I never regret leaving my position as an Art Director at a Fortune 100 company. However, I do regret how I felt when I left and how I still feel. I appreciate everything I learned there and the friendships I made. However, I wish I had left sooner, before the feeling of being undervalued set in. When you feel this way, it’s definitely time to leave. By that point, you really have nothing left to give, and it just doesn’t make you feel good about yourself or your work.
Morgan Freeman was the last straw. That’s right Morgan. You pushed me over the edge with my job and made me throw in the towel. I worked my ass off and did good work. I was given a 5% raise which I was grateful for, but then I was made to feel like they were doing me a favor. I worked to get my title changed to reflect the work I was actually doing. Keep in mind, I did their financial report and knew how well the company was doing. I was so excited that it was approved, and then completely deflated to find out there was no monetary value to this promotion for me or my co-worker.
So, one day we were sitting in the board room with one of the department heads and our communications department, discussing our thoughts on the voice talent for an upcoming video promotion. My director pipes up and says,” I think we should hire Morgan Freeman to do it.” I thought, “are you effing kidding me!?” My mouth dropped opened, as I gave a knowing glare to my colleague across the room. All I could think about was how many times my director had come into my office and said, “You guys have been doing great work and I fought really hard for ya’ll. You got a 3% raise this year.” By this time, I had figured out that was totally a lie, but to withhold paying your team while you hire MORGAN FREEMAN?! That really put me over the edge. I knew my value, and I knew I could not be employed where I didn’t feel respected for my work anymore. So, thank you Morgan Freeman for having a voice like butter and making the world a little clearer for me.