Graphic designer passed up for promotion they were promised for 2 years in favor of do-nothing social-climbing coworker, they quit: 'My manager was shocked, begging me to stay'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Oct 26, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

By the time you're training new hires in your department and taking on additional responsibilities and work, it's about time to start wondering when that promotion is coming. Let's face it: you're basically contributing at a level as if you'd been promoted already, so all that's left is to make the adjustment to your title and compensation. But, of course, no one likes paying for something they're already getting for free—and employers, first and foremost. So they'll drag out that promotion as long as humanly possible, eventually "forgetting" that they had promised it all together. 

This graphic designer spent years going above and beyond, training new hires and taking on the most difficult projects while maintaining a high standard of quality in their work. You know—all the things that someone in a higher role would be doing. Yet, when their next annual review rolled around, they were knocked down for having less of a "social presence" than their lazy social-climbing coworker, and the promotion that they had been promised went to the coworker instead. This prompted the graphic designer to leave and seek a better job elsewhere, leaving a gaping hole in the organization where all of their hard work and self-built process had once been.

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  • 01
    "After 2 years of promises, they gave my promotion to the worst person on the team... So I left and let them sink."
    via Ilyuza Mingazova

    Image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Image is for illustration only and subjects are models.

  • 02
    After 2 Years of Promises, They Gave My Promotion to the Worst Person on the Team-So I Left and Let them sink. Not AITA post Before reading: this is not the AITA story. I basically don't know how to use this platform. I'm sorry in advance.
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  • 03
    Back to the story. I've been at my company as a graphic designer in the marketing department for around 3-4 years. When I started, it was just three of us in the team, including a team lead I respected deeply. The team was small, but I loved the creative challenges and working closely with my coworkers. As our team grew, I quickly stood out as one of the most dedicated and fastest designers. I trained every new hire, led projects, delivered presentations, and even organized workshops for the tea
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  • 04
    Then, things started to change. My team lead left, which meant even more responsibilities landed on my plate as we had no replacement for over a year. It felt like a perfect opportunity to prove myself and show that I was ready for the senior designer role. I was told during my annual review that I was on track and if I kept up the hard work, I'd be promoted after another year.
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  • 05
    But that's when I saw something that made my stomach drop: a newer coworker-a notoriously lazy, toxic type --had just been promoted to senior designer. I was stunned. She'd joined the team much later than me, did the absolute bare minimum, and constantly passed her unfinished projects to me because I was "fast." I couldn't believe it. She didn't have a clue about design strategy, stakeholder management, or even team collaboration. Most of the time, she'd sweet-talk the higher-ups, taking credit
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  • 06
    What really killed me was seeing her parading around, acting like a leader, telling everyone else how to work, and setting "team guidelines" she barely followed herself. She even had a reputation among stakeholders as impossible to work with--they frequently requested that I handle their projects instead of her.
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  • 07
    After months of this, we finally got a new team lead, and I saw a chance to fight for the promotion I'd been promised. I put together a presentation with all my project successes, positive feedback from coworkers, and a portfolio of senior-level work I'd been handling. The team lead was impressed and acknowledged that I was one of the most talented designers on the team. I thought, finally, someone saw my hard work.
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  • 08
    But not long after, the same coworker messed up a big project, affecting not only my workflow but also my reputation because she'd looped me into it to cover for her. I corrected her work, but instead of appreciation, she stormed into the office and started yelling, accusing me of embarrassing her in front of the stakeholder. I calmly explained that I was simply following project guidelines, which she had ignored. When our team lead got involved, he agreed that I was in the right. But he still s
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  • 09
    By the time my next annual review rolled around, I'd had enough but held onto a shred of hope that I'd finally be recognized. Instead, my team lead gave me a three-star rating out 5 and told me I "should be more present." He had the nerve to compare me to the lazy coworker, saying I needed to emulate her "social presence." I was floored. I'd been the one keeping our team running, training new hires, checking on everyone's work, even fixing her mistakes-and this was how he rewarded me?
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  • 10
    I refused to sign the review papers, telling him I wouldn't be "proving" anything else. I told him that if he thought she was senior material, then he could let her do the work. I'd be stepping back and doing only what was required. No more senior-level tasks, no more training, no more rescuing her half-finished projects. He started panicking, offering me the promotion in six months instead of a year, but I was done.
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  • 11
    Two weeks later, I accepted a higher- paying job offer and handed in my notice. My manager was shocked, begging me to stay and asking what he could do. I told him there was nothing he could say that would make up for the years of disrespect.
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  • 12
    As soon as I decided to leave, I knew exactly how I'd handle my departure. Since all those "senior tasks" were no longer my problem, I wasn't going to spend my final two weeks writing down guidelines or passing on any of the knowledge I'd built up over the years. After all, if I wasn't senior enough to earn the title, why should I act like one?
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  • 13
