Newly Corporate

Ten months have passed, and I am still with the company. I didn’t quit. I didn’t get a big raise. I didn’t cash out. I did, however, learn some lessons.

1. Be an insider. I don’t like office gossip, but my need for information quickly changed my mind. In these dynamic, fluid situations you need as much intel as you can get. You need to keep a sharp ear so that you can filter out the junk and the BS.

2. Think about your five-year plan. I interviewed with another company, but I decided that the relationships I have at my current job will afford me much more flexibility in my next move. I could have made a little more money in the short run, but now I’m lined up for a new job that will let me work from home and live anywhere in the country (which is important for my next few years as a ski bum).

3. Keep working. The buzz from the acquisition made us very popular an successful this year. I made more in commission so far this year than I did all of last year combined.

4. Befriend your new overloards. There is no sense in being standoffish with the company who bought you. Think of it like your first day in the dorms; leave that door open and be friendly.

5. Talk to HR as soon as possible. I was tempted to whine about the vast pay discrepancy between me and those doing the same job at the other company. Instead, I went to HR and simply asked what options were available.

6. Stay the course. I think my fatal flaw is impatience, and I think this may be true for other millenials as well. We know what we want, and we want it now. Normally, I would have quit or gotten myself fired trying to get equal pay. Instead, I took it slow and let the situation evolve. I’m going to get moved to the new compensation plan at the end of this year, so the pay bump is coming. In the mean time, I built new relationships and lined myself up for the new job working remote.

7. Don’t take it personal. The people in charge were not out to get me, they were just idiots. They were too stupid to think of things like pay discrepancies. Eventually, those things were brought to light and now they are getting worked out – it just took them a year. I learned that people are bad at their jobs and this is basically par for the course; the key is to not let yourself get bulldozed. Don’t let other people’s mistakes become your problem. I had to keep a close eye on my stock options and my new benefits. Not everything will be handed on a silver platter. Ultimately we are responsible for protecting our own interests.

This is the final post of the Acquired! series.