Ever had a job that just really sucked? :)

[LEAKYSEALS951]

And by sucked, I mean, just about everything didn't go right. It doesn't mean the job itself sucked, or that the people there sucked, or that you(or I as the employee) sucked, but that the timing and star alignment was just a little off so it all fell apart. It just meant Marty Mcfly went off on his own little alternate timeline, and suddenly, Biff Tannin was unfortunately town mayor.

Edit... I should have titled this "Exit interview thoughts..."

Last year, I quit a job I had for some time. In doing so, I jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the fryer. The new job, for whatever reason, was wrong from the get-go, on about every level.

This week is my last week at that job. I will start a new part time job to replace it, and interestingly, walked right into my old job and asked for a part time position there (to fill the space the new part time job didn't fill up).

So I'd have two "new" part time jobs.

To my surprise at my "old" job from a year ago (I had stupidly burnt bridges there), they accepted me right back, so I've got two good part time jobs to make me almost full time. It brings me more joy than you can imagine- and a "BIG"(translation- moderate-negligible) pay raise made on (yours truly's) cocky behalf getting my old job back. But just between us (me and the interweb), I will be so glad to be back with my old coworker "family", I can't stand it (Both "new" jobs incorporate old coworkers btw).

...Insert picture of Andy Dufresne and Red meeting on the beach in mexico after a long journey....

Regardless, I will be soooo happy to be back, for the first time I will be able to work as the "good guy." As part time, I won't have to slave drive and such. I can march right on in and buy everyone bagels and have a good ol' time. Just like all the other part timers do, never having to deal with the management aspect.

The reason I ask all this, is that I have my exit interview this week at the job I am leaving. As a person with long employment histories, I am having a hard time saying "good riddance." I was only there a year, which is far short of my average of 5 years or more, which I still consider short. They, however, want an interview. I sat down and wrote some bullet points of what a ridiculous experience it has been, but then I thought, why even bother? The points just make me look like a whiny brat. It was such a complex journey, I can't even begin to explain to an HR rep what a crazy ride it was- and to what end? To justify my experience there?

All my life, I have delved myself into long rambling thought- like this post, yet for the first time in my life, I just want to smile and say something positive and short and be done with it.

I don't really know what to say this Friday, and I certainly don't want a going away party. I just want it over.

The other aspect of this is that we had discussed working some part time hours as a continuation of the job I am leaving (yes- folks- that means THREE jobs). Even with two part time jobs, I could still fit it in, and my family could use the money, but after all that has gone down, I should probably gracefully bow out. Even with all that, I still hate closing doors.


Thoughts? (particularly clever ones for the exit interview! )

[Danimal16]

Leaky,

Just think of NO MORE than three points that you would like to make with them that will help. IMHO, they may really like to hear what you have to say. If they press for something you view as negative, pass on it.

Good luck.

[legion]

I'm almost a year out of my bad year. I had a sociopath for a manager. His MO was to wedge himself into projects, then kill them. He left his people with virtually no work. He was unethical and a bully. He made promises and broke them. He made my life hell for a year.

Knowing that he would sabotage my exit (same company), I gave him some useless BS in my exit interview. Two more people have left since I did (he only had 5 employees).

Now I council people to avoid him, as he just obstructs and never helps.

[SCadaddle]

An "exit interview"? Never heard of such. If it didn't work out and you have now moved on to greener pastures what should you care about how things could have been better or what the employer could do to make it a better job for the next guy/gal/person?

But if they insist, how about meeting the old boss at a Dennys for breakfast the day of the exit interview and then pocket a couple of comment cards from the table so you both can discuss and fill them out at the interview?

[motion]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I just want to smile and say something positive and short and be done with it.

This, my friend, is the secret to life. No need to do anything else. You've got this.

[biosurfer1]

Yep, but mine didn't even last a year. After leaving the company I interned at during college, I was excited to be pursued by one of the largest engineering companies in town, and I let my excitement blind me to what the job really was, not to mention they really exaggerated the job duties. Suffice to say, I spent the next 2 months dreading going into work. EXTREMELY boring work that was numbing my brain every day. I originally thought I would give it a year but couldn't make it. Luckily I walked into competition to my previous company and it ended up being one of the best jobs I had.

I hear my supervisor was the engineering firm was pretty annoyed with me leaving so soon, and I can't blame him, but he is the one who gave the interview and really glorified the interesting aspects of the job (<1%) while conveniently forgetting to mention 99%+ of the job was staring at spreadsheets all day or calling foremen who couldn't possibly care less about me.

[Evans, Marv]

"The timing and star alignment was just a little off so it just fell apart." Sounds like it just wasn't a good match for you and maybe not for them. Plus if they want an exit interview, they may be looking for info/explanation/constructive input. I'd see how it turns out and go with the flow. You can always smile, say something positive & be done with it, but they may have concerns about why you are leaving and looking for potential corrections to try to keep other good employees from doing the same. Or - maybe I'm just overthinking it.

[LakeCleElum]

Just smile and play their song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqAh1dQu_pg

[Nostril Cheese]

Changing a clutch on a 951.

