Are you at a crossroads in your current job? Are you reaching your goals, or do you feel stuck? Over the next two weeks, I will discuss two different scenarios for career growth. This week, I have a series of questions you can ask yourself to understand if you are on the career path you want, along with steps you can take to find greater fulfillment with your current employer.
Has there ever been a time when you felt you needed to move on from your current workplace position? Are you at that place now? I was once in that place. I worked long hours and did the same projects for a while and wondered what was next. In December, I traveled from the West Coast to the Midwest, and I had a long layover in Chicago. While I walked the terminals of O’Hare Airport, I ran into an old college friend. We both had time to spare and went to lunch together. Over lunch, I told my friend about my situation at work. He asked me a question, and it stuck with me. The question he asked was, “Is your current position a job that can be your career, or is it simply a job?” This occasion was over ten years ago and asking myself this question has served me well whenever I am at a crossroads at work.
Now ask yourself this same question: In your current position at work, are you in a job that can be a career, or is it simply a job? Here are some thoughts on the definition of these two terms to help you consider your answer.
A Job That Can Be A Career
Dictionary.com defines a career as: “an occupation or a profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s life work.”
In my case, I sought a career in architecture. Defining a job that can be a career needs to have action. A job that can be a career offers a path for growth and advancement. Over time, the job functions will change as you gain experience, and your interests evolve. This evolution hopefully brings fulfillment and growth.
Simply A Job
Dictonary.com defines a job as: “a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price.”
In my case, I had a job entering call numbers into the library data systems. This type of job typically has a sole purpose, and the employer sees value in the task or tasks of the position. The employer may have other departments, but training and advancement opportunities are unavailable. The work may bring daily fulfillment depending on your interest, but is unlikely to offer skill growth to your professional life.
What Type Of Position Do You Have?
After reading these definitions, do you have an instinct for the type of position you have? When I am deciding, I have found that it is important to trust my intuition, but I also find comfort in digging a little deeper to verify the instinct. A job shift is a big event, and the following questions may help you gain clarity:
- Are there groups or departments within your current organization that you could work with that you are currently not?
- Are there other job functions you would like to do and is there a place where you could do them in your organization?
- Is there someone in the organization that inspires you? Is there a position that someone else within the company has that you believe you would thrive in?
- Can you talk openly with your supervisor about your career goals?
- Has the company shown you that you are valued through words, opportunities, or pay?
- Are there people you work with that you genuinely like and that bring value to your day-to-day?
In my 20-plus years, I have worked at four different companies, and through these questions, I decided whether to seek out opportunities within the company or move on. This week, I will share tactics I used while sticking with two different companies to grow my experience and live in other locations. I spent 13 years with one of my employers. During my time, I was in four different departments and lived in two different cities of my choosing. In my current position, I am reaching nine years at this company. Throughout these years, I learned a new project type, and also lived in two different cities of my choosing.
Next week, I will share ideas that may be helpful if you decide it’s time to move on. In the meantime, try some tactics below to find out what is possible for you in your current organization:
- Find mentors outside of your specific group. Connect with them at firm-wide functions, introduce yourself, ask them to go to lunch, and make it a regular thing if the fit feels natural. Use the connection to learn about other projects or opportunities.
- Communicate openly with your supervisor about your interest in growth. Apply for open opportunities. Let them know you are committed to your current position but interested in exposure and further development.
- When applying for internal opportunities, approach with the same energy you would an outside opportunity. Please have a great resume, CV, portfolio, or other work product.
- Once you have an interview scheduled, come prepared to express how you will successfully transition to your current position while building momentum in your new place. An outline of a three-month plan can effectively alleviate any concerns the organization has for continuity.
Changing positions within an organization can be challenging, but if you consider timing, are upfront with your intentions to make it easy on your current and new department, it can have lasting benefits for all involved. The more you know about what drives a company to success on numerous levels, the more you can build your career.
After trying these tactics without success, you may need to move on to a new workplace. That is ok too. The knowledge you have gained through these actions allows you to decide in your best interest. Clarity is the key, and next week’s edition will focus on tactics you can use if you have decided to move on from your current position.
This brings me to today’s Star Stunning realizations:
- Create your network. Knowing what is possible is the key, and unless you step outside your current workgroup, the opportunities will pass you by. Try making a new connection each week within your company and/or outside your company. Join your professional organization to expand your network. Look for ways to grow relationships based on mutual growth genially. This intention will allow you to form relationships that last your entire career, no matter where you work.
- Be patient. Moving around within a firm can be complicated. Make a point to understand the office political dynamics and consider timing before you make a move. It might mean doing something for six months or a year that you would instead put behind you. Nevertheless, if the company’s values are in alignment with your own, and the position you would like to hold exists in the company, it can be beneficial to wait and capitalize on your tenure with the organization.
- Make it a win-win. The most important thing to do when making a change within an organization is to not burn a bridge. You want the group you are leaving to think you are fantastic and the group you are going to as well. Make it a win on both fronts by making sure your old group is covered as well as your new group. You may end up working more during the transition, but how everyone feels, in the end, will stick with you, and you want everyone to feel Star Stunning.
- If seeking a new position within your current organization works, great. If not, this knowledge is power. It is magical when you can do what you want at a company you love, and you will be grateful you leaped to do what you are passionate about. If the position you went for doesn’t work out, or you have tried several tactics for six months to a year, and the doors aren’t as open as you thought, do not let that stop your stride. You now have more information than you had when you started the self-exploration; it may be time to move on to a new workplace, and this knowledge will allow you to step into your Star Stunning self.
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