> I have now escalated my demands and made it clear that my career is not going the direction it needs to. I have laid out my conditions for further employment.
You're not going to win this one. Make your plans and walk away when you have a good offer.
The sad part is that the company I'm working for now was really different when I first got hired on, but a change in management really killed everything good about the place. I miss the company that hired me and wish I could still work there, but the company as it exists now isn't worth my time.
I am still vocalizing my issues and asking for a resolution. Maybe something astounding will happen and they'll make it all right - but if they don't (and they won't), then I'll be able to walk away, and they'll know why.
Not working paycheck-to-paycheck helps a lot. I mentioned to my manager, after a pretty harsh diatribe about performance expectations that "conditional employment is a two-way street". She actually countered "We could replace you faster than you can replace us", which is a bullshit thing to say to an employee, but she certainly shut up when I told her "I can go without a job longer than you can go without me".
Tl;Dr: I should go ahead and quit for a new job, and then take the retired founder of my old employer out to lunch and tell him what a shitshow his company has turned into since his business partner took over. Also, don't let the sunken cost fallacy convince you to keep working at a sinking ship.
If you've actually been waiting 4 years for career development/promotions to materialize, I've got bad news for you.
Every minute you stay at this point is free work for them basically.
Early 2017 they made some serious promises of a promotion, which kept me there until now. Nothing has materialized, so I have escalated beyond polite nudging and I am applying for jobs.
They were a very different company in 2014-2015, and the company culture didn't really decline until 2016-2017.
I have no confidence in them to provide what I need, but I don't want to leave without making my concerns heard, and without giving them a chance to respond. At least then I know that they'll know why I left.
My biggest complaint is my new manager who treats her team like children. I actually care about the company enough to meet with the retired founder after I exit and let him know that his company is about to lose a lot more talent if they don't get things under control.
Far too many people keep holding out hope things will change, and get walked on in the process.
I keep becoming more vocal about my career development, but the company keeps having new excuses as to why I need to "wait a few more months".
I have now escalated my demands and made it clear that my career is not going the direction it needs to. I have laid out my conditions for further employment.
Now, my employer either needs to get things moving in the right direction, or one of the 50 places I applied for this week is going to replace them.
The real issue is that I am so valuable to my employer doing what I currently do that they don't want to change my role and have to replace me. Unfortunately for them, they're going to have to replace me no matter what happens.
Don't get too comfortable in the same position for too long, and don't let your company make you feel bad for needing more. If they won't give you what you need in a career, get out and find an employer that will.