Errrmmmm?!?

Moominbaby

Moominbaby

Member
Hello,

I am just wondering if anyone can give me a their view point on this....
Finally after six months of searching for a job I got one!!! yey I am very happy to have a job, it's decent money for the level I'm at. The people I work with are really lovely and funny and we get on well....
BUT...there is one massive BUT...in the company there are three directors and I mainly work with one...I usually have no problem getting on with people at work and in general. But he is very hard to get on with or more importantly work with... I am a junior and have never worked full time in an agency before, I have done lots of freelance in house and remote for a couple of years.
Everybody in the office tells me including the other directors that hes a twat and not to worry. But I spend half my time feeling like and idiot e.g. I asked if a document I was producing from a client I had never worked with had a 3mm bleed on it....this resulted in him laughing out loud and saying in front of the office 'well it's a ALWAYS 3mm'

When I get things wrong or off the mark he just has a massive huff and walks out of the office...just saying 'It's just wrong!' and I have to ask someone else why it might be wrong and how not to do this in the future.

I asked him for help a few weeks ago and he said 'to be honest I have better things to do than this'

At the moment I am supposed to be working I am at my desk with nothing to do, this happens a lot. I usually hang around for hours at a time waiting for work after having asked him 2/3 times and the ten mins before I leave he asks me to do something that takes and hour.
I understand about staying late and i don't mind but I have a child and need to know a little bit in advance maybe an hour would be good.
I could go on but basically I like my job barr this man! is this usually? and am I moaning about nothing? really in a quandary and starting to feel like I'm losing my confidence :(
 
Unfortunately there is always a p***k wherever you work and reading your post about him reminds me of the Steve Jobs book I just read!!

The choices you have are limited really 1) Leave and get another job 2) Grin and bear it 3) Have it out with him 4) Speak with another director

You probably knew that already but unfortunately when you work for someone else you don't have much choice, shame that there is always one on their high horse that spoils everything!!
 
Thanks Boss Hog, yeh I guess I knew that maybe I'll grin and bear it for as long as I can for the sake of my CV.
 
It's a tough one but people who behave like this joker are often pussy cats if you approach them right - sounds to me like he's picking on you for the benefit of his own fragile self-esteem and will probably continue for as long as you let him. Mrs Dave L had a similar problem with a director at a firm of architects she used to work for so she scheduled a quite, informal five minutes with him, explained calmly and reasonably the impact he was having on her (it's hard for anyone to take issue with calm reason) and things improved instantly and dramatically. I'm not saying this is a universal magic bullet or anything like that but if such an approach resulted in an escalation, at least you'd know it was personal.
 
I would take the Dave L route. The situation you are experiencing is not constructive - and should be handled face-to-face in a composed private meeting. If this fails (I don't think it will if you are able to communicate your feelings clearly) the route is a more formal one.

My sympathies. Would not happen with an experienced director who was comfortable in his position / with his knowledge.

Very best wishes

Peter
 
Thanks all for your lovely advice and if anyone know of any jobs that are not working for crazy people let me know :)
 
Well I had a three month review and they said they talked to my main boss (great!) and he wasn't happy with me and they needed a senior level designer to run projects.
 
Hope you told him you were leaving anyway because he was a crap boss!! Oh well at least you don't have to see him anymore, hope something else comes up soon.
 
Sorry to hear that.

I'm put in mind of the old Bill Hicks bit about the joys of not having a boss:

'Hey, Hicks - why ain't you working?'

'There's nothing to do.'

'Well you pretend like your working.'

'Why don't you pretend I'm working? You get paid more than me. Pretend I'm mopping - knock yerself out....'
 
Sorry to hear about this! Sounds like you've had a lucky escape anyway. I don't know about you but I became a designer because I enjoy it, if I had an asshole for a boss who was making my life a misery I'd have been out that door as soon as possible.

Fancy finding me a job too Boss?
 
Certainly don't take it personally... the guy is a tosser and will always be one!

Hopefully he will write you a decent reference (or get one the other directors to do it) and thank your lucky stars you aren't stuck with him for longer!
 
Hi All, thanks so much for all the support and the more I think about it the more I think... yeah! I didnt want to really be there anyway your all right!
I do design because I love working with people and being creative not working for a man who is a miserable ass (and he ate a lot of my pens, thats just wierd and a crime against pens) :)
 
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