I have been searching for a long time for a new job. I am employed, but very concerned about being let go.
My manager is a micromanager, from day 1. I am beginning to think that even though I do good work, she does not want ME to stay on, but she can't find fault in my work so she is just not giving me much to do. I don't think the company itself is laying off, but she fired my other co-worker because she didn't like her, and she used her lack of experience as a reason to fire her. I have more experience and credentials than my fired co-worker, and I have successfully with no problems completed everything asked of me. Rather than teach me my fired co-worker's duties, she hired a new guy and gave him more work than me.
I have been searching for a new role for the last year and the market is horrible. There is a job that came up, and I believe they will give me an offer, but there are a lot of bad reviews. I don't know if I would be walking into a toxic reverse situation of overworking and failing. I am wondering if I should hold out for another job which can take another year to find. On its surface, yes these are all signs that a manager plans to let a person go. However, she has always been a micromanager and has always tried to be dismissive of my abilities. So it is a tough call for me, as I worry about losing my income and also am worried about jumping into the wrong role hastily. Has anyone been in this situation? What would you do?
Anonymous
11/18/25 at 10:32AM UTC
Meanwhile, you might post your resume on the usual job boards plus one or more in your specialty. Recruiters apparently look there fairly often, as I received a number of contacts through that means. After about two months of having posted the resumes, I obtained three interviews in the next month, and by the end of month three was working contract with a job matching my background fairly closely and paying well.
This could be a third alternative for you, and many times when the client company discovers how "wonderful" you are, they will want to make the relationship more permanent.
Hope one of these situations works out well for you. I have learned in my extensive employment history that it is always wise to "trust your gut" on these matters. We are rooting for you!
Anonymous
11/18/25 at 1:02PM UTC (Edited)
This is good to know. I wasn't sure if that was effective, but it is good to hear of positive experiences. I was hesitant to put "open to work" on LinkedIn, because I had heard this could put a target on my back with my current employer, even if it is only visible to recruiters. However, I don't think the company itself wants to lay off as much as my manager just doesn't want me there (but I could be wrong). I think she wants someone who doesn't know anything, to be honest, because it makes her look better.
Anonymous
11/15/25 at 1:35PM UTC
Trust your gut. If you feel you will be let go...take the other job and keep looking. Where you are sounds toxic, so I wouldn't be concerned about another "toxic: place (plus maybe you can get more $$?).
Zeecil Kimmel
598
11/16/25 at 4AM UTC
I agree - I was in a similar situation where my meaningful work was given away, and I saw the signs. I started looking for a job, but I was not successful in finding one before I got laid off. I would take anything, and if it is not perfect, it is easier to find a job when you have one.
Anonymous
11/14/25 at 4:25PM UTC
I was in a bit of a similar situation. I left the old job and the new one didn't work out. I would trust that the reviews could be accurate. Would you be able to bring it up with them in an interview? Even with a micro-manager, it could be worse. Have you been able to talk with your new coworker and see if you could help them out? Or ask your manager for more work to do? And in the meantime looking at learning new skills or new training opportunities couldn't hurt either.
Anonymous
11/16/25 at 3:31PM UTC
I have been asking for more work and it almost seems subtly intentional, that even emails that I send out, when a person resonds by replying all (she is cc'd), manager immediately responds to the person saying "thank you!", even though it was my request. From day 1 she has been a micromanager, but I have asked for more work many times, before she hired the new guy. When we did the the last "goals" review, she got annoyed when I asked to be cross trained and told me she is not going to cross train me. I have thought for a long time that she just didn't want anyone to know my skills, but it is so prolonged that I can easily see that I could be let go. Either that or she is just a jerk, but I am more concerned about job stability than whether she is a jerk.
Anonymous
11/17/25 at 3:38AM UTC
Sounds like a jerk to me and I am sorry this is the case. You are definitely going above and beyond. Would you be comfortable with approaching your coworker directly and cross train with them? If not, that is understandable for sure. For the time left with your current employer, do you have a chance to create or have you created a role manual? That could be a good project to show that you have initiative. And also stall off any phone calls that will happen when you are able to walk through the office door one last time.
Anonymous
11/17/25 at 1:22PM UTC (Edited)
She is very controlling about interactions with my co-worker, and it would make her angry if he showed me his work since she specifically said she was not training me on this specific thing. We work remotely and she does not want us talking to each other. I believe that she is treating me the way she treated the co-worker she fired. It is very odd the way she does things that are insulting, but in a way that she can't be accused of it, and I think it somehow gives her a strange boost. Then later she acts sweet, as though she knows what she just did. I really need to get out of there.
