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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:20:59 PM EDT
[#1]
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread.
I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:24:16 PM EDT
[#2]
I'm curious how many of the people who constantly complain that it isn't skill have never made it that high up for certain reasons...
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:26:14 PM EDT
[#3]
Unpossible. You must be related to the owner and of course, you are a lazy, incompetent, lying, incoherent, retarded, evil, scheming, lowlife. All the guys below you are the ones with the real talent. They were just passed over so the company could laugh while trusting you with their operation and their money.
Because, you know, no company actually makes management and leadership decisions based on ability and perceptions of leadership qualities. They don't care about making money and running a company, they only exist to give jobs to the nephew out of the Ivy League. As usual, Arfcom loses its collective fucking mind and goes full class warfare and stereotyping. 
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:29:05 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm curious how many of the people who constantly complain that it isn't skill have never made it that high up for certain reasons... Anyone who thinks it isn't skill is mistaken. It's just not the skills they want it to be. It's great to be smart, technical, and a hard worker... But just not as relevant to leadership positions. The skills that matter are people skills. If you want to call it "sucking up skills" or something else disparaging, so be it. That doesn't make them any less relevant or valuable. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:29:10 PM EDT
[#5]
Depends.
But I've consistently found, if someone works for their daddy's company (  ), it's a fucking handout to incompetency, versus offspring that are in their dad's same line of work and have their own successful niche or company. It's a night and day difference when dealing with the two. If I ever have my own business, my child will NEVER step foot through the front door. Ever.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:29:42 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unpossible. You must be related to the owner and of course, you are a lazy, incompetent, lying, incoherent, retarded, evil, scheming, lowlife. All the guys below you are the ones with the real talent. They were just passed over so the company could laugh while trusting you with their operation and their money. Because, you know, no company actually makes management and leadership decisions based on ability and perceptions of leadership qualities. They don't care about making money and running a company, they only exist to give jobs to the nephew out of the Ivy League. As usual, Arfcom loses its collective fucking mind and goes full class warfare and stereotyping.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unpossible. You must be related to the owner and of course, you are a lazy, incompetent, lying, incoherent, retarded, evil, scheming, lowlife. All the guys below you are the ones with the real talent. They were just passed over so the company could laugh while trusting you with their operation and their money. Because, you know, no company actually makes management and leadership decisions based on ability and perceptions of leadership qualities. They don't care about making money and running a company, they only exist to give jobs to the nephew out of the Ivy League. As usual, Arfcom loses its collective fucking mind and goes full class warfare and stereotyping.
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. I know plenty of people (not just on ARFCOM) that believe anything more than a look of contempt thinly veiled by a half smile at your boss in the morning is ass kissing. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:30:43 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm curious how many of the people who constantly complain that it isn't skill have never made it that high up for certain reasons... Hypothetical situation: 3 out of 4 of the "execs" are family members of the boss. The 4th is his bestie from years ago. What are the chances those people were the best ones for the job? Chances of non-family or best friend moving up to that level? |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:32:45 PM EDT
[#8]
In my line of work (HVAC), it is definitely who you know.
How hard you work has absolutely nothing to do with it. The management LOVES an ass kissing, yes-man. I worked as a helper for 2.5 years before they let me have my own truck and run my own jobs. We have a few helpers that got here mere months ago, from behind the counter of Valero gas stations, to full-fledged A/C techs. These same turds wouldn't know their way around a piece of air conditioning equipment from the hole in their ass. At 8 years in, I'm at $21/hr. I started at $10/hr and BUSTED my ass to get where I am. These guys at less that 6 months in, are about $4 behind me. With not nearly the knowledge of my own. Sucking dick, magic lips, or just knowing 'who', gets you places apparently. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:37:40 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I can't imagine pedigree and familial contacts don't play a major role at the really high levels. If "getting your foot in the door" is half the battle, the brats like the one in the OP are halfway to victory the minute they graduate college. Quoted:
