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The beginning of the calendar year is an opportune time to focus on your career prospects. Photo by Andrew Neal.
I’m not one for making New Year’s resolutions. But for those of you who have, here’s an important job: “This is the year I got a new job!”
The truth is, most of us need to keep finding a better job on our annual to-do list. Unless, of course, your position is perfect and ticks all the profile boxes – solid company, supportive boss, high job satisfaction, learning and growth opportunities, ability to make a difference, job security and steadily increasing and reasonable compensation. Otherwise, it’s time to look for new opportunities.
Job seekers basically have three options: (1) change to a new, better job at your current company or organization; (2) finding a new job in a different