Onward & Upward

I’ve worked at The Seattle Times for about a year and a half. And I have to say that I really enjoy going in to work each day – I like my job. It’s not the career I envisioned for myself when I was busting my ass in college trying to become a journalist, but an opportunity I happened to fall into and ended up really liking. Sadly, I have to report that I am quitting my job as a real estate sales associate. Let me back up.

I was promoted into my current position about a year ago, and quickly gained seniority when all of the other associates quit. I thought this was fantastic, considering things like the vacation calendar and lunch schedules are based on seniority. As new people began to enter the department, I helped to train them and basically stepped quickly into a lead role – only natural since I had far more experience than the others combined. This said, I was quite shocked when my boss brought in an employee from another department, and without any interviewing, posting or announcing that the position would be available, made this person the department “Lead.”

I found this to be quite interesting, considering my senior status and the fact that this new person knew nothing about one of our main computer systems. Still, she would be receiving more money, more responsibility and supposedly more respect than me. Interesting, but I kept my mouth shut at the time.

This “lead associate” stayed in the department for about three months before announcing she would be moving on. I immediately thought of the lead position, and knew that I was the person for the job. With almost a year's seniority over any other associate in the department, I have handled my desk flawlessly while still making time to train new employees – which often included our “lead.” I figured the lead position would be given to me without a doubt. I was wrong.

My boss decided to be fair she would have to offer the position to me and another associate in the department. However, this person came to me and said, “Sarah, the job’s yours. You have seniority and you know far more about everything than I do; I’m still learning.” True. But a few days later when I came in for my interview, this person informed me that he too would be interviewing for the position. I found out later that our boss had asked him to.

Knowing this, it was no surprise or secret who her favorite was. I don’t even know why she bothered to interview us. Completely ignoring my obvious seniority and enhanced knowledge of the job, she promoted the other associate – a person I myself helped train for the job. Needless to say, I was furious and mortified by this decision, which was clearly based on nothing more than favoritism. Lucky for me, my sales rep felt the same way.

As a real estate associate on the largest, highest revenue-generating desk at the company, I have made some unique contacts within the community. All it took was one phone call from my sales rep to the most important of these clients, and I had myself an interview. Three days later I had the job, and got the satisfying opportunity of putting in my notice at the Times. I had a better paying job and an amazing opportunity to begin a career with one of the largest and most important clients at the company. I’ve been hired as a marketing coordinator for a real estate marketing company in downtown Seattle. I start there in about a week.

Still, I feel sadness and regret about having to take such measures. I really liked what I was doing every day, and had formed close friendships with many of my co-workers. But at least now, as a client of the Seattle Times, I have the satisfaction of knowing that my boss will be forced to treat me with the respect that she should have originally given me as an employee.

Hasta la vista STC, it’s been a great ride! I’ll miss you.