it's not who you know it's who knows you. same in any meritocracy a reputation as a problem fixer goes a long way. and one fuck up ruins a thousand attaboys The OP's story isn't an example of meritocracy, it's an example of cronyism. The only question is how widespread this is among large corporations. I have no idea, myself, but I'd guess it's systemic. It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? That's pretty typical though. That CEO problem is skillful at what they do. Sometimes things just don't go as planned or the company you hitch onto isn't ready for new ideas or change. So in those situations, its usually not the CEO who is at fault, they can only do so much, if the people don't want to change things in the organization, its going to fail. The CEO has to take the fall for this. Take that CEO and put them in an environment where change it welcomed and their ideas are appreciated and they can flourish. Look at NFL head coaches. Don't we often see a head coach get fired form one team and get picked up by another. Often times that head coach succeeds in a different environment. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:39:32 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hypothetical situation: 3 out of 4 of the "execs" are family members of the boss. The 4th is his bestie from years ago. What are the chances those people were the best ones for the job? Chances of non-family or best friend moving up to that level? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I'm curious how many of the people who constantly complain that it isn't skill have never made it that high up for certain reasons... Hypothetical situation: 3 out of 4 of the "execs" are family members of the boss. The 4th is his bestie from years ago. What are the chances those people were the best ones for the job? Chances of non-family or best friend moving up to that level? Hypothetical situation: 3 out of 4 of the "execs" started in the mailroom. The 4th was hired by the BoD after successfully starting his own company and retiring after it went public. What are the chances those people were somehow neighbors or related to each other? Chances of college roommate moving up to that level? This is fun, lets do another! |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:39:36 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
At first, hard work will move you through the ranks to a certain point, usually middle management, then it turns into a game of who you know and how well you play the politics game. If you pissed a bunch of people off on your ascension to middle management, you will be there forever or until you find another job. So in short, hard work only gets you so far, then it becomes a game of whether you can 'tow the company line'. If you are a boat rocker, in most cases you'll get passed over for promotions. +1 right on the money |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:42:35 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
here is one word for you defeatist enjoy bro dog Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
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They are experts of being able to use others work and talents to their advantage. They are great self-promoters and know how to best present themselves to higher management. Other people may be smarter, more dedicated, and have a higher technical expertise than execs, but if they can't leverage others to their advantage, they simply won't be promoted. That's a lot of words for describing someone as a suck up who gets ahead because of the work others put in. here is one word for you defeatist enjoy bro dog Don't confuse calling things as you seem them as defeatist. Fair play is a lie, just because you admit it doesn't mean you aren't willing to play the game. You just acknowledge what is going on beforehand. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:43:38 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle/upper management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:45:20 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I can't imagine pedigree and familial contacts don't play a major role at the really high levels. If "getting your foot in the door" is half the battle, the brats like the one in the OP are halfway to victory the minute they graduate college. Quoted:
it's not who you know it's who knows you. same in any meritocracy a reputation as a problem fixer goes a long way. and one fuck up ruins a thousand attaboys The OP's story isn't an example of meritocracy, it's an example of cronyism. The only question is how widespread this is among large corporations. I have no idea, myself, but I'd guess it's systemic. It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? Executive hiring is handled by the boards of corporations, there is a lot of the same goons on multiple boards. They also went to a lot of the same schools and members of the same clubs/fraternities. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:46:38 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm curious how many of the people who constantly complain that it isn't skill have never made it that high up for certain reasons... Maybe they simply didn't want to? There is also a difference between complaining/jealously about those who have attained a C level job (and the pay that comes with it), and simply having an interest in how they got there. I could care less about how much a CEO makes, or how they got there mostly because I've never known a CEO before (outside being at a company function and the CEO gave a few minute speech before being whisked away). But here is a case where I actually worked with a person, was in the next office from him, played golf with him, and was in multiple weekly meetings with him and knew he was incompetent (at the time), yet fifteen years later he is named CEO of the company. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:47:57 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Your not an executive, your upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:52:26 PM EDT
[#17]
The world is always run by who ya know, not what ya know.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:53:44 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Companies still promote people? Man, I've been working for the government for far too long.  At my work no one "gets promoted" as in recognized for hard work and ability then given a different job with more responsibilities and/or more pay. Instead you have to apply (as an internal app) for open jobs (which are advertised to both internal and the public) and then interview (usually twice as the first interview thins the applicant herd down). I guess if you eventually are selected for the job you could view that as a promotion, but I tend to think of promotions not involving an interview process where you may or may not be selected for the new role. I'm sure there are cases though where a certain employee is earmarked for the new job and the interview process is just a formality. But you never get called into your managers office and told you are being promoted. Kinda sucks.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:54:38 PM EDT
[#19]
I know the CEO's and executives of many fortune 1000's. most of them started at the entry level and worked their way up. Sometimes they jumped back and forth between companies. Most of the, perform, some get promoted and don't.
