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I have been with this company for 2 years, and there have been several new openings that I have wanted, but each time they have gone to someone else. My manager has told me that I'm in line for one, but I am never picked. He keeps repeating some old saying about how patience is a virtue. What can you suggest?



You need patience just to be around a manager who deals in old sayings. And worse, many of these sayings are not even true. After all, patience may be a virtue, but he who hesitates is lost.

Since your manager is selecting old sayings for you, while selecting other people for new opportunities, you need to take more direct action. In the first place, be sure that he has a clear understanding of your objectives. Secondly, provide him with updated information regarding your skills, training, and experience. And, be assertive and persistent the next time that he indicates that you are under consideration for a position that you want.

Another step that can help in this situation is to ask him precisely what you need to do in order to have a real chance of being selected for a particular opportunity. Then try to follow his advice as closely as possible, and let him know that you are doing so. Since he established the criteria for you to meet for the position, and since you have met the criteria, it will be more difficult to give the position to someone else. If you start to hear about the virtues of patience again, perhaps you should put this company out of sight, out of mind.



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