    Almost 60% of the work processes, design systems, and templates that kept our team afloat were things I had built from scratch, and I knew it would take them months to untangle the gaps I was about to leave behind. The team leader must have realized this pretty quickly because, every day, he started showing up at my desk with another desperate plea for help: "Just a few guidelines," he'd say, or "Just walk us through the workflow one last time."
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  • 14
    Each time, I reminded him that he'd refused my promotion, and as I saw it, that meant my time and expertise were no longer his to ask for. The day I handed in my badge and walked out of that building was the first time I felt genuinely free in years. Now, I'm in a new job where my contributions are recognized and rewarded. Looking back, I can only hope this experience was a lesson for my former team lead and his "senior designer." Maybe they'll learn what happens when you ignore someone's hard w
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  • 15
    UPDATE First of all, thank you all for reading my post and sharing your own experiences. It really helps to move on from that place, even if I can't forget what I went through. It's shocking to see how many people have dealt with the same thing! I hope this post will remind you to value yourself and maybe push you out of your comfort zone if you're not getting the respect you deserve.
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  • 16
    Some of you thought my story sounded too good to be true or felt I was overplaying my "talent." Normally, I'd be modest, but when you put in years of work, gain experience, and finally learn your worth, you stop holding back. Everyone has a breaking point, and this was mine—a major wake-up call that I'd had enough.
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  • 17
    Before I jump into what happened at the company after I left, here's a bit more context. My team lead was completely new to managing, and he just didn't know how to handle the conflict. As for my lazy coworker, I get why some of you might think she "slept" her way to the promotion, but that wasn't it. She was way too chatty, loved sharing her secrets, and with the office being a gossip hotspot, we'd all have known if something like that was going on. She simply knew how to use her charm and mani
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  • 18
    I'm still close with my former project coordinator (aka my work bestie), and if anyone had the inside scoop, it was her. They did try to get my lazy ex- coworker to step up and be a better teammate, but... surprise, nothing changed. She's still the same, and they seem stuck with her behavior. As for replacing me, they had to spread my workload across three to four junior designers. To manage this, they merged two teams, but that caused some frustration-now the juniors were on the same level as t
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  • 19
    In the end, nothing "major" happened to the company, but they're still struggling to deal with my lazy ex- coworker, who's managed to shove her responsibilities onto the juniors. So, a "win-win" for her, I guess.
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  • 20
    Lesson learned: everyone is replaceable, but it's essential to know your worth. I absolutely love my new workplace-I'm working with my amazing old team lead who left before this mess. My hard work is recognized and appreciated. And the best part? We don't have junior or senior titles here. We're all equal as graphic designers, and it's refreshing.
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  • 21
    11 U... • . 7h ago Edited 7h ago • I mean totally NTA. But, hey at least she has good social presence, that's clearly more important than production and success.
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  • 22
    Valuable-Releas... • 7h ago. I am dealing with a very similar situation at work. I am only a few years away from retirement from my job I've done for 30+ years. My bosses. handpicked a 5 year employee, who has done bits and pieces of my job, to be my replacement when I go. She had to cover part of my job last year when I had open heart surgery.
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  • 23
    This year, they "promoted" her 4 levels and gave her a raise of over 20%. She now makes more than me, the person she is going to replace.
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  • 24
    At first, I was furious. But I have options. Another department has been after me for 12 years to join them. Or, I could quiet quit. I decided to do the latter. In the time I have left here, I have already stopped with the writing of my processes and workflow. All of my notes that are in our system are password protected. I spend a lot of my day getting steps in, catching up on my email
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  • 25
    (personal and work), and reading reddit on my phone. I no longer come in early, take a short lunch, or stay late when something comes up. I am 8-5 with an hour lunch, so I walk in at 8 am and out at 5 pm. My bosses, who I share office space with, know something is amiss but haven't put 2 and 2 together.
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  • 26
    Meanwhile, my replacement has let her promotion go to her head. She barks orders at everyone she considers below her, so she has alienated all of the staff. She spends 2 hours a day just getting her steps in (she's even blocked time on her calendar to do so)! She comes in whenever she wants and leaves early every day and takes an extended lunch break. The bosses all see these things.
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  • 27
    And the best part is that the bosses failed to realize that, in order to take my job over, she is going to have to give up that promotion and raise. My job isn't due to be recategorized for 8 years (they are done every 10 years only).
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  • 28
    One staff member has already quit because if her and another is thinking of retiring as well. That leaves crappy coworker and one other person to do her current job. We are in a hiring freeze, so filling either of these isn't going to happen.. Meanwhile, I sit and plot, and enjoy reddit!
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  • 29
    Cybermagetx • 7h ago Nta. Ive done the same in different type of job. Took 3 new hires to handle my workload. Bosses f when they think people won't leave.
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  • 30
    Janisseho 8h ago . Oh, baby. The audacity. Unfortunately, it's too common to witness those corporate practices. I wish you all the best in your new job
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  • 31