Yes some of them get there through the good ole boy network as well. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 5:57:34 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It's called networking.. What kind of sexual move is "networking" |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:03:50 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Companies still promote people? Man, I've been working for the government for far too long. At my work no one "gets promoted" as in recognized for hard work and ability then given a different job with more responsibilities and/or more pay. Instead you have to apply (as an internal app) for open jobs (which are advertised to both internal and the public) and then interview (usually twice as the first interview thins the applicant herd down). I guess if you eventually are selected for the job you could view that as a promotion, but I tend to think of promotions not involving an interview process where you may or may not be selected for the new role. I'm sure there are cases though where a certain employee is earmarked for the new job and the interview process is just a formality. But you never get called into your managers office and told you are being promoted. Kinda sucks.Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Companies still promote people? Man, I've been working for the government for far too long. At my work no one "gets promoted" as in recognized for hard work and ability then given a different job with more responsibilities and/or more pay. Instead you have to apply (as an internal app) for open jobs (which are advertised to both internal and the public) and then interview (usually twice as the first interview thins the applicant herd down). I guess if you eventually are selected for the job you could view that as a promotion, but I tend to think of promotions not involving an interview process where you may or may not be selected for the new role. I'm sure there are cases though where a certain employee is earmarked for the new job and the interview process is just a formality. But you never get called into your managers office and told you are being promoted. Kinda sucks.That sucks. I actually just had one of those conversations about 2 weeks ago. I got promoted into a new job role. If all goes well in the next 12-18 months, I'll get another promotion. Once I get there I'll be stuck for a while. It sounds like i'm going places in the organization, but really i'm getting nowhere. That next promotion will be for a job title I've been handling the responsibilities for the past 2 years. In theory once I 'finally get there' i'll be able to hand off other responsibilities I have now to other people and be able to focus better, but i'm not holding my breathe. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:04:58 PM EDT
[#22]
In my experience, it is always who you know. Some work hard and are good at their jobs, but it is always who you know that gets you those upper level jobs.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:11:23 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle/upper management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle/upper management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Yet another example of sour grapes. You go ahead and hate your life and believe you are getting fucked over at every turn. Good luck slugger. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:11:38 PM EDT
[#24]
They get there through who they know, but they only stay there through hard work. And by hard work, I mean firing people.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:11:58 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That's about all one can say about it, really. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Some are legit and work their way up while others brown nose / suck their way up. That's about all one can say about it, really. QFT I present to you, the "Peter Principle" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:14:02 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Your You're not an executive, youryou're upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Your You're not an executive, youryou're upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. 
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:16:52 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yet another example of sour grapes. You go ahead and hate your life and believe you are getting fucked over at every turn. Good luck slugger. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle/upper management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Yet another example of sour grapes. You go ahead and hate your life and believe you are getting fucked over at every turn. Good luck slugger. And you keep thinking that in 5 years you're going to be the CEO. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:20:06 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Your You're not an executive, youryou're upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. Oh well...that is impressive. My promotion 2 weeks ago was me, my boss, the VP of Product Management, the CIO, and the CEO in an office for 2 hours explaining what they'd like me to do in my new role and answering questions/developing strategies. Clearly you have the upper hand on how your promotion was handled. ETA: I'm not an executive or even upper management. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:22:03 PM EDT
[#29]
Mixed bag. Some get there through hard work. Some get there through who they know. Some get there through a mix of both. Some stay there through their hard work and some stay there through corruption and scratching backs.
Someone's salary and position doesn't tell you the whole story, especially when it's not a position with an easily identifiable skill set, such as doctors, plumbers, IT guys, etc. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:22:22 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
And you keep thinking that in 5 years you're going to be the CEO. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Come back to this thread and tell us when you actually have an executive job. It is not hard to make moves from middle/upper management on down. I've had 5 'promotions' in 10 years. Each one has been a little pay bump and more responsibility. One day you are going to realize when the promotions slow down, you are actually getting nowhere, they just gave you an illusion of getting somewhere. Yet another example of sour grapes. You go ahead and hate your life and believe you are getting fucked over at every turn. Good luck slugger. And you keep thinking that in 5 years you're going to be the CEO. Nope, I will never be CEO. I'm not qualified for the position and wouldn't want it anyway, (I'd take the paycheck though). I currently have one of the best jobs in the company and any move up I make now would force me to move back to Wisconsin, which is not in my plans. I can tell you one thing I have learned in my 30+ years in the workforce, and that is negative attitudes, making excuses, and blaming others for your failure to advance in your chosen field will get you absolutely nowhere. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:23:02 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I can tell you one thing I have learned in my 30+ years in the workforce, and that is negative attitudes, making excuses, and blaming others for your failure to advance in your chosen field will get you absolutely nowhere. How many middle management types have you met? 
