Should I wait it out?

[erika3536]

Well Hi Everyone, this is my first post.

Here's my question:

I've been working at my first "real" job for a year and a half, as an assistant to the VP. She is turning 65 in a few weeks, and has spoken of retiring. She also spoke with me briefly, saying that when she does retire, if I was interested, I would be the one taking over her accounts (they are the biggest and some of the best accounts our firm has).
Of course, i told her I was interested, and that this was what I wanted to do.

The thing is, I don't know that I want to do it at this company. The pay sucks, the benefits are practically zero, the office enviornment is horrible...
Up until my boss told me about her retirement, I was ready to leave because there has to be something better than this.

So what do i do now?
She won't tell me WHEN she's retiring...it could be years still.
And do I want to take over for her in a place that I hate, even though it's the job I would love?
I keep thinking...what are the chances of that actually happening? I mean who's going to promote an assistant to be an account exec, just like that?
It would have to be a massive jump in salary too...
Any thoughts?

[cache]

-Not great pay
-Bad benefits
-an environment you hate


It sounds like you already know the answer...

[stringycheese]

You need to somehow find out if picking up her accounts would include a promotion with more pay and possibly better benefits or if they would just expect you to take on more work for no additional compensation. The work environment is likely not to improve either way though.

In the meantime, be looking around for the opportunity that you really want. If you find it, go for it. Don't wait around for something that may not happen soon or ever.

[yankeeyosh]

If you don't like the company, get out. I for one am not a fan of titles.

[jls]

I agree with the other posts. That it sounds like you are in a bad place right now. The question I have for you would be this: If you are able to take over these large accounts and gain the experience, will this help get you where you want to go in the long run? Paying dues sucks no doubt about it, but you have to ask yourself if this opportunity will open doors for you in the future.

#1. Get an idea of when she is going to leave

#2. Start helping out a little more with her work load so that she feels confident that leaving is the right thing

#3. Give a couple more months and if you see nothing happening GET OUT! Life is too short to be miserable at your job. Afterall, the workplace is where we spend most of our lives.