Getting Downgraded by Big Tech

I have been in IT for over 25 years, 18 of which was in IT consulting. I know a lot about tech and systems development and cybersecurity and IT overall. I'm especially good and figuring out what people need and want, and determining the best way to get technology to meet their needs and wants. I used this ability to ensure success on contracts. Because of my successes and praise by clients, coworkers, and leadership, I was leading many high-level projects and programs before I went to the Big Tech company. 

In large part because of these skills, I was hired at this Big Tech company (those and my communication skills). The manager who hired me and my skip-level appreciated these skills and gave me room to use them. I built some pretty great programs and was critical in the development of important internal tools. My manager and I talked about a career path and what I wanted to do. 

But there is a lot of turnover in IT, and especially at my Big Tech company. It is not designed for people to build long-term careers. It does not lend itself to planned career paths, even if they tell you that it is. 

This first manager I had was one of the best managers I've had in my 25+ years working. She was really an amazing manager. But as she realized the career path she had discussed for herself with her leadership was not going to happen, she left. As did many others when they learned the same. 

When it came my time and I realized that no matter what I tried, the career path I planned and what I wanted were not not going to happen, I went to another team to try there. Unfortunately, I learned these problems were company-wide problems. 

This discovery led me to learn something even more frustrating and disheartening over my 5.5 years there. With all the turnover and constant re-organizations and people shifting around and new managers after new managers... the longer I was there and the more managers I had, the more I was treated as a junior employee with no regard to my background, past experiences, or skill set. 

So I went from managing IT of multi-million dollar contracts, with numerous projects and various programs and people reporting to me, to being treated as if I was a junior employee with a small scope who was questioned about every potential decision because my latest manager didn't understand the background of what I was working on. 

And this wasn't just a me problem. I saw it happen to many (I would say most) coworkers. The company hired smart, capable, and accomplished people... but the company culture was to strip people down and make them feel like they were never good enough. As far as I could see, only a few with connections (I guess?) would rise, and all others had to be made to feel lesser. Although, nobody was safe, especially when the layoffs came. And came again.  

I learned a lot working there, especially about working at large scales, and I worked with some amazing people. But I lately have been wondering if it was worth it.