I should have trusted my instincts when my boss asked me to “train” my replacement. Later, HR revealed she’d be making $85,000—$30,000 more than me, for the same job I’d done for years. They shrugged: “She negotiated better.”
Instead of anger, I felt clarity. If the company didn’t value my work, I wouldn’t continue covering their gaps for free. So, I trained my replacement—but only within the official job description. Every undocumented task, every emergency fix I’d handled quietly over the years? Not my problem anymore.
My replacement quickly realized the workload she’d inherited was far bigger than promised. My boss and HR, suddenly aware of how much I had done behind the scenes, scrambled to cover the void I left.
On my last day, I resigned confidently, knowing my worth. Two weeks later, I accepted a new position that paid me what I deserved.
Lesson learned: once you recognize your value, you stop overextending for those who don’t see it—and sometimes, letting go teaches others the cost of taking you for granted.