September 18th, 2007 2:31 pm

My work load has steadily been increasing as I bitch about doing the boring stuff. But now, it might increase exponentially.

A senior manager within our department just resigned. He handled a lot of the communications we do (both internally and externally). While I’m not poised to take over his position, I can put this to my advantage. With him gone, they need someone to take over a lot of his shit that is pressing (something a new person wouldn’t be able to pick up on right away). That person could be me.

I’ve talked to my boss about it and we both agree it’s a good opportunity for me. We’re poised to go to the V.P. and tell her research just isn’t what I want to be doing anymore and that it would really help further my career if I could take on some of the major projects that need to be done in the absence of a senior manager.

Hell, some of the stuff he’s already passed onto me and I’ve been running with before he even announced his resignation.  

More than likely I’ll be able to manage some of those projects (including a complete overhaul of our company’s website) simply because there is no one else on the team qualified to handle some of it.

There’s a possibility it could lead to a new role for me, like a Generalist role, and I could get out of research. If that’s the case, it could also lead to more money. Which is always good. The only problem is we just hired two Generalists in other cities so we may not need one in Chicago.

The worse thing that could happen is that I take on these projects and have to continue doing the regular research bullshit. If that happens, it will give me some extra bullet points on my resume and might help me land a better job outside of the company. So, it could still prove to be advantageous for me as it will just help bolster my resume. Either way, I don’t want to be doing research in a year from now.

I’ll keep you updated with what happens, but it could be weeks before I learn anything. I just know this is a rare opportunity for me. I have a chance to go into something a little more exciting (advertising/design) and I feel I should jump on it. It may be premature, but I don’t know when another opportunity like this might arise.

• Work