Annoying coworker continually pushes colleague to strive for higher position, it backfires: 'This place will fall apart without me'

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  • A pair of coworkers talk about something at a conference table
  • Coworker keeps pushing me to a higher position and I hate it.

    I work in IT. I don't have any plans for my career and I am perfectly fine receiving a base salary. That changed when "Dwight" was hired. He is older than I am and wants to move up asap. He positioned himself as the assistant to the supervisor. I am fine with that.
  • One day, a position for a junior dev opened. Dwight told me "This place will fall apart without me. Don't worry man, I will still help you with your tasks when I move out of here." We are not close and his words did not sit well with me. I decided to apply. I got the job. Dwight immediately went to me and asked what I did during the interview, he also wants to know my salary. I told him I don't care about those things "But don't worry man, if you need my help let me know."
  • For the next few years he kept visiting my cubicle, chat for a bit and ask what my salary is. We are not close, but I always make time for him just to him off. One day, he got a supervisor position and stopped going to my desk. A few more years passed and I bumped into Dwight in the elevator. He said he just applied for a manager position. "Yeah I applied. That's an easy job for me since I am already a supervisor. I
  • know some people are not cut out to be a manager. You said you don't like upper management positions right?" Again, something about him just ticks me off. I lied and said I also applied, just to see what it's like to be a manager. After I got home, I immediately polished my resume and applied.
  • I got the job. Dwight once again started coming to my office and asking what my salary is. He even asked me to have dinner with him. He said he moved to another department and is now a senior manager. He didn't pay for his meal.
  • I haven't talked to Dwight since our dinner. I don't like being a manager. I don't like managing people and office politics. I miss clocking out at exactly 5 pm and not having to worry about work. Lately, I heard a director position will open in a few months. That is probably way out of my league but I may have to update my resume again just in case.
  • A worker with a beard sits at his desk at work
  • Commenters gave their two cents about this story

    FoxDesigner2574 Twenty years from now "So how did your journey to CEO of Microsoft begin?" "Well this guy Dwight was really annoying"
  • FreeDaemon Original Poster's Reply He is quite a character. I want to make a post about him but his circumstances are so unique that he'd immediately recognize himself if he stumbles upon it (I am pretty sure he is on reddit too).
  • Next-Drummer-9280 He didn't push you into it. You CHOSE to do it, because your desire to him off was greater than your common sense. >That is probably way out of my league but I may have to update my resume again just in case. Please don't. Let go of this ridiculously STUPID fake competition you have going with this guy that's driven purely by spite and grow up.
  • FreeDaemon Original Poster's Reply I just don't like it when someone looks down on me or tells me I don't have it in me. I would dedicate a lot of time and effort to prove someone wrong. But yeah this is probably unhealthy.
  • SheriffWyattDerp I'm going to be the outlier here and say, OP, polish that resume and turn it in. I mean... it sounds like you're on an upward trajectory here, and I'm thinking it's not going to be long before you get to management positions that pay much more than the actual work required would merit lol... In like 3 years, you could be waking up in your new house and waltzing into your CEO job at 11:15 a.m. 22
  • FreeDaemon Original Poster's Reply I like that others are giving sound advices and here you are saying "Eh, why not do it? What's the worst that could happen?" Lol.
  • UsualHour 1463 Laughing at the moments Dwight would get the news abt you getting the promotions. Im all about petty, but now you're a manager. Ha ha?
  • Nemesis 204 Do you work at a paper supply company in Scranton?
  • pkinetics Manage up what you need, delegate down what you don't. Focus on the work you need to be doing. Aim to wrap up by 430, allocate the last 30 for organizing your next day.
  • Enough-Pride-7729 I know, right??
  • dell828 I think the phrase is people often "rise to the level of their incompetence." It's called the Peter principal. Basically means then in a hierarchy, you are promoted based on your prior success until you reach a level where you are no longer successful. Basically what happens is you end up in a job that you don't like and you can't do well. Why do you want to do this to yourself? Stay in the job you like and you succeed in...
  • remarkablewhitebored This is a great story. Just the fact that you keep applying to spite him, and then you get the job, without really wanting to. Best of luck, and I hope the trip to the C Suite brings you the free time that you deserve.
  • burrit0_queen In a way, he's won because you let him get to you.

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