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Posted: 9/10/2013 6:24:10 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In my experience, it is always who you know. Some work hard and are good at their jobs, but it is always who you know that gets you those upper level jobs. That's usually the case, especially if they know you are a "team" player. Many CEO's are nothing more than figureheads who have little real control over the company. When I finally grew up, I began networking and my career skyrocketed while my former co-workers are still bitching about not having a promotion handed to them on a plate. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:02:34 PM EDT
[#33]
it is a lot of things.
hard work and making friends, at times riding on another's coat tails or cutting another one's throat and staying ahead of the lap dogs barking up your rear with their own long knives. I left home at 16 with a high school diploma and retired a VP of an international company. My brother stayed home to age 23 and is a Yale Grad..and owns his own company.. we're two totally different men. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:05:25 PM EDT
[#34]
I work for a giant company in Seattle (take your pic from the 4)
I'm not going to say every one of our directors and above are qualified beyond a reasonable doubt, but they all have the relevant education and experience on paper. Our directors make much much more than 100K |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:12:57 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Your You're not an executive, youryou're upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. You are still not an executive, how you were promoted has no relation at all on the process of how executives are hired. My grammar doesn't matter in this argument either. Keep calling sour grapes, still doesn't change that you are not an executive and the fact the executive hiring is in a world of its own. I don't give a shit that you personally are what ever you are, but don't claim you are an executive or on the leadership team of a corporation because you are a regional field service manager. Life isn't fair, and executive hiring is a broke dick process in the USA and so is business ethics. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:24:36 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You are still not an executive, how you were promoted has no relation at all on the process of how executives are hired. My grammar doesn't matter in this argument either. Keep calling sour grapes, still doesn't change that you are not an executive and the fact the executive hiring is in a world of its own. I don't give a shit that you personally are what ever you are, but don't claim you are an executive or on the leadership team of a corporation because you are a regional field service manager. Life isn't fair, and executive hiring is a broke dick process in the USA and so is business ethics. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
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Quoted:
Wow... There's a lot of sour grapes in this thread. I came to work for my current employer straight off a construction site. Hard hat one day, business casual the next. I started as a bottom level employee and after 4 1/2 years I was offered the position of a regional sales manager, which I did for two years. Now I am the Field Service Manager for the Southeast US. I didn't know anybody in the company when I started and if you know me you would agree I am very far from being a kiss ass, yet somehow here I am. Your You're not an executive, youryou're upper management but not an executive. Your hiring / firing / promotion wasn't handled by the board of the corporation that you work for. My hiring as Regional Sales Manager was handled at a pretty high level in the company, but you carry on with your way of thinking that life isn't fair. You are still not an executive, how you were promoted has no relation at all on the process of how executives are hired. My grammar doesn't matter in this argument either. Keep calling sour grapes, still doesn't change that you are not an executive and the fact the executive hiring is in a world of its own. I don't give a shit that you personally are what ever you are, but don't claim you are an executive or on the leadership team of a corporation because you are a regional field service manager. Life isn't fair, and executive hiring is a broke dick process in the USA and so is business ethics. Sorry if you thought I was referring to myself as an executive, I am not and I am sorry if I misrepresented myself as being one. I don't understand how so many people can believe Vice Presidents and above are hired based solely on nepotism/cronyism etc. I can't help but think if that were the case most companies wouldn't be very successful. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:32:00 PM EDT
[#37]
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It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? Quote HistoryQuoted:
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I can't imagine pedigree and familial contacts don't play a major role at the really high levels. If "getting your foot in the door" is half the battle, the brats like the one in the OP are halfway to victory the minute they graduate college. Quoted:
it's not who you know it's who knows you. same in any meritocracy a reputation as a problem fixer goes a long way. and one fuck up ruins a thousand attaboys The OP's story isn't an example of meritocracy, it's an example of cronyism. The only question is how widespread this is among large corporations. I have no idea, myself, but I'd guess it's systemic. It seems you constantly read about CEOs who do abysmal jobs but after "leaving" their employer are promptly hired at other fortune 500 companies. I would think if someone's performance was so bad running one company who would want them running another? It does happen and it's sad how often it happens. CEOs fucking up and getting anotherhigh paying job and fuckup cops getting another high paying job are pretty similar. This isn't cop bashing nor is it CEO bashing. It's a bashing of stupid fuckups who fail yet don't reap the fail they have sown. Why are these people insulated from their failures? |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:34:49 PM EDT