    SoOverlt66 · 7h ago Yeah, my husband did this. He had a very well-paying job for a lot of years, and they started treating him like dog, so he quit and they lost $12 million worth of contracts the first year. They are now back to being a very base level company for now if that.
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  • 32
    LiketoChillatHome • 7h ago So glad you got the job you deserve. Please update what happened at the previous place after you left. I can imagine it being a total s***show
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  • 33
    bottomless • 6h ago NTA. and spoiler- they did not learn a single thing.
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  • 34
    RavenclawEC 7h ago • • Definetely NTA and you just did what was best for you... they took you for granted and realized too late the ammount of work you were handling... actions have consequences and they had to understand it the hard way, when loosing an employee that was giving it all, in the hopes of being recognized. Keep up the good work on your new job!
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  • 35
    L….. 6h ago . Edited 6h ago • This reminds me so much of my job as a teller at a bank. I had been working there for years, since dropping out of college at 19, and began learning not just the supervisor duties but also the manager duties. I was doing the monthly audits of everyone's tills, the branch vault, the ATM, and the coin counter. I prepared the weekly shipment to the Fed (the federal reserve where we would
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  • 36
    send our excess money because each branch is only allowed to have so much cash on hand) and place the orders for the bills we were low on (usually hundred and fifty dollar bills). I helped train every new teller, I lived closest so I responded instead of the manager any time the branch alarm went off after hours. Meaning i was the one showing up in my pajamas to speak to the cops when the cleaning crew forgot the code to disable the alarm at 11pm.
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  • 37
    The supervisor transferred to a different branch because we were friends and he knew I liked working there too much to leave but really wanted the supervisor position and the other branch was closer to his house where he lived with his elderly mother. The month before had been my annual review where I was commended for saving the bank thousands of dollars by catching multiple fake checks and reporting them which led to the fraud department catching onto a fraud check ring operating in the area.
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  • 38
    So I applied for the supervisor job and was denied because I didn't "appear professional enough" because I had shaved a section of my hair in kind of a punk style. Note that I covered it up by parting my hair on the other side so it wasn't even visible at work. But they said I would have to prove i was a professional and they would keep the job open for me for the next six months to prove it.
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  • 39
    So they expected me to continue doing not only supervisor duties but also manager duties for six months without a pay bump or title change and would also keep us short staffed for that same time frame.
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  • 40
    I submitted applications for multiple jobs that night and got hired on (at the same bank) as an anti money laundering analyst three weeks later. They knew i didn't have experience but internal hires were preferred and they were expanding the AML department rapidly, so they were willing to train me from the ground up. I wasn't under any of the people responsible for denying me the promotion any longer and I was making more than the manager at the branch.
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  • 41
    Now it's 6 years later and I work for a different company that paid to relocate me, has amazing benefits, and I still get to do what I'm passionate about which is snooping through peoples business and catching fraud.
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  • 42
    BlueGreen_1956 . 7h ago The part that is the most ridiculous is that he praised the lazy woman's "social presence" and ignored her poor work performance. As for "social presence," that reminds me of an aunt of mine whose doctor passed away. His office recommended another doctor for her. She went to him once and refused to go again because his "chairside manner" didn't suit her. She switched to one who was "nice" but glaringly incompetent.
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  • 43
    I must be in the minority, but I want competence. If I get "nice" as well, fine. But if I have to sacrifice competence for "nice," I'll pass. I would choose a Dr. House any day.
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  • 44
    • bugaloo2u2 6h ago. NTA. Love this. Thank you for sharing. Similar thing is happening to me. I'm a senior staff who is carrying the technical burden, training new hires, I'm the designated problem-solver, and my clients love me. They decided no more raises for senior staff and are nit-picking me about tiny things that everyone else gets
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  • 45
    away with. I'm working on my exit strategy. Not sure they're going to do without technical expertise in our very niche industry. I'm hopeful there's the possibility of something better on the horizon; your post fills me with optimism.
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  • 46
    BbbadToTheBone • 6h ago I gotta say it's hard to compete with a "climber". They use social presence and other subtle tactics to get noticed and share the credit of others hard work. If you don't have a manager who can handle this, and understand what is really happening, you better off leaving instead of wasting time.
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  • 47
    DarkbladeShado... • 7h ago • Why is this on AITAH? It looks like you wrote it for the anti work or one of those subreddits and then just copy pasted it over. You didn't even ask if you're the AH, you just wrote a long story congratulating yourself. That being said, sounds great. I'm happy for you. NTA
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  • 48
    cutemiax • 5h ago If they don't value your hard work, let them deal with your absence. You're not a doormat with a job title-know your worth, walk out, and watch them scramble.
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  • 49
    Final-Success25... 7h ago • Awesome story and happy you got a higher paying job with the respect you deserve. Would love to know what happened after you left lol
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