Perhaps my posting this matter on the message board will make it inevitable that I will have to look for a new job.

I am posing a serious question here. I am very frustrated right now, and believe that I have reached a point in my career where I want to try something different. My points of frustration are:
1) I don't believe that I'm picking up any new skills (partly because there is so much "fire-fighting" going on that I can't take time out from daily crises to work on new things that would be enriching).
2) I am the youngest person in my division of the company (33), and the senior engineer and management positions are all held by people who have much more experience and a longer employment history with the company than I do.
3) I don't believe that the company would ever promote me to senior engineer in the group thatbecause it would mean that they would have to pay me more to perform the same job functions that I'm doing now.
4) There is very low turnover, so the chances of a position opening for which I qualify that might lead to a promotion to senior engineer are nil.
5) To add insult to injury, the company recently instituted a policy wherein employees at my salary grade (Engineer 2) and below do not qualify for stock options.
6) I've become bored with the technologies and product lines that I work with.
7) Some of the projects that I work on start as somewhat ill-conceived circuit diagrams with flaws, and I spin my wheels a lot trying to get these things to work without making major changes that would be objectionable to the person who first suggested them.

My problem is that I have never quit a full time job, so I don't understand how people make career transitions. How does one talk to hiring managers at a prospective future employer and go in for an interview without one's current employer becoming aware of the situation? Are my frustrations with my job just grounds for leaving, or do I need to just drink a beer and stop whining?

Alfredo- You are in a great position.

Take those 7 points you wrote and start asking yourself some other questions.

1. What am I passionate about.
2. What would be the ideal job for me.
3. What am I actually worth , based on the current market.
4. What steps do I need to take to get to where I want to be

When looking for a job it's always good to have a job. Not sure what your work allows for sick days or vacation time, but you may want to use some of that to check out other job opportunities. Or maybe you can quit your current job and then get hired on as a consultant and get what you're actually worth.

How can you market those skills as an independent contractor.

Keep writing down ideas and possibilities. You should find a sense of worth and satisfaction in your labor. It should be something you just can't wait to get up in the morning to get to.

Write your own job description on what you would really like to do. Once you begin to see it in writing you might begin to get a clearer picture on what you really want to do.

Sorry...these were just some random thoughts as I head off to bed.

Good luck.

Alfredo,

I'm in the same position now. I run most of the internet company I work for, but get very little in return.

I am using all of my vacation at once to get myself out there and get into the job market. The market right now is geared for you, as employers really are struggling to find good candidates.

With each new job, you can always tell the interviewer you do not wish to have your current employer contacted. It does hurt you some, because if this has been your only job you have no other experience to go on, but an interviewer will pick up on your skills just by talking to you. Employment verification really isn't needed until they have made up their mind on their candidate. Don't let it phase you that you want to keep things secret to the organization you work for now.

The best advice I can provide is I had a similar problem when I worked in finance (stock options, promotions, etc. etc.). I recently re-applied to the company for a different position after a few years off and now can demand a much higher pay grade and all of the options I want. The biggest thing you want is a job offer, because it gives you a bargaining chip. Once you have that chip, you can play your current employer against the potential employer for a nice raise or some perks. Rules can be broken and policies can be exempted if you are valuable enough to them... If not, you know someone else values you more and you take a new job.

If you can hit me up off list, an old professor of mine does consulting for job seekers and can help tweak your resume or give you advice. It may set you back a few hundred bucks but the information is priceless IMO. As well, use places you know of to network... If you can get me your information or a resume I would be happy to forward it onto a friend of mine at Intel (as long as you don't work there now). Keep talking to people and to places like this, it can turn up something.

Of course, if you'd like the unemployment benefits, don't quit. Get yourself fired. But the fine folks at the "employment department" (they don't use the prefix "un" anymore) don't look too kindly to activities such as stealing from the safe deposit box. So you have to do it with grace. Simply have a bad attitude a couple times a week, lose your temper occasionally, and complain about other employees having to do less work than you do. Works like a charm! (of course, sarcasm here...as a manager, this is what drives me to get out the hatchet)

Do you like the company you work for and is it an enjoyable place to be?

I have been lucky to have worked for the same company since high school....25 years. Had various job assignments, all of which I did well at. Part of the reason I am still there is that it is an enjoyable place to be everyday. I often don't like the pressures when things go wrong but then who does. All in all I like were I am.

