For anyone that has known me a long time and potentially sought my advice on career changes then there is a piece of advice that I share consistently – that is before you dive off into a new role inside or outside your company (step one) make sure you have planned the step there after (step two). You see many people can see the bright shinny lights of a new job offering money, benefits, location etc…but they don’t pause to consider what they will do after the brightness dims to mediocrity.
I had a young woman working for me about seven years ago. We had developed a good career plan together but she was struggling with the patience it required to ‘live up’ to the work and effort required to realise her plan versus jumping ship. She decided to apply for a role in a lower pressure area with the promise of promotion – without my permission, which she needed. I tried to block her moving as I could see it was wrong wrong wrong. The was no second step, no outlook for future opportunity in her desired timeframe. In the end, I let her go and when she got there – they decided not to promote her, there was no scope for the second step and as far as I know she is still there. Her peers in her team are now 2 – 3 ranks higher and earning 3 to 4 times as much. OK, money and career aren’t everything.
I had a old peer, and sometimes subordinate approach me this week and ask for some career advice. He is 40 with 3 kids and hasn’t considered his career for the past 5 years – wow ! He asked me for some advice. I said to him :
• You are 40 and want to work until you’re 60 +
• You will probably change jobs every 5 years
• Therefore you will have 4 more jobs by age of 60
• What sort of work to you want to be doing at 45, 50, 55 and 60
• Sales Rep, Manager, Operations, Consultant ?
You see my old peer needs to make wise choices if he wants to create longevity that will see him through the next 20 years (scary to think about I know). He may not want to be beating down clients doors at the age of 50.
As we plan our careers we need to plot multiple roles ahead and define skills we need to collect along the way. Easy money now in a new job may seem like the Holy Grail but it may look like folly with the benefit of hindsight.
Take Care, and please share with me your thoughts.
I agree, it is important to look beyond the job you are applying for, and ensure that it fits into your overall plan, or at least has that potential. My experience is that most people get blinded by the “grass is always greener” aspects of a new role, or even if they don’t, they lack a longer-term plan to begin with, and just take whatever opportunities come along.
Your comments about your peer only having 5 more jobs before 60 is sobering; it’s a little scary to think about how relatively short our time in the working world is. Perhaps this is a good motivator to ensure that each choice is a wise one, both in the short and long terms.
How do you go about planning your career at the same company knowing there are hire freezes (internal and external) and retrenchments? I heard some people take a great advantage of such conditions and manage to reach positions way higher than what they were aiming for but I just don’t know how they do so…
Dan, Thanks for the feedback. The statistics suggest that you may have more than 5 jobs between 40 and 60/65 but I think with regard to planning basing it on 5 makes sense. Take Care,
Susan, Thanks for your comments and question. Circumstances within your team, division or company may not appear immediately like there is opportunity but you need to be prepared with regard to knowing what you want, closing skill gaps, and communicating with the right people what you want. When hiring freeze get defrosted business move fast to fill gaps and you want to be the person they turn to. Also your career may take you outside of your team or company – but know where you are going before you jump!
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Floyd, happy to discuss – the proposition is simple and not perfect – purely that some people ‘ jump for the sake of jumping ‘ and can end up in a worse place.