Taking the hint: When it's time to move on

I am a procurement engineering technician at a nuclear power plant and here is my dilemma.  I am under a glass ceiling because there are only two levels for technicians and I am at the top or senior tech level.  To go higher I would need to become an engineer, which would require a degree. What I want is for the company to establish a new, higher level for senior technicians. I filled a job analysis questionnaire for Human Resources, which will be presented to upper management with the hopes that a new level will be established.  It is not progressing at all as my section leader is still sitting on it.  To be fair to him, there is a tremendous amount of change going on now and this is not a priority; however, he does insist that he will fill out his portion and submit it.

I cannot complain too much as I have just gotten a very good raise; well, 6.5 percent is good for my position.  However, what does gall me a little is that my section leader stated that I was an outstanding employee but upper management vetoed that rating and dropped me back to average rating stating that the plant is not performing up to par at this time.

At this point in life I do not want to go back to school to become an engineer but I would like to be recognized and paid for my contributions.
— J.P.M., Phoenix

You are quite resourceful and ambitious to suggest a new job classification. Good for you! That’s a sign of a man who thinks outside the box, which is what companies always say they want.

But it’s not a good sign that the higher-ups knocked down your performance rating. That means they probably don’t realize all that you do. Making them aware of your strengths and everything you accomplish for the company is critical. For some reason your direct boss knows it but not those above him.

Ask your manager about this disconnect. You won’t be able to sell this new job classification if they don’t realize what you do now.

And Houlihan says your manager should provide you with specifics on what, if anything, you’re not doing. Push for an honest, open discussion so you can figure out once and for all if you’re just spinning your wheels.

If the door doesn’t open up to future advancement, especially since getting a degree is out of the question, Houlihan suggests you start asking yourself where your passions lie and consider following a new path.

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