I was actively looking for a new job, both within and outside of Verizon. My direct manager knew I was searching and even gave me permission to use him as a reference. After a few months of applying and hearing nothing back, I assumed it was just the job market.
Then, after about four months, I finally landed a position where I could actually use my degree, which had me genuinely excited. When I told my manager at Verizon, he seemed noticeably unhappy. At the time, I figured he was just coming to terms with me leaving.
About a month into the new role, my new manager told me I was nothing like the way my former manager at Verizon had described me.
“This n***a work hard but he ya typical white boy from the south”.
I’m from Brooklyn, the furthest south I’ve gone is Jersey, not counting Disney World, and I’m Puerto Rican. My old manager was sabotaging me the whole time.
Working at Verizon was an overall great experience, and it’s something I genuinely miss. That said, the company really needs to take a harder look at the people they place in management positions. The work environment itself was strong, but poor leadership can completely undermine that if the wrong people are put in charge.