[angryworld]

I work in a very small company. If you're not in sales, you are expected to do a lot of different things to keep the company running.
I understand that, I understand why I don't have a "job description" with defined responsibilities and such. But it's been 8 years with no "advancement" and now I have no idea how to describe what I've been doing to prospective employers.
At my age (50yrs) people expect to certain "milestone" achievements but my work history has nothing to show.
I'm trapped on a sinking ship and they won't even let me rearrange the deck chairs.
It's frustrating, infuriating and sometimes terrifying.
There are times when I really feel crazy.

((((Angryworld)))) I have worked for small (entrepreneurial) firms before where I was given a never-ending multitude of tasks until I was running the entire office (I just did not have the title of CEO and certainly not the $$).

The only thing I did not know was where the President / Owner was hiding the (extra) money.

When I was initially hired, my job description was very specific; unfortunately, the last line item listed was "special projects.

Bottom line: EVERYTHING became a "special project".

Which put me in a horrible position of having to do everything with no real advancement or acknowledgment.

I would encourage you meet with a headhunter / CV specialist to sit down with you and really go through your job duties over the past years. You will be surprised with the things you remember!

You, too, will probably come up with CEO (without the title/salary):

"The CEO has overall responsibility for creating, planning, implementing, and integrating the strategic direction of an organization. This includes responsibility for all components and departments of a business. The CEO makes certain that the organization's leadership maintains constant awareness of both the external and internal competitive landscape, opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, new industry developments and standards, and so forth." (-Susan Healthfield)

You have hundreds of milestones that you probably aren't even considering because you are so overwhelmed with ALL that you've done.

After getting it all organized (and you will have an advocate), you will be able to begin to focus on what you would like to do next.

Best wishes to you!
Rose

[angryworld]

Thank you. It's time to check in with the experts. I just hope I can find someone reasonable. I'd hate to invest a couple hundred dollars and wind up with "more of the same."