My first “professional” job was at Lancaster Newspapers while still in college. I was part-time, but everyday (5 or 6 days per week) up to about 30 hours per week. After 2 years, I walked into the Editor-in-Chief’s office and asked to be made full-time. This exchange took place:
HIM: I think you need more experience to get promoted.
ME: How should I get more experience?
HIM: Maybe go to a smaller paper.
Not long after, I left both the company and the journalism business altogether. It was a crazy idea to me, having your aspirations met with indifference and, I would argue, cluelessness. Treating your employees’ goals as if they’re an annoyance is a pretty dumb strategy, unless you like having open positions and being short-staffed.
Young employees expecting to move up is not a new phenomenon, but this story from the Wall Street Journal looks at the challenges when the “rookies” ask for promotions, and how managers are handling what they see as either ambition or impatience.
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