I'm about 6 months in at this firm that I've started working with. My first performance review (4 memo in) went really well. However, about a few months in, I had mentioned to some of my bosses at the director partner level that I wanted to do more actual work and have more responsibility. They listened and said they would give me some more opportunities. 2 months later I still find myself in the same boat. I work a lot with a certain VP who almost exclusively uses me to do her busy work/anything mind numbing she doesn't want to do like making maps, format ppt slides, set up VDRs. Just a lot of "analyst type work", in fact at the last job I had I felt like I honestly had more responsibility. Additionally, there has been a lot of inefficiency in the way work is delegated. I've been told countless times false deadlines set by none other but the VP and my work isn't looked at tills days after pulling these late nights/ all nighters. And all the work I finish on time and turn in isn't reviewed by the VP till days later and yet the delay is blamed on me. The last straw for me was creating this model for a deal we're working on where the partner on the deal gave us two days to make the model. Finally I was excited to be able to do some analytical. The VP told me that day that we had to have it done tonight so that she could review in the morning. I finished the majority of the model that night and the remainder in the morning. Meanwhile, the VP that morning has started her own model without looking at mine at all, misses the deadline, and finishes her internal model 3 days later. I had even told her that I had finished the whole model and she just brushed it off. We end up taking her model as the final product and We review it with the partner as a group the next week and agree the model isn't done. This was 3 weeks ago and we're still not done. We're still working on this model. She's on a single other project besides this and I've been juggling the rest of the day to day responsibilities and screening other deals this entire time. At this point, I've realized that the issue with me not getting any sort of development is because I have this VP (she's on almost every company that I am assigned to) who is just using me as an analyst. And on top of that, she's completely disrupting any sort of efficiency we can achieve. I've attempted to discuss this with her but everything I say goes in one ear and out the other. The most important thing to me is that I can work and develop my skills and keep learning/improving at my job but it's obvious I'm not getting these opportunities as most of my assignments are with the same VP. In addition, she's passed off my work/research/insight as her own multiple times and has attempted to discredit my work without thinking about the claims she's made (I've had to correct her publicly a few times). I am most definitely new to this job and I know I have a lot to learn. But how do you expect employees to contribute in a meaningful way if opportunities are limited. My question is in my next performance review do I make these issues clear with the partners? My mentors have advised against this.However, I like this firm and want to stay, but I don't think this is conducive to my professional development and it's either bring this up or find a new role in a year. What do you guys think? Should I complain about this in my review or just shut up do my job and leave in a year? I've had other offers in the time I've been here that I have turned down but now am starting to regret.
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Dude. Paragraph breaks. Use them.
Edit: because my smartass comment got the votes I'll also at least answer the title.
No. I do not share my honest thoughts with my bosses. I do with a few of my peers/juniors who I know share similar views on things in order to build some trust/comradery, but even then I am restrained. In a professional environment, particularly when dealing with your boss, you're much better off keeping your cards close to the vest and trying to gauge every interaction to see where his/her thoughts are. I have nodded along with left-leaning comments about diversity, wage gap, etc. that I personally disagree with from seniors because it's not a hill worth dying on/losing face over. Know your audience and if/when asked your opinion tailor your answer accordingly.
Company politics is the one of the most important parts of the job (in same cases even more than being a top performer) and honesty is rarely the best policy in most circumstances. I'm not saying just tell your boss what they want to hear and be a suck up because anyone who's survived this industry long enough will sniff out that BS quickly and will not respect you for it, but do make an conscious effort not to tell them something that can only hurt you if it can be avoided. My boss probably has a sense that I am conservative leaning on some issues but probably also appreciates that I don't bring it up or argue with him about anything stupid either. And we both recognize that whatever the views of the CEO/Founder we're talking to are, OMG we're exactly the same and agree on almost everything... to whatever degree is needed in order to get the deal done. Sorry if I'm not very specific to your scenario, but I'm not going to read that wall of text till you at least take my original advice.
Helpful, thank you very much!
This is great advice. My old company had me seated next to left-leaning people. We hired a new guy who sat next to me, and we slowly realized we both have the same beliefs (more conservative).
New company is more conservative where I sit. Open discussions about how the current administration are idiots, but def watch for people walking over into the area.
