We joined the company the same time, same role, but this other person gets client-facing work and growth opportunities while I’m stuck filing reports. My performance reviews are actually better than his.
Keep a quiet record of the project distribution over the next 60 days — just note who gets assigned what and when. If the pattern is clear and consistent, that data becomes useful in a performance review conversation or if you escalate to HR. But more practically: the fastest fix is often to just ask directly for a specific project when one comes up, in writing. Email your boss saying ‘I’d like to take lead on the XYZ client proposal, I think it aligns with my strengths.’ Saying no to a specific request is harder for a manager than just defaulting to their favorite. And if they say no twice with no reason, you have your answer about whether the situation will ever change.
Schedule a one-on-one with your boss specifically framed around your career growth — not about fairness or the other employee. Say: ‘I want to make sure I’m developing the skills needed for the next level here. What would it take for me to get involved in more client-facing work?’ This forces them to either give you a path forward or reveal there isn’t one. Separately, make yourself visible to other senior people by doing the admin work so well and so efficiently that you have bandwidth to volunteer for cross-team projects. I did this when stuck in a similar situation — within four months I had a direct relationship with a director in another department who eventually pulled me onto a major project completely bypassing my biased manager.
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