1.) In my first department, there was chaos from numerous amount of work, and the department had a new manager from an acquisition from a different bank. I was inform overtime will be mandatory when coming on as a contractor, and time off will be frowned upon. I accepted the challenge worked hard, worked the overtime, took no time off, and had ideas to combat the work load. After some time the volume of work resided and an opening was given to hire someone on permantely, at the time it was me and 1 other contractor who took time off as a traveling baseball coach. But unfortunately I was moved to another department, and the baseball coach was given the position due to his pre established relationship with a SVP, who knew the person for years. My cold hard lesson to neoptism triumphs hard work and process improvement.
2.) My next department as a contractor, I was inform by a new manager that I will be replacing a contractor who is being hired on permantely and if I can do as well as him, I might be given a full time position. 1 year passes and I totally revamped the process of work and create reporting tools for management, and revamp other processes as well. I was always praised for my ideas for improving work process. The process no longer needed many contractors, but just a hand full, from 9 to let's say 3 or maybe even 2. Unfortunately, the work was utimately outsource to other permanent employee, I was told I was the best contractored they had but was laid off with all contractors, and was inform all contractors was let go to budget constraint. I found it odd that this department historically utilize contractors and would adjust the amount of contractor based on volume, so my assumption are they had to budget out for contractors, how could they forecast I would come on broad and share so many process improvement idea. So my rude awakening to false promises, and you can work so hard and add so much value, you can put yourself out a job. I learn work to work as hard as the average person, but dont improve the process or share ideas that can come back in bite you out of a job.
3.) My 4th department I was finally hired on as a full time employee after 2.5 years as a contractor hoping to be hired on. I was brought into a new role as a business anaylst. But I discovered with time, my direct manager was a toxic, deceitful, unethical, and who ultimately was clueless in his role as management. I and other members on the team was given lecture to boast himself and his ego, that had no real point other than he can because he was manager. He used fear as tatic where was told to always prove our self that you never know when the company will lay us off, constantly reminded me that he did me a favor because he hire me and without him I'll will still be a contractor and to always remember that, and made sexist inappropriate comments about our co workers and how attractive other females where. In addition not only did my manager offer no guidance on work or reporting, I had to work with my co workers and other managers to figure out reporting or the assignment, and come back and teach him, literally walking him through each step, explaining legends, y axis, x axis, and simple percentage break down I learned in the 6th grade. Every question I ask he could never assist but would direct my question else where, I started to realize as I work with other account managers in the department there was this mutual unspoken understanding that my manager was clueless about many thing in regards to his role in Huntington Insurance. He micro managed the team where we kept track of all our hours, and he boastlyfully displayed he works less than 100 to 80 hours a month, but will not assist other co workers with claims when the work load was intensifying. He would use fake praise when some how me or my other team mates got through an assignment or rough part of the work week, but we knew this was all insincere with his behavior and his moments of rude comments. Never had I had a manager such as him where I was disgusted and ashamed that Huntington did not have a system to monitor his behavioral. It's gotten to the point where 1 person forced her retirement early than she would like, I left after being there for just a couple months, and others planning to leave once an opprtunity arise. A lesson I learned was it's important to vent not only the job, but the manager, and awful person can and will be in charge.
