Standing between me & my dream job: a neocon who hates my guts.

[Elidor]

And another republican who treats me like a son.

My dream job, the best job in my field in this town, is going to be open again soon. I know from personal experience just how sad are the applicants who made the final cut last time, because two of them ended up working under me at a different organization, and they were trainable but pretty sad.

The pay is only a little better than my current job, but unlike my current job, there is health insurance and a pension. I need this job. But one of the people in charge of the search committee is a neocon friend of my boss whose face I once got into quite loudly.

The last time this dream job became open, this neocon had told me he would get me the job. He knew I was the best candidate for it. He said, “Don’t tell (your boss). He’d kill me. I’ll get you this job.” Then we got into it.

I had just worked a twelve hour day, a grueling deadline that left me numb and irritable. This numbskull dropped by the office as we were wrapping it up and bragged how he had shouted down some anti-war protesters, telling them they should be shot for treason. I was incredulous. He said he wanted to debate this with me. Imagine that: the guy wanted to talk to me about shooting people like me. I’m not a pleasant person after a tough deadline. And I’m not someone who will walk away from the threat of violence from a pudgy middle-aged neocon living on the public teat. My response was along the general lines of: where’s your gun? Shoot me now, or shut the fuck up. I was ready to jump his shit. It was a bad scene.

Anyway, now the neocon bastard is guarding the dream job as it opens up once again. The current person is leaving and not coming back. An incredible opportunity. It may not come up again for twenty years. A word from this guy would kill my application. And another word from him would turn my current boss against me.

My wingnut boss has gone out of his way to make life good for me. He can’t compete with the dream job, and he knows it, but he tries like hell. He has done me endless personal favors. Hell, my truck broke down last week, and my boss had it to a mechanic in less than two hours and loaned me his personal vehicle to drive in the meantime. Then he floated me the repair costs - $500. He may be a Limbaugh-loving neocon, but he truly treats me like the business partner he wishes he had (as opposed to the one he’s stuck with). He gives me bonuses all the time. I’m used to working 25 hours and getting paid for 35 or 40. And I get paid a very high wage for this area.

I don’t know what the hell to do. I’ve come to a fork in the road. I don’t know whether to pick it up or leave it.

Damn, that was long. Sorry. Got a lot on my mind.

[Floogeldy]

1. The politics of the workplace sometimes dictate that you leave . . .

. . . out your personal politics.

I mean, unless you are working for Halliburton, or something like that.

[bearfan454]

3. I've had to keep my mouth shut at work lots of times.

It's real hard to do.

[dweller]

2. To me, just me perhaps, there doesn't seem to be that hard a decision.

Your wingnut boss is doing the best he can for you for his own reasons i'm sure, but he's treated you right.
The dream job is guarded by a jerk that may be just waiting or hoping you apply to get his jollies in on you again. Why give him the chance?

Sometimes the best greenest grass is in your own yard, if you nurture it correctly. Approach you present boss with your conundrum and ask if he can offer you the benefits (to keep you there, even if in exchange for the perks you are receiving now ie 40hrs pay for 25 hrs time, etc). Deal and barter. Let him know you are willing to negotiate to stay, or otherwise you have to look at positions that are offering more. Not necessarily a threat, but i'm sure he looks at the circumstances daily to keep the best employees in shop, and obviously he respects you being there. As you said, he treats you like a business partner he wished he had. Now may be the time to suggest it.

just my 2 pence. Good luck to you.

dp