If one has to work, one at least wants to have some kind of career satisfaction. Am I right? You bet your buttons, I am.
So how do I predict whether my career is about to take a nosedive or not? Should I stay eternally optimistic and repeat to myself that change is good, new opportunities await, and be patient it will all turn out well in the end? Or should I start looking around for a replacement position (anyone want to pay me to travel and write?)?
Let’s look at the facts (my version of them, of course).
1. I’ve spent several months developing a certain line of planning and strategy, working on policy, asking questions and providing a choice of solutions, etc, etc and so forth. I’ve done such a job of it that instead of being given the work officially as part of my job description, the company is planning to employ someone to do the job. I could apply for the job, but the company chooses qualifications over experience and I don’t like to waste my time.
2. I have been working on, developing/improving marketing campaigns for our events and doing a good job of it. My work in that area now seems to be shared out among other people, which wouldn’t be so bad if I was going to be able to continue developing point number 1… It appears that due to an overlap in job descriptions in the area I now work in, I’m going to be the “fall-guy”. I won’t be out of a job, but I won’t be doing a whole lot either.
3. I’ve been filling in in other areas while we were short-staffed. We will soon not be short-staffed and that work also will be taken out of my hands. Even, apparently, those parts I been asked to, and am willing to, continue with because no one else wants them.
So, if I’m not doing what I was working toward and I’m not doing what I was working on or helping out with, what will I be doing exactly?
I have an answer for that but I do not wish to sound bitter…
I already know what I’m going to do, of course (and this little vent has cleared at least that up for me). I’m going to bide my time (as I always do), and concentrate on the two most important things, career-wise. They are, a) negotiate a full-time position, which has been my basic request for the last six months and b) work on my TAFE course so I will have qualifications at last. Experience counts for nothing without a bit of paper to sit it on.
After that, I’m going to find someone to pay me to travel and I’m nicking off to the Outer Hebrides and similar locales, to write about it.
It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
Trish Anders 
How will it benefit the company to hire you full time? How will that make them money? Unless they realize that there is an advantage, they won’t do it.
At least, that was our litmus test when we were bringing on full time staff in my company.
I have been in the chair you are currently occupying. And I know that even though I can look at it rationally, it still hurt to know that your work was so good that someone else was going to reap the benefits of your insight and intelligence. But you have to move beyond that and, like Greg N says, determine what the business case is for hiring you. If there isn’t one, you really must recognize that your time with this company is limited and start looking. I’ll tell you a little secret about my career – I was ALWAYS looking for my next job even when I was perfectly happy and respected in my current job. Happy hunting.
Thank you both for your comments. The grand plan was that I was doing this work (that they are going to hire someone to do) plus the other work that I was doing and that would be enough to get me from part time/unofficially full-time to officially full-time. With the changes mentioned, I too, wonder what I have to stand on when it comes to being employed full-time.
It may be that I need to move on and I always look out for something that suits me better; this place of work has just always suited me the best.
I have been here before and come through it; I’m probably just getting a little tired of this scenario…
Thanks again,
Trish