After my last post (Why you should change jobs every 4 to 5 years) couple of my friends were wondering how to go about testing the job market. It made me realize the previous post is not complete without the “how”.
Obviously it’s one of those life events. Changing jobs is a big decision and comes with a fair amount of anxiety. So I thought I’d follow up with another post on what worked for me. Hopefully it works for those of you looking to change.
1) Look at the Career pyramid: One of our ex-CEO used to say, one should build a career as a pyramid and not a ladder. There is a fair amount of truth in that theory. We tend to look at career growth in a linear fashion, but at times the growth is quicker if the move is lateral. We see many people in our lives, who start off in one field and thrive in another. Program managers who have excelled as great product experts. Information Technology specialists who became great school teachers. Engineers who thrived as entrepreneurs. There are enough people around us who pushed themselves out of their comfort zone.
I also want to add changing “jobs” does not necessarily mean changing “employers”. It could be a different role within the same organization.
Bottom line is choosing a field that interests you is key, keeping in mind none of what you do or learn in the current job is going to waste. Having said that switching your line of expertise will not be painless but at the end it will be worth it.
2) Rely on your network first: In a world of fast growing social networks, we feel more connected and yet we feel more and more disconnected. When you are in your job, how many times do you take the time to meet with an ex-boss or an ex-colleague, even if it is to chat over a cup of coffee. Not many of us do that. We leave behind a valuable chunk of trust capital that is built over time and start all over again.
For millions of years, humans lived in groups and hunted in groups. Today, we continue to follow some of it in our personal lives. We reside in gated communities. We get together with like minded friends. We are friends with people with same beliefs and values. All of this holds true when it comes to our personal lives. But when it comes to job search, we tend to go solo. We let our ego and pride take precedence over what should be a fairly easy choice. Workplace is nothing but a modern-day tribe. So tap your network extensively early and often.
The concept of connectors and the use of network connections is not new in the social circles. Gladwell calls this the “Law of the Few” in his book “Tipping point”. Point here is, your network does not have to be the hiring party. It could very well act as a connector.
What is in it for the employer you ask? There is an upside for those who hire you too. Three main reasons. You are hired from a trusted source. Secondly, there is very little adjustment period between the manager and the employee. Third, there is a better cultural fit. Culture fit has become a key focus to organizations these days. Zappos is a great example that promotes cultural fit. Companies rely more on internal referrals than an outsider. Idea being, an employee tend to refer only those they think would thrive well in that organization culture. According to department of labor estimates bad hire costs are as high as 30%. So, it is only natural why companies tend to leverage their employee referral network.
Two key lessons here: 1. Keep your network connections at all times. 2. Start within your professional network first before going outside.
3) Role of a mentor: All of this is fine and dandy. But how do you know you are making the right choice? A friend of mine gave me the best career advice awhile ago which is to have a mentor who
- is genuinely interested in my growth
- is not my immediate manager or one who works within my group/team
- would not hire me at any given point.
I’ve tweaked this advice a bit. Have not just one mentor but have a handful of mentors. Bounce off ideas or share your career goals. Let that someone you respect let you stay honest. Remember when you were young, your older sibling or the cousin who pushed you to do things that you didn’t want to do in the first place? Like riding a bicycle? Mentors are exactly that.
You know your cheese is going to get moved one day. Before it happens find that new cheese and get ready for it TODAY!!
Image credit: iStock
