Boss educates everyone except me?

Question

I've got a good relationship with my manager and the boss (owner) of the company really loves me and he's told me on numerous occasions how invaluable I am.

My job is stressful, demanding, but I'm not growing career-wise. When I started the job (7 years ago) my employer promised to pay for studies. He hasn't done that, citing lack of money. Yet, he can afford to send everyone else to school.

How do I address this as a concern in my performance review? I've listed education as a goal each year since I started working here, but I always get the same excuse. It's performance review time again, and I want to list education again, but want to word it differently, in a way that he can't dodge my request by citing lack of money. I know there is money - so how do I convince them to invest in me?

Answer 1

Put a request in for this certification at your next review. Give examples of how this certification will have a direct and positive impact on your productivity, and therefore for the business as a whole. You need to justify why you need this more than just "Other people get this, why can't I?" (especially when you're good at what you do).

If the manager responds with

there's no money for that right now

Then say

That's ok, it's not urgent. Can we set this up for the next financial year?

Answer 2

First of all. 7 years is a LONG time to be waiting for a promise, especially when others are getting it. Now that's not necessarily a valid complaint but I think it would be a valid question if you're denied yet again.

How far away is this review? IF its' more than a month I wouldn't wait that long. I'd have a sit down sooner. If it's within a month sure go ahead and wait. In that review I would bring in the details of what I wanted to go do, and I would present them to my boss. If that didn't work and he still denied to send you I would immediately start looking for a new job and not give more than 2 weeks notice (or whatever your contract may specify). At this point of 7 years of repeatedly lying and stringing you along you don't have any reason to give them loyalty. They've hampered your career growth for long enough. You're number 1, always remember that.

Answer 3

I would put it in much the same way you've written it here.

You mentioned that your job is stressful and demanding and you're not growing career wise. Make your direct report think about what's keeping you at the company and what reason you have to stay. Perhaps they think that you're comfortable with what you're doing and you don't really mind that you haven't been given anything extra, perhaps they're just thinking that you want what everyone else is getting?

Below's a few talking points for you.

Be extremely clear about what you want and where you want to end up. Most people don't want to stay in the same job for the rest of their lives, so let your manager know what you aspire to, what's driving you. Show that you're keen to learn.

Don't forget to tie it into a benefit to the company, why should they put you through the training? How does that turn into a benefit for the business and how will they get a return on their investment? Will they end up losing the "invaluable person" they have in their current role? Talk about how you could up-skill/cross-skill someone else into your role.

If you're determined to reach a goal and there's a roadblock in the way, ask "How can we overcome that?". If it's something that simply cannot be overcome, then you really don't have much option other than to look for another job that will provide what you're after.

On a side note

It's best not to let things slide for so long, if you're determined to get something, letting it go by for 7 years without having a path to your destination doesn't exactly scream determination. You have very little reason to show loyalty to a company that can't keep it's promises. At the end of the day you need to look out for yourself. "You're #1" as someone else here put it!