Overqualified and expected to take on more

[WinstonmissesXmas]

Hi - is anyone else in the same boat? I took a job I was overqualified for as it worked around the children. However, I appear to have become my manager’s deputy, have frequently covered for her and earn about £25K/year less than her! I broached a pay rise recently and was told that as I have covered for her less during Covid (true, less opportunity) then this can’t happen. However, I have so much evidence of what I have done, prior to Covid, way above and beyond the basic admin I was employed to do. Changes are coming up and I’m being told I’ll be offered more opportunities that will count as evidence for a potential uplift next year, but I don’t want to have to ‘prove’ myself. If I’m doing a higher level role, I should be paid for it from the start, not have to act up for free and then maybe be paid for it! FWIW, I had a more senior job prior to DC so I don’t need training or development opportunities. At the minute, I am definitely very good value to the business.

This act up prove yourself malarkey is relatively commonplace in the industry I work in.

Victim of your own success springs to mind....

Other than look for another job I'm not sure what to suggest. This seems to be the norm these days. Every employer wants their pound of flesh and job descriptions bear little resemblance to the actual job itself.

I’ll be offered more opportunities that will count as evidence

How generous of them to offer you opportunities to do more work for the same money.

I've never seen this in any previous jobs and it sounds like a pisstake.

If you want more money you will probably have to leave and get a job elsewhere.

It is a pisstake! And more so since I was acting up for a good couple of years prior to Covid and when I’ve mentioned this, this experience has been dismissed as I haven’t done so during the pandemic (meetings manager previously couldn’t make so I covered, she has made as she’s been able to Zoom).

You might find this in a recent Ask A Manager interesting OP
www.askamanager.org/2021/02/can-i-refuse-more-work-without-a-raise.html

The employer overall is decent, I fear it’s my boss who almost wants to keep me in place as I’m so useful!

@TyneTeas - ha! Looks like I have an American twin. I read many of the comments in the link and they’re helpful, though tend to refer to someone who doesn’t necessarily have the experience. I do, so for me, and I’m not bigging myself up here, what’s the incentive to prove what both I and my manager already know?

My place does this "hey do x y z extra so then you can apply for opportunities that come up".
Then jobs are given out to external people without advertisements, interviews or any recruitment process.

What would happen if you just do exactly what's in your contract and no extras?

This happened to me too! I took a job because it was a shorter commute for childcare reasons, in my case it didn’t look like a step down, but then the actual work was a step down. Then I worked my way into doing more similar to what I had before, a new role came up and when I applied they said that although I had the experience, they didn’t see the company getting any more out of me if I was promoted, so I should just keep doing what I am doing.

If everything wasn’t so extremely difficult juggling childcare and the pandemic, I would take it as a sign I need to leave. Instead I am thinking more what can I do to get myself in as good a position as possible for when a more normal wok-life balance can be restored.

@bonfireheart

My place does this "hey do x y z extra so then you can apply for opportunities that come up". Then jobs are given out to external people without advertisements, interviews or any recruitment process.

You must work in a very small privately owned company for them to recruit without even interviewing the candidate first. I can't believe that would be good for a business not to sift/screen and have a process for evaluating that a person can do a job.

I don’t want to have to ‘prove’ myself. If I’m doing a higher level role, I should be paid for it from the start, not have to act up for free and then maybe be paid for it!

You may not want to have to prove yourself, but that's the process in most companies.

It may seem unfair but based on your OP, you have been recruited as an Administrator, the fact you've deviated from the role spec you're contracted to deliver is a moot point. How complex is the extra work you're doing to "cover for" your manager? I'm going to sound harsh, but "covering" for someone isn't the same as being in their job 5 days a week and bearing the accountability for that role.

Being more senior in a previous job, isn't always an advantage if they don't need that seniority. It's very often why a company won't consider someone with an impressive array of skills if the role they want to recruit for doesn't need those skills. They know the person could become discontent in that role and they know they may not have opportunities to sustain an uplift to the role spec.

If your annual review cycle is coming up, that's the time to formalise your concerns that your current role responsibilities have been expanded. You could agree some stretch goals with a target date by when they agree to review your salary based on having met your targets. Unfortunately if you don't do it that way, you're unlikely to come across as someone serious at progression, and could be seen as disgruntled and negative, rather than 'can-do'

Sometime you have to play the long-game especially if your track record was gained in another company, not where you're currently working.

Instead I am thinking more what can I do to get myself in as good a position as possible for when a more normal wok-life balance can be restored.

Exactly! Showing yourself you're competent at a job is as important as showing others, because it gives you confidence you can go out and get a new role with a track record in the bag.