[#38]
Connections are everything. If you're not Harvard, Princeton, Yale (with emphasis on Skull 'n Bones), forget it. You'll stay in the minor leagues for years.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:39:25 PM EDT
[#39]
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Connections are everything. If you're not Harvard, Princeton, Yale (with emphasis on Skull 'n Bones), forget it. You'll stay in the minor leagues for years. Good reason to found your own company just like the vast majority of the %. Being from a lot of schools helps. Military Academies, Stanford, etc. if you want to be very successful in life more than likely it won't happen earning money for someone else. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:41:06 PM EDT
[#40]
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It's called networking.. This, as in it is both in any successful corporation. Relationships are work and they work hard at building them. They are an asset to the company and the exec. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:47:38 PM EDT
[#41]
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Both. +1 |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 7:54:59 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Good reason to found your own company just like the vast majority of the %. Being from a lot of schools helps. Military Academies, Stanford, etc. if you want to be very successful in life more than likely it won't happen earning money for someone else. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Connections are everything. If you're not Harvard, Princeton, Yale (with emphasis on Skull 'n Bones), forget it. You'll stay in the minor leagues for years. Good reason to found your own company just like the vast majority of the %. Being from a lot of schools helps. Military Academies, Stanford, etc. if you want to be very successful in life more than likely it won't happen earning money for someone else. Your post reinforces the point that connections matter more than ability. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 8:07:36 PM EDT
[#43]
The smaller places I've worked, it was a family event.
The biggest place I worked for hired management from the outside, needed to have a good resume. They actually cold called a number of the management types and poached from like industries. |
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Posted: 9/10/2013 9:03:35 PM EDT
[#44]
For publically traded companies I think the days of working your way up from the mail room to the executive washroom are done. Of course if you started it or are connected to it via family/friends then anything is possible. It is all about the resume and pedigree.
One reality is the fact that rich/wealthy people run in different circles, from the time they are kids they run in a small circle, they go to private schools together, Ivy league schools together and they are partial to their own. So no doubt that in certain companies or industries your pedigree opens the door and can keep you in once there. On the flip I have seen several nobodies make it from nothing. The one thing they all had in common was that they were smart, they worked hard and they had a knack for the politics and for knowing how to move and work within the system. My cousin was an uneducated redneck from NC but yet he made in big in the commodities world. Some guy took a liking to him and showed him the ropes, but the key was that he was smart enough to get it and run with it. Flip side on this one was another friend who was a pretty smart but had state school college education failed on Wall Street. After a few years he bailed and until his death a few years later he blamed his failure squarely on the fact that he did not come from an Ivy league school. He said the ceiling was set and to get above it the degree had to have certain names on it. I think that you have to believe that nothing in this world is set in stone, well nothing but the inevitable collapse of America 
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Posted: 9/10/2013 9:10:56 PM EDT
[#45]
Seen both where I work. I have about zero tolerance for bullshit but am very good at what I do so I have landed a "senior" position. Which is cool. Pay is good, contact with assholes is minmum and basically come and go as I please so long as I am supposed to do gets done. And do lots of contract work on the side which pays better and my job is willing to accomodate. I'll take it.
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Posted: 9/10/2013 9:17:52 PM EDT
[#46]
Chelsea Clinton: First job out of college was as a consultant making 6 figures. Consult what?
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Posted: 9/11/2013 4:26:06 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Chelsea Clinton: First job out of college was as a consultant making 6 figures. Consult what? That's like Michelle Obama's job as a consultant making >$300k when her husband was a Senator. It's called "buying influence", don;t think for a moment that Chelsea Clinto isn't going to be involved in the moving and shaking of the DNC at some point. |
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Posted: 9/11/2013 4:27:22 AM EDT
[#48]
A little bit of both, but the good ones climb based on hard work...
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Posted: 9/11/2013 4:32:20 AM EDT
[#49]
Without exception, every executive in the very large, very well known company that I work for that I have met has been absurdly intelligent and hardworking.
Its almost annoying. |
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Posted: 9/11/2013 4:34:40 AM EDT
[#50]
Both, really.
Who you know has enormous consequences in life. One of the primary benefits of going to an Ivy League school is the connections you make while there...and connections matter. So, too, does competence. We can all cite plenty of examples where buddies were promoted and competent people were overlooked, and where competent people rose to the top of the pack only on their track record. But the bottom line is that having the right contacts AND the right skills makes achieving a better place for yourself much easier. |
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