Work Is Driving Me To An Early Grave

LegacyUser

OK that's a slight exaggeration but some days it does feel that way.

I work in Communications/PR in a very small agency with two Managing Partners and myself. Basically I am responsible for the day to day management of all of our accounts which is about 8/9 clients. I know to someone who doesn't work in PR this may not seem like a lot but if I was working in a bigger agency I would probably only work on one or two clients.

The problem isn't that I have too much work (which I have but I can deal with that), it's more that things are often left until the last minute so it feels like I am constantly chasing deadlines. This is because the directors each have their own accounts and rarely make an effort to ensure that I am not being landed with massive pieces of work at the same time.

I have spoken to them about this on two occasions and they agreed that this wasn't the right way to work, the last time was about seven weeks ago and nothing has changed. Today they both asked me to do client updates on work that hasn't even been done yet, and I am also supposed to getting coverage for an event that takes place on Friday even though I supplied them with the press release to be signed off over a week ago. I asked them four times last week to look at it but each time they just forgot. So yet again I am chasing the impossible because they left everything to the last minute.

I know I can't stay here and I am looking for work but I am so frazzled that I am finding it increasingly harder to focus and at least get the work done that I can do without their sign off. If it was just a case that I had too much work to do, I know I could work out a system and work away myself and I could even deal with last minute requests but for some reason that has never been explained they seem to want to hold off on projects as long as they can which leaves me doing a couple of weeks work in a couple of days.

I just don't know what to do, I can't afford to leave here without a job yet I am not sure I can get a job given the state I am in.

Has anyone got any advice? How do I keep going without going off the deep end completely.

AnnyHallsal

On the advice front, you should make it completely clear that the working conditions are untenable, that they need to give you more notice or co-ordinate together more effectively, or else. It does sound like you have a hell of a lot of work to do.

On the job hunting front networking, Twitter and Linkedin are your best friends. Sure that's what PR's all about anyway. Things are tight in the field (as you well know) at the moment so your best chance is to be 'headhunted' ie poached by someone who spots something in you. Entry-level positions are likely to be JobBridges, regrettably.

ongarboy

Perhaps you could consider the following.

Outline a plan in writing setting out a generic checklist of requirements you need from all directors and deadlines you require them by (eg no less than 5 business days) for you to be able to effectively and successfully complete your part of the process. Introduce with a summary about how the current situation is creating frequent threats of missed deadlines for the company and finish it with a proposal of how the revised methodology would benefit both the directors, yourself and the company (outlining those benefits)

Please ask your audience to offer feedback and invite them to 1:1 or group meetings to discuss/negotiate your proposals so that sign off can be given by all interested parties on what is agreed and mutually beneficial to all concerned. You would effectively be creating an internal SLA (service level agreement) that would have their input and signoff so any future breaches of it would/could be brought to your manager's attention and addressed accordingly.

I suggest discussing such a plan with your own boss initially so that you are secure that you have their backing and approval initially. They may/should also be able to offer some constructive feedback.

Good luck!

statss

I would suggest putting what you've written here into a formal email and send it to two managing partners. Bring matters to a head.

Failing that, if it were possible, leave the job. I did something similar. Left without anything lined up. Took a few weeks out, got my head back together, put out some feelers with contacts, and landed a new job with much better conditions. Very risky but best thing I ever did. Whatever you do, don't burn any bridges.