What are the signs your boss doesn't like you?
You sit with the interns despite having graduated a couple of years ago. You’re referred to as the gopher by someone who looks at you like you’re a rat.
Enough with the rodent references.
The boss won’t give you a raise for several years but everyone else at least gets cost of living adjustments. You get bad reviews and dinged for things no one else does.
That sounds like discrimination.
It isn’t always discrimination – sometimes it is just personal.
Yeah, the boss’ personality.
Sometimes a boss doesn’t like you because of personality clashes. For example, the boss likes to lay down the law and you see rules as something to rebel against.
I can see where that’s a problem.
Sometimes the boss is a type A personality and so are you, so you get clashes where everyone wants to dominate and be the boss but there can be only one.
I think that’s the line out of Highlander.
No, literally, there’s only one box for a boss on the org chart except for that person’s boss. But a boss in that situation could yell a lot or give you unpleasant work to drive you away.
What else could it be?
Some people don’t like being told what to do, and bosses usually do that.
Bosses usually don’t like it, either. So they get on your case.
A new kid who comes in wanting to rewrite and revolutionize everything may think this is a startup where they can create amazing stuff on day one but looks like he’s telling the boss what to do.
And the new kid looks like an upstart.
Or a mess-maker, trying to mess things up before even learning how they should be. Bosses who tell you to read the manual and learn the procedures don’t like newcomers who say no, just start over.
At another job, just as likely.
Any boss who tells you that you should consider your options is likely saying as much.
