Remember reading A Tale of Two Cities and asking yourself WTF Charles Dickens was talking about when he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” How could that be true? It’s either good or bad, right?
His story was set in a time when it was all relative, depending on your class. Our story today is set in a time when you might be in a position to choose your place. Your best option is to look at the glass as half full.
Let’s collectively say a big “duh” to the half-empty: we’re slugging it out through the worst economic crisis most Americans have faced in their lifetime; unemployment is still out of control, gas is nearly 4 bucks a gallon, we‘re at war in two countries and sticking our nose into conflict in another. That’s all terrible.
Now take another look at the glass: it’s half full. There’s never been a better time for the smart ones amongst us to advance their careers.
A different kind of employee is needed to move the ball down the field in 2011, and it’s you -- the player who can multitask and excel in many functions.
This isn’t your big sister’s economy and upward mobility might not be an 8-10 year process anymore. Jobs have been consolidated, and if you can do more than one, you might be able to make a mid-level move right our of your entry level gig.
I had a conversation this week with a well-known placement agent who said the once-bustling demand for experienced veterans has shifted to opportunities for up-and-coming talent.
“People are hiring,” she told me. The truth in 2011 is, companies have less to spend on salaries and still have expectations that have to be met. So the people they‘re hiring are those who don‘t turn their noses up at this new world work order.
“For people in their first job, a couple of years out of college, this is no big deal to them, because this is what they’ve been doing,” she said.
If you are 18 months or more into your first job, don’t be afraid to present yourself for something mid-level. The only guarantee here is that you won’t move out of that first job, unless you ask! Arrive with a good attitude. Be open to mentoring, work harder than everyone else and leave your sense of entitlement in your old bedroom at your parents’ house.
The new world work order is also presenting unprecedented opportunity for middle managers. There is a lot of promotion from within. The veterans for whom senior level job descriptions are posted cannot move right now. They don’t want to risk leaving their jobs even for more money. And if that “bigger job” involves a relocation, well, forget about it. They may be upside down in their house, they can’t afford to have their spouses lose their jobs and they have kids in high school.
If you’re a middle manager in a place with a bigger job posted in HR, this is your time, ready or not. Pitch the job, because you run the risk of having your position eliminated if your company has to do something extra to lure the more experienced veteran.
Get all the mentoring you can by joining professional organizations, take business classes, go after the MBA at night if it helps. Get the troops to rally behind you, because you are all they have! The team needs a coach. If that senior level job has been open for more than a couple of months, that’s a clear sign the recruiting isn’t going well. Make an appointment with your boss and go for it.
So, for the experienced folks, what’s left? Understand something: this isn’t age discrimination. This is economic discrimination and it’s legal.
The opportunity for you is to build on what you already have. Offer to take on additional duties if you haven’t already. If you see an open position that you could absorb, go ask for it. Or get together with a counterpart and tell your boss that the two of you can assume the duties of the open job.
If there is technology you need to learn to use, buddy up with an up and comer. Have him teach you. You teach him the qualities of a mature decision maker.
If you need to move to another company, be prepared to take less, but know that you might get more satisfaction.
A highly accomplished investigative reporter I know just turned down bigger city jobs because he was leery of how long they’d last. And he didn’t want to keep performing the same duties, job after job. Instead he took a mid-market job that also allows him to do some hybrid duties including management. With all he knows, he will be a gift to the organization, and he is delirious!
Stepping down a level in the interest of finding a job might not be a bad thing. It might put you back at the level where you are doing the job you loved the most before you got on the stress treadmill. That’s a win!
No comments:
Post a Comment