AyetoZee Work Series 8: I'm Happy To Wake Up Everyday and go to Work

This week’s entry comes from someone who works in Law Enforcement/Security. They’ve also worked their way up to Senior Management.

AyetoZee: How long have you been working at your current place of employment and/or for yourself?

Senior Management: I have been working at my current place of employment for the past 2 years. In the past 10 years I’ve had 3 jobs. I’ve had the opportunity to work for the largest employers in The Bahamas whether it was the Government or Private sector. As a millennial I am quite fine living up to the status quo of not being loyal to any employer.

AyetoZee: If you work for yourself, how did you come to the decision to make this transition?

Senior Management: I actually don’t have any interest in working for myself. I have an innate ability to increase the efficiency of any company or operation I am apart of and that brings me great joy. I steadily save for retirement and if the day ever comes that I am inclined to be an entrepreneur I would take the leap but currently it’s not something that I fancy.

AyetoZee: If you work for someone else, how did you get the job? Was it through personal relationships, cold applying, etc?

Senior Management: I got my current job through cold hard applying. I also had to give the company a little nudge at the time which only required me to write a draft document of one or two recommendations and actions I would take if chosen for the position. I sent the draft to the HR head without warning and within 48 hrs I had the first interview and that was THAT.

AyetoZee: At your job/in your industry, what percentage of people do you think are qualified for their positions?

Senior Management: At my job I believe about 15% of people are qualified for their positions. This is partially due to lack of qualified individuals in the job pool and of course a high degree of nepotism that exists. In my industry, experience is its greatest teacher which is understandable, but very few individuals such as myself have advanced degrees with 10+ years of experience.

AyetoZee: What was the starting salary for your job? Based on the expectations for your work, do you think that salary is fair?

Senior Management: My current position’s starting salary was about 40k a year. I negotiated a higher one. Before that, my last two jobs’ starting salary were 24k and 32k. So I can definitely say I am climbing and climbing.

AyetoZee: If you have received additional qualifications during your tenure in your current position, do they qualify you for raises? Or is there a set schedule for raises at your job?

Senior Management: Additional qualifications don’t qualify me for a raise however to my knowledge it makes it easier for my department head to defend a promotion if/when one comes my way.

AyetoZee: Do you think your manager/supervisor encourages individual promotion or is it a place where you’re expected to stay in your position?

Senior Management: My Vice President encourages individual promotion. We also chat regularly on business continuity and succession planning. I’ve always had bosses that were of this mentality except for when I worked for the government.

AyetoZee: Is training available at your job? Do they pay for is or is it something you’re solely responsible for?

Senior Management: Training is available at my job, in house training, online courses, and also a program through HR that helps pay for certifications that are directly linked to your job description.

AyetoZee: How long do you see yourself staying at your current place of employment? How long do you seeing yourself staying in your current field of employment?

Senior Management: My current place of employment will probably get 5-7 years out of me. My current field of employment is for life. I have a passion for what I do, I live and breathe it. It’s apart of who I am.

AyetoZee: Do you see your job and/or field as your dream place to be?

Senior Management: I don’t consider my job as my dream place, but I have a dream place in mind and they actually contacted me recently to see if I was still interested. I’ll get there some day. Again, yes I love my field of work. I enjoy doing what I do, every morning I wake up I’m happy to work, get better, and it results in my family living comfortably.

AyetoZee: Is there Human Resources at your company? How do you feel about them? Do you feel comfortable going to them about anything you experience on the job?

Senior Management: HR is at my company. They are OK. Could be a little better. I am accustomed to a certain level of organizational structure and I think they can improve on some training, and employee interaction programs.

AyetoZee: What factors do you think most commonly cause people to leave your job and/or field?

Senior Management: In my field the most common factor is burnout. People get tired and leave because they get sick and tired. Secondly, I think it would be pay and thirdly people just leave because they see better opportunities.

AyetoZee: What is the benefits package like at your job?

Senior Management: Health and Life Insurance Package, Pension, transportation allowance (not sure if that counts).

AyetoZee: What benefits or work related things do you think can make your work environment better?

Senior Management: Honestly, as I sit and type the only other benefit, I would like is an option to purchase shares in the company.

AyetoZee: Is salary information widely available through your job/industry or is secrecy encouraged?

Senior Management: Salary information is not widely available. Secrecy is not encouraged but it is also never really questioned. If persons asked me how much I make, I would always tell them but the issue for many is they assume instead of asking.

AyetoZee: Do you feel like senior management abuses their power at work?

Senior Management: This is a tricky question for me as I am apart senior management, but I can say that the power is not abused. The difficulty is the line staff want the power and pay without putting in the work or without being willing to make the tough decisions. Each employee no matter their position has a certain level of power. The biggest issue is not senior management but the perception that senior management abuses power because of a lack of understanding of how thoroughly business works.

AyetoZee: In a perfect world, what changes would you implement to your work life?

Senior Management: In a perfect world, I would just accept what life throws at me and make the best of it. Some days are good some days are bad. Most important thing I do is keep it moving and hopefully have an impact on someone.

AyetoZee: How long is the maximum do you think that people should stay at a job in 2021?

Senior Management: In 2021 I think 10 years at 1 job or in 1 position is the absolute max unless you are considered senior management.

AyetoZee: What does your dream job look like?

Senior Management: My dream jobs looks like, coffee, discipline, and vacations. We gone make this money but we will also be realistic about how this money gets made.

My advice to persons who are not happy at their job or in a career field is to thug it out until you find better. You already know what you don’t like and that will help you with discipline. Find your passion or find what you are attracted to and make it work.

Honestly, reading posts from people who love what they do and live for what they do is super inspiring to me even though I absolutely do not relate. I love seeing people who have found what they love and are happy to wake up everyday and go to work because I think happiness is what you do is so important and people that get enjoyment from accomplishing their work are valuable in this world. It also gives me something to aspire to, because being happy to do something everyday is truly the goal.

I also enjoyed the fact that I’m getting submissions across various levels of employment. Not just those who are non management, but those who can be considered management as well. I think the various view points are extremely helpful for those navigating corporate Bahamas and conversations about salary. And this person even offered a bit of advice and realistic salary jumps that can help someone with negotiations.

I hope that this series is truly a tool that people can use to start conversations with friends, colleagues or management at their job. If you would like to participate, send me an email or a DM to share your answers.