Prós
What I Appreciated:
Meaningful Work: I was able to develop strong project management, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
Growth and Adaptability: I learned how to manage competing priorities and complex projects.
Relationships: There were colleagues and partners I genuinely enjoyed working with.
Contras
Challenges
Constant Changes to Compensation and Role Expectations: My compensation and role structure felt unstable and frequently changed. Most recently they gave me two completely different jobs in addition to my current role, then decreased my salary.
Lack of Organizational Structure: I regularly spent significant energy navigating organizational challenges rather than focusing on the actual work.
Unsustainable Workload: There were periods where I felt responsible for multiple jobs simultaneously.
Limited Support: Support structures did not grow proportionately as expectations increased.
Constant Firefighting: It was difficult to establish sustainable workflows because new problems continually emerged.
Impact on Well-Being: The combination of workload, shifting expectations, and organizational instability created ongoing stress. I spent a significant amount of mental energy managing uncertainty. The role became increasingly draining despite my commitment to doing the work well.