I’m honest with one of our executives and then another coworker. Lots of open conversations with other groups after some drinks, and I’ve learned a lot of stuff that’s given me leverage in certain discussions.
“Speak less and listen more”. I’ve tried to follow this advice, and now I know how my coworkers feel about one another. Lots of power dynamics to understand.
“Anything you say can and will be used against you”. Choose your words carefully, and be even more careful about what you disclose to others. Remember, it’s a job. Sure, I’ve become friends with coworkers, but even one of my best friends didn’t know I was looking for other jobs until I told him.
What the hell are you guys talking about??? "Office Politics" has nothing to do with US Politics. The term "politics" is used in the academic sense, meaning the dynamics of power and structure behind making decisions for a group. No idea why left or right-leaning is relevant to this
I didn’t read the post because it’s too long but the answer to your title is absolutely not. I’d get fired if I was honest
Fair lol
Don’t be honest. Look for a new job.
Yeah I’m not reading all that. I wish you the best though.
Or sorry that happened.
Read what you wrote (but line breaks would indeed be helpful)
I would NOT complain - people in PE like to act as if they are open to feedback but in reality cant handle it.
I would rather keep my head down, do good work and look for something better in the meantime and DD the shit out of any offers you get in terms of culture
Also decided on this route, I'm just gonna hustle and when I get my shot. I'll be ready. Thank you!
You can and should share your honest opinions if your boss is a good leader. YOUR boss is not, so you are going to have to play this differently. I would recommend tactfully and softly expressing some suggestions on how it could get better, but don't push it. Start working on an exit plan, not necessarily from the company, but from your boss.
Working for a boss who you cannot have an honest conversation with is going to build resentment inside you and slowly crush your soul. You need to be able to say what you think (at the appropriate time and in a diplomatic way), hiding your true opinions is no way to live a life.
Was in a similar situation, spoke up and things got worse. But I also think that made me realize it is not the place for me and I’m leaving.
Being honest with your boss:
Dumb
Ways
To
Die
I always felt comfortable bringing everything up with seniors in IB (related to issues in the group). In PE, absolutely fucking not
Why don't you ask to be staffed with other VPs/ seniors? You can say you want to work with and learn from everyone in the team, not just one VP. I don't think that an unreasonable request.
I’ve tried to verbalize it before but the truth is we’re such a lean team that it’s impossible to avoid her. I’ve come to peace with this, I’m just practicing my modeling and trying to do my best work so that i can leave next year, ideally.
I would echo most of what had been said but would maybe disagree in that I think it can be done in the right fashion. At my old PE firm we had an HR / staffing team that would invite you to chat with them on if you were having trouble in your role... about 6 months in I was very burned out from working with a certain VP and decided to go to the HR team / staffer and vent / open up (read: not complain specifically).
Turns out, I wasn't the first person to complain about this person. I came into the meeting with a shortlist of points / things to improve, but did not mention the VP at all until the HR person pressed me to. Once I did, HR discussed with this VP, and that VP took me out for a drink and we ended up having a good working relationship for the rest of my time at the firm.
With that said, I had another VP who was like the one you described. Not a people person and rubbed me the wrong way every time I worked with him. He once tried to get me off of a platform deal because I was too busy for PortCo work... once that happened the same HR team as above asked me about that VP and I mentioned I'd rather work on the platform deal and thus I worked less with him. He was really butthurt about this, but luckily I wasn't the one who had to break the news and the staffer actually called him out for hogging me. Didn't need to escalate (and frankly didn't think I had the ammo too considering the situation with the other VP). Once I left the firm I was able to open up in an exit interview and mention that this VP was making my life awful (literally didn't cover for me when I was in the ER due to stress) and it all came out.
Long winded way of saying... depends on the VP and the audience. I think you can try to have an honest conversation with the right person or staffer but you really have to stay positive. A PE firm is going to prioritize a problem VP over a problem associate any day of the week... much easier / cheaper to find a new associate. If you think you have an advocate you can speak to, you can try. But to reiterate, stay positive or maybe frame it as wanted more growth opportunities and to work with others at the firm so you don't be pigeon-holed. If nothing else... start updating the resume.
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