Work issues

Ms Thompson

Hi,

I recently emigrated to a new country where, in my field, you'l only get a job thru networking 99% of the time. Within a couple of months, I was told of an upcoming position. A very large, very well respected company were starting a new team (department A), roughly within my field of expertise, and offered me the opportunity to head it up. It has been a clusterfúck from the beginning, a 15-20% salary reduction from the initial figure discussed and corresponding change in title (from early management to entry level - but my duties remain the same), endless hoops and bureaucracy, and a distinct sense that I'm being taken advantage of. It has also turned out to be really dull work, with very limited options for advancement.

Another department head (department in my field heard I'd come on board, and approached me to work with them a few hours a week on a contracting basis. This person is hugely influential and would provide a massive boost to my career to work with. I've jumped at the chance, naturally (however, it won't start for a few weeks). However, I happen to know that there's a strong possibility of full-time vacancies opening up on their team in a few months, when a couple of others move on. This would be a better paid position more relevant to my training and experience, a more diverse job and much more interesting. It would open major doors for me.

My question is, how do I go about letting the department B head know that I'd like to join her team? She works with my current boss from time to time so I want to be discrete about it. My fear is that I'll look unreliable if I'm seen to leave one job so quickly - even though anyone who knows the full story would think I'm mad to be working with department A in the first place after all their stunts.

She doesn't really use email, and department B are based in a totally different area than me. I was thinking that I'd give it a couple of months here in department A, while there's no vacancies on her team, but in a few months, ask her for a brief meeting and let her know that I'd welcome the opportunity to move to her team? Meanwhile doing my best to impress her thru the contracting work.

I've never worked in a large organisation like this before, so I don't know the politics and intricacies of things like this. This might seem like a silly problem, but I'd really appreciate advice.

Luke92

Give it a while and once you have done the few hours with department B, and they have the positions open. Well then it's just having to talk to department A manager and tell them you are going for department B, as you are better suited for the work and feel you can better the company in that department.

I'm sure as you will already proven yourself to manager B then getting the job should be no problem.

Best of luck.