If you like were you are then maybe take a different approach. Listen and learn things about those above you whose jobs you crave. pick out the unhappy ones and seek jobs for them. Help them to get out of there leaving a vacuum for you to get sucked into. Look for things close to where they live, alternate professions they have said they would enjoy, etc. Might be easier to out some old grouch than to leave yourself.

Worth considering if you wish to remain there.

Good Luck!

John

Alfredo, I strongly agree with both Chris and Chaps.

I went through a similar thing about 10 years ago. What I did was begin to network until I found people that mattered. From there openings presented themselves. Chaps is right in this.

Ended up on a near complete career change. Was good for a nice long ride.

I'm doing it again, but changing roles within the small firm I work for now. (less outsource potential and more working with people, which I find I enjoy.)

Coupla things I know about this market:

The number one complaint here is the relative lack of solid technical people. If you do the networking, things will happen for you absolutely.

Oregon and much of Washington is composed of smaller companies looking for people who can do multiple things. Many of these positions are tough, but the lack of people means you can pick and choose.

Pay ranges from solid to very good, for many of these positions.

What Chris said about passion is very important. Everyone, who is feeling what you are, should do exactly what he describes. A mentor of mine encouraged me to do this many years ago and it led to good things.

Only do the contractor bit if your life is in fair order. I was self employed for a while, but had to deal with family problems. Still am dealing with them actually. This is not something you need when going it on your own. For me, the nature of the stuff going on, made being successful difficult. I may well try this again, but now understand what needs to happen.

If you can make that work, it's the absolute best option however. It does depend on people skills though. Selling yourself, when self employed, is very important. These skills can be learned too, permitting a wide range of people to be successful, if they work at it.

Want to try something really different? Both you and Dr. Chaps mail me off board, if you want to just meet and talk at the least, I know a ton of people, many of them looking at any given time. I get requests for leads to people monthly and I am not a head hunter! I do not deal with head hunters either. (wrong way to go, IMHO.)

Its easier to find a new job, while your currently employed.

Most higher end jobs are filled through personal contact, although a good head hunter can be a big assist.

Alfredo, I went through a similar thing at Intel a few years ago. Well, not quite the same - I was simply burnt on the place, burnt out on the job, even though unlike in your company I got stock and great benefits. My bosses treated me very well. But when an opportunity came to depart through a voluntary separation (to cut head count), I jumped on it. That was six years ago and I've never regretted it.

But...I had some savings when I left, and I knew I didn't want to be an electrical engineer anymore. (I'll talk about that scenario in another response). If you aren't so ready to dump your career, I suggest you simply put yourself out there. Put your resume up on Monster.com and places like that. If you are an analog circuit guy, your skills should be highly sought after, since most people are doing digital now. Good analog people are very hard to find these days. If you are digital, you won't be so sought after but may still not have a difficult time finding another job.

Don't QUIT though until you've found something else if you want to stay in this industry. Since you are unhappy anyway and are going to leave, there's no reason for you to fear your current company finding out should you post your resume somewhere. If anything, it will give you more bargaining leverage should you get an offer somewhere else - then they have the opportunity to promote you or lose you.

Sadly, in this industry, switching jobs is usually the best way to move up.

I have some contacts in the industry at local companies - email me if you want me to get you in touch with them.

Andrew

Now, Alfredo, if you really want to change careers and not just get another engineering job, then it's a different ballgame. That's what I did. Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted to do for sure when I split from Intel. I had some money saved and I didn't have debts or a family to feed, so I wasn't so worried about it. My philosophy was that I'd persue something fun and it would just come to me. Photography has been mixed for me but I enjoy it. Other ventures I've undertaken have been quite successful, though. It's hard to predict what's going to happen next. That can be unnerving but also exciting too, especially if you have been in a dead-end job for too long.

So first thing: be as mean and lean as you can, limit your expenses, and save some money.

In the meantime, start dabbling in a few things in your spare time. Resist the opportunty to work overtime at your job and invest your spare creativity in your own ventures. You seem to love radio - how about something radio-related? What ideas do you have? What other interests do you have? Start dreaming, tinkering, playing. Then, find a way to make money at the things you enjoy.

In the meantime, you can always fall back on your current career. It's not impossible to come back. (It would be difficult for me now after six years but not impossible.) You won't starve. So, jump off and enjoy the adventure! Life is short.

Andrew

Alfredo, I don't have much to add to this good advice here, but I'll tell you this much. Once you start networking and looking and applying, your daily grind won't seem as bad, because you will have one thing you don't have now; Hope. So the first step is to take the first step. Then the next, and so on. Just doing that will lighten your load. Good luck!