Switcheroo

On Tuesday I found out that I'm switching bosses. I was supposed to find out on Monday, but I kind of missed the memo. I had a meeting with my former boss and his boss to discuss the formation of a new editorial team in the department, and I was told that I'd be on a team that was run by another coworker of ours, but I'd still be working closely with my former boss. So I guess I was supposed to infer from that conversation that the woman running the new team would become my boss, but like I said? I totally missed that.

Until Tuesday, when I went into my former boss's office to request a vacation day next month and he made an offhand comment about how as I transitioned into having this other woman as my boss, I should make sure to let her know my vacation schedule. And I was like, "What?"

Because the thing is, I adore my former boss. He is essentially the perfect boss. He's really nice, very supportive, totally laid back, and extremely professional. He's reliable and consistent and has a friendly, open management style. I know that I can go to him with any question or issue, but he doesn't breathe down my neck at all. He trusts me to do my job and he lets me work independently. He's also just a really great guy. I always used to think that he was spoiling me, because I'd never be able to have a boss as good as him again.

But actually? I think I'm okay with this switch.

For one thing, the switch is happening because we developing a real, formal editorial department. Before, I was the informal, go-to editor. Editing and writing were only supposed to be a small part of my job, but I let people know when I started that I had a background in it, and there was such a strong need for it that people started coming to me with editing requests for all different projects, including ones I wasn't even supposed to be working on.

And really? That was great. In my last job, I was hired as part of a formal editorial department, and since I was the lowest on the totem pole, I had to struggle to establish myself, and I never really got to do much editing on my own. I got to do the occasional proofread, and once when everyone else from my department was out, I was able to actually edit an urgent document on my own, but that was it. Mostly I was stuck formatting, and sort of informally proofreading as I went along.

So being the only editor in a department that desperately needed that kind of work, I was given the opportunity to do quite a lot of editorial work that I probably would not have been able to do if I'd been hired as a junior editorial member. I learned a lot, and people in my company have also come to see me as a talented editor. I've been able to readjust my career path in their eyes to move along the editorial track, which is what I've been wanting to do all along.

So I'm really glad that they recognize that, and that they are making me an integral member of this fledgling editorial team. I know that being moved in this direction is an honor, and also a step toward moving up and hopefully being promoted at the end of the year. And I'm super excited to get to be part of an editorial team where I actually get to edit, instead of just formatting other people's edited documents.

And another thing? I would never have wanted to change bosses? But if I had to, I would have chosen my new boss to replace the old one. She is also really nice, and very professional, and laid back and supportive, and we have a fantastic working relationship. Yesterday we had a check-in meeting that lasted two hours and involved a lot of work related stuff, but also a lot of chatting about kids and in-laws and the New York Times and other very interesting stuff. It was a great conversation and I felt like we really bonded. I'm very lucky, I think. I know a lot of people have nightmarish bosses, and so far I have totally avoided that.

So, what's been going on with your jobs recently? I know that a lot of people don't like to talk about work on their own blogs, but if you think that my blog is safe from prying eyes, let me have it! I find work talk fascinating and TOTALLY want to hear the real deal about your own jobs.