car reseller from 4 years? Nobody…
So my career is fucked by 3 companies who pay (well) a professional and force him to do something totally unrelated.