Looking for advice...

[Acrylic]

I am looking for some advice, I ask here because I can only hope that some of you have been in my situation. I am 20 years old and have been playing with computers since I could reach the keyboard. Up until January last year I have been working the average job, retail, well that all changed and for the past year I have been working at a technology company in my local city. Life was great, I have my own office, I was getting experience and training not making what I should have but I was happy because I was out of retail the owners are nice and the hours are very flexible so I didn’t bitch much about the crappy pay. Well about a month ago I started to realize what was (not) happening. It all started when he hired a new person to be my partner, me and him clicked instantly so we got close, fast, and we started to talk about geeky stuff and the job and the future of the company. Mind you that this company is small, it’s me and him in the IT department, 5 sales guys, 2 people in charge of the training center, and the VP of Sales/CFO/CEO. When I first started working here the company was not much into local IT support it was more focused on selling/supporting products like Astaro, Riverbed, Allot, Packeteer, etc. Well at the begging of this year the CEO announced to us that we were going to start getting into local support type stuff which is why he hired the new person for IT. Without making this thing a whole life story I am going to try and keep it short as possible. The VP of Sales and I have a great relationship, we talk about everything and many a time the subject of the company future has come up. Long story short the CEO should not be the CEO. He is 25 years old, he comes in late (11-12) every day if he comes in at all, and he usually leaves the office at around 3-4. He knows what he’s doing is wrong but does nothing about it to fix it. That’s the key, he’s all talk and no do, nothing gets done here and if it was not for the CFO and the Sales department the company would go under. Our CEO claims to be the “CIO”, directing me and the other guy around, getting us out in the field and generating revenue but hes just not mature enough to do it. I was supposed to me taking a training class for my CCNA last year, never happened, this year its my MCSE, guess what not happening. I guess my question is what are your thoughts on my situation? What should I do? The other guy already talked to the CEO and told him that he has 60 days to get his act together. But I am afraid to do that… I can’t afford to lose the job. Should I confront my CEO and tell him the same thing? That nothing gets done and the company is suffering because of it. I’m so confused and im sure most of what I typed is hard to read sorry for that.

[foxyloxley]

sort out your CV
have a look around to check out the job market

I can’t afford to lose the job.

It's just a job
you got that one, you WILL get another
one year in one job is a better start to a CV than some get

[Acrylic]

I dont really know how to put this without it sounding negative, but I am 20 with no degree (High School Diploma) and no certifications. I know too much to go from here to a place like geek squad or some other computer repair shop. This place has a lot of potential but our CEO is the one stopping the growth. I would like to stay with the company and help it grow into somthing great but I just dont know if i have the balls to confront the CEO and tell him hes shitty at his job. I also love the freedom here. If I show up an hour late or need the day off its no questions asked, they helped me pay for a new car when mine got smashed, I dont thnik I could find this someplace else. I have been exploring my options and I do have a CV so im not totally stuck on staying here. I was just wondering if I should confront him or not pretty much, thanks for the advice.

[foxyloxley]

you HAVE to say something
but I feel that a full on confrontation would be a no win situation

the Co like you
you like the work

so stay and fight for it .......
but keep your CV up to date

I was an electrician for 30 years, before I moved into IT
I didn't starve [came CLOSE]
no quals, no nothing really

now I've got a CV with several jobs on, and I get agencies ringing ME

NEVER let the job hold you down

[nihil]

Start looking, and make sure you have another job before you leave that one.

Well at the begging of this year the CEO announced to us that we were going to start getting into local support type stuff which is why he hired the new person for IT.

Not enough "indians" IMO. From what I see, the company experience is sales/training of networking type applications. That is a rather different skillset from local support of general infrastructure and applications.

Also, it helps to sell your services if your staff are qualified...............even though the bit of paper doesn't neccesarily mean all that much.

[DjM]

Sorry Mate, but it's the "Golden Rule" , he (the CEO) who has the gold makes the rules. If your a publicly traded company, the shareholders will be the one's to decide if the CEO is doing a good job, if your not traded, then the owner of the company will be the one(s) to decide. You are not in a position to judge him, fact of corporate life.

As for you, your options are a short list, 1) stick it out. 2) leave, it's really that simple.

Cheers:

[morganlefay]

Welcome to the real world...

We all end up working with\for someone where we may feel more knowledgable than...

One thing I have learned is everyone has something to offer....in thier own way....somepeople are better at computers than handling the phones...its the ability to use all the assets\personel in the company to achive the same goal...team work.

The CEO must have some asset...if hes CEO...no??

Just sounds like you resent the CEO cause he has better hours then you...???...most of them will

If you are going to approach him.....do you have documentation showing that because of his hours\neglegence... it is hurting the company...revenues...loss of customers????
Personally I have been in a similar position you are....I was not complaining about the CEO...I was complaining to the CEO about a VP (who by the way was riding my ass, treating me like his secretatry and an outright misogynist.)...............I had good documentation to back myself up,

I was also ready to walk...him or me.

I was promoted

If you are truly unhappy in your postition...move on.

There is no reason you cannot stay on with your current position and actively look for a new one???

MLF

[dalek]

All good advice here, one other thing you should not do is "burn bridges", all of these individuals are "contacts", so even if you leave this particular problem, if you burn the bridge (confrontational), it could follow you around. Play nice, bide your time, wait for the opportunity to leave on your terms, and always ask for character ref's on the way out.

Also with contacts come potential opportunities, someone will always know someone else, or a place looking to hire...ignore the current CEO's quirks, we had one that brought his dog to work and treated it better then the staff, although I've yet to see the dog do any work.... (it's a dog's world afterall).

Seriously, your young and just now experiencing life in the "office", wait for it, it get's scarier (office politics).

Take what you know and maybe when you can, do some on the side (moonlight) and maybe go after some certs.

If I show up an hour late or need the day off its no questions asked, they helped me pay for a new car when mine got smashed, I dont thnik I could find this someplace else.

We all should be so lucky......

[nihil]

This place has a lot of potential but our CEO is the one stopping the growth.

I seriously doubt that. Most CEOs don't do much from a "hands on" perspective anyway.

I would perhaps question the direction the company is taking, as trying to break into local support with only two staff does seem overambitious. I would expect to see at least the same number as you have sales staff, although the size and nature of your customer base is a factor to be considered.

Are your sales staff motivated to sell the support services, or are they still pushing the old software and training products?

[House929]

Sorry but, I am the pessimist around here. You should stay there as long as you can. Take whatever the CEO does. Live with it.

I will give you several reasons.

1. That's life
2. You have no certifications
3. Your english is horrific and your written english is atrocious.
4. I believe geek squad requires you to have certifications.
5. With your qualifications and your low education standards you are very low on the job market list
6. Since you seem to be complaining instead of trying to fix the problem, you probably have bad interpersonal skills so you probably won't make a really good impression at the interview.
7. (Most Important) You have no certifications... You are pretty much saying to an employer... "Hey look, I know how to work with computers, that's what I did at my last job, but I have nothing to say I do"

Mark me, I personally think certifications are a joke. THey are a piece of paper that says you know something, when all you need to pass most is a good two days of studying.

My recommendation....

Bide your time, get a couple certs , the company will probably even pay for them. Once you have enough and you have been there for a longer time. Start looking and see what you can get. "DO NOT QUIT UNTIL YOU HAVE A NEW JOB"

With all that said... Here is the optimistic part...

You have your health.