A Reddit user shared his story, saying he has not done his real job for around six months. He said he was hired about a year ago for a strategy role after being heavily headhunted by the company. The user explained that the company had no strategy team or clear strategy work before he joined, so he had to create his own tasks and goals. He said he built a strong portfolio during this time by creating strategy ideas, pitching products, and suggesting ways to attract investors.
The employee claimed the CEO showed little interest in these strategy ideas and did not take them seriously. Instead, the CEO started assigning him random tasks unrelated to strategy. These tasks included managing PR managers who were frequently hired and fired, writing website copy, and handling company social media. He also said he was asked to headhunt and onboard a new PR manager and a designer, which was not part of his job role.
Job role confusion
The user added that he was made responsible for leading the company’s rebranding and website launch. He said he had to manage contractors, write design and UX/UI requirements, and work closely with designers to adapt content. The employee claimed he also had to respond to feedback from many employees who kept forwarding suggestions to him. He described the workload as “absolutely nuts” and said he was working overtime on tasks that were not part of his actual role.
Every time he tried to discuss long-term strategy, the CEO kept postponing the discussion. The CEO delayed strategy talks from October to November and then to February and possibly March. Meanwhile, the employee said his real strategy deliverables kept piling up, but he had no time to work on them, as per his statement.
The user shared that he plans to leave the company this summer to avoid having less than 14 months of experience on his CV. He said this made him feel like he was stuck in a “hostage situation”. The turning point came when the CEO messaged him in panic about another top company launching a project similar to one he had pitched months earlier.
CEO promise and reality
That rival company reportedly received strong PR coverage and major investments. While planning to leave, the employee said he still wanted to improve his work situation so his CV would not reflect a vague role. He said he did not want his experience to look like “Random Bullshit Doer” on paper. After receiving yet another request to help the PR manager write a company description, he decided to call the CEO for clarit. He directly asked the CEO what his actual function at the company was.
The user said the CEO tried to emotionally persuade him by saying “we are a team”. The CEO then said he hoped the employee could finally move into a real strategy role by March. The employee said he doubts this promise will change anything. Still, he believes this could help him soft-launch his exit later in the year if nothing improves. The Reddit user ended his post by asking others if there is any better way to prepare for a smooth exit from the company.