[Oh Haha]

"Sorry about that, I just got on the wrong bus."

Done and over.

I don't see any benefit to pointing out flaws in the company.

Now, if they would like your consultation on what they could do better, charge them a consultation fee.

[sammyg2]

In 1995 I had a job that sucked. I did it out of necessity, had a wife and house and baby girl to take care of.
I would leave the house Monday morning and get home late Friday night (if I was lucky) every week. Living at a sleazy-8 motel and hating life.
But I busted butt and did the best I could. it was a dark time.

In less than a year I had enough and sold that start-up consulting company for $$$$$$.
The connections I made doing that job out of town ended up getting me my next job which turned out to be a very good deal.

Sometimes we are tested, sometimes we are rewarded.

[GH85Carrera]

When I bought my house I was single and stretched to the very limit to afford owning a house, even though it was a small modest house. I soon realized that to ever be able to go on a date or save some money I needed more income. My full time job was not going to provide more money.

My only real option was a part time additional job. I started shooting weddings. Talk about a suck job. Put on a coat and tie, work hard to make every exposure perfect in the olden days of using a Hassleblad or other manual camera and giant flash unit and a battery strapped to my waist. Dealing with a bride is hard enough, a bride's mother is can be a nightmare.

In the end it can be good money and I never once failed to deliver all the photos they wanted. I learned the real bonus was getting pictures of all the cousins in nice clothes in a group shot for the grandmothers and aunts and uncles. After several years I had dug out of the hole of debt, and I raised my rates to $10,000 just for me to show up and for some reason that ended my career as a wedding photographer.

No doubt the best long term financial decision I made was to buy a house. It was a hard struggle but it paid off in the end. No more rent wasted.

[sc_rufctr]

Just smile and leave. Why do you need to make a "statement" as you leave?

The job was wrong for you or it just didn't fit. Whatever the reason it's not important. They paid you for your time so that's it.
Most people waste time and energy on a lot of things that don't matter. Don't be one of them.

Or have you ever said something to someone and then regretted it later? Often it's best to say nothing.

Your "job" is to be successful.

[berettafan]

had a terrible job early in my prof. career.

awful people there. just awful.

and I wasn't ready for the job at the time from both a professional and maturity point of view.

[aigel]

An exit interview is NOT an interview where you actually give information. What you do is cite personal reasons why you are leaving and do not disclose your frustrations. If you use this to rattle down what's all wrong with the company and the job, you may as well crap on your bosses desk.
You mention burning bridges on your last exit, do not take the opportunity to repeat that here. If you are concerned about the company and its culture, you have to work on it while still employed. Once you leave, there is only harm you can do to yourself by disclosing anything negative.

That's my two cents - and I have been on both sides of the exit interview.

And yes, I have had a job that sucked. My hiring manager left 2 weeks after my start date and then they shut down the division.

G

[unclebilly]

I quit a job once after the first day. This was a company that had been chasing me for 6 months. They wanted me to sign off on some absurd and unsafe designs that I just couldn't do in good conscious.

I went back to my previous company who refused to accept my resignation. I stayed there until an amazing offer came along. I didn't burn the bridge there and can go back and use the machine shop any time I want. My old boss from that company is now working with me on a new venture.

I plan to leave my current employer soon (for the new venture) and won't burn any bridges because my current company is a future customer for the new venture.

Exit interviews are a waste of time unless you have a manager with high turnover - this is a way for HR to get first hand Intel as to why.

[DanielDudley]

Well Marty, your description of what was wrong is so abstract that even Doc Brown couldn't figure it out. In fact, this sounds more like the ending to The Wizard of OZ than Back to the Future.

Is there in fact anything that you could tell them that would actually help, or is this just another bad mushroom trip ? Because if it is just bad mushrooms you could just mumble incoherently for a few minutes and excuse yourself.

Or is it that they are all Scorpios, and you are a Sagittarius ? Because if they all get along, you are doing the right thing by getting along yourself.

All you really have to say is, ''Not a good fit.'' and leave it at that. But really, what would you say if you knew it would be heard, and that it would make a difference ? Maybe you should run that by us, just for giggles.

[craigster59]

I had a job that literally "sucked". When I first graduated High School, I got a job with the State Parks working at Sycamore Canyon and Cove doing park maintenance.

I was one of the few that could drive a large vehicle so they decided the FNG would be perfect victim to drive the vacuum truck that pumped out the Porta-Pottys along La Jolla (now Thornehill Broome) beach and back through Sycamore Canyon campground all the way back to Portrero Rd.

It was pretty much an all day affair, drive around pumping outhouses and later driving to Point Mugu to dump at the waste water treatment plant. Nobody messed with you, they knew it was a dirty job and they were just glad someone else was doing it. I was only seasonal, so after 6 months I was laid off. Joined the Army after that, I guess you could say I was knee deep in shyte for 3 and a half years.

[flatbutt]

Burn not the bridges that lie behind you for one day soon they may be in front of you.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Burn not the bridges that lie behind you for one day soon they may be in front of you.

Or "The toes you step on today might be attached to the a$$ you have to kiss tomorrow".