There’s a particular kind of sting in being asked to train the person hired for the role you were fully ready to do yourself. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t even teaching them the job- but swallowing the reminder that someone else was chosen for the opportunity you feel you have earned.

What would you do if you realized your bosses have been dangling a carrot over your head for years? One woman recently sought wisdom from Reddit about exactly this. Here’s what she asked.

The new hire who took a promotion I was working towards is asking me to hold her hand through tasks daily.

I have been working at my company for 3 years.

Recently I took a move laterally in promise of a promotion.

This move meant to temporarily take a pay cut and increased time/miles from my home.

This can be a dangerous game to play.

I know it was a risk to take, but in Biotech it can be very hard to be promoted right now due to industry struggles.

Both my shift lead and my department manager agree that I deserve to be promoted and even have started to make communications with corporate about initiating it.

A couple months after this conversation, a position opened up with the promotion title I was looking for.

Seems like a kismet opportunity.

Instead of promoting me they filled it with a new hire with very little industry experience.

When the new hire started it was expected that I trained her on our processes, Sops, ect.

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to train since I have been developing that skill, but I was also very disappointed that I was looked over.

As anybody would be.

This prompted a conversation with my lead and manager again which they said they are still working on the promotion.

The issue comes in where now, even almost a year into her employment, the new hire is still asking me to hold her hand through tasks.

Not just assays, but with her time management and knowledge of the science behind what she is doing.

That has to be wildly frustrating.

As well as teaching her how to communicate in a team environment.

The specific job title she has is meant to be a higher subject matter expert than what I am currently at.

I never minded training her on our practices, but I feel like I am being used behind the scenes by both the coworker and management.

This has “toxic work environment” written all over it.

Especially since Managment keeps pushing conversations of my promotion back, even though other departments are currently promoting their employees.

This shows me that corporate is not holding back on promotions, but rather my managers are.

I’ve had meetings since with my lead expressing my frustrations, but nothing is done.

Time to start planning an exit strategy…

I have expressed that I want to only be doing title appropriate tasks and that I am being asked to do work that is beyond my band level with no hope of a promotion is site.

My frustrations were heard, but no action has been taken.

It honestly seems like every time my lead is supposed to have a meeting about my promotion, she ends up calling out.

Sounds like there’s something going on behind the scenes here.

I know that the new hire has more experience in education that I do, but I believe that I should not be expected to hold her hand through her daily responsibilities.

I am making moves to move companies and I hope to never put myself in a situation like this ever again.

Does anyone have any advice on how to resolve my current frustrations and stay at my current company or should I resign to find a company that is better suited for me?

On the surface, it seems like some hard truths may be worth asking here. Let’s see what wisdom the good people of Reddit had to offer.

The comments section immediately jumped to help.

And plenty of tough love was offered.

As well as some practical advice.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a contractor who flew along way and spent 3 days on a fix only to find a breaker that needed to be flipped.

Most didn’t mince words.

But all was left on a positive note.

Her biggest risk is going to be not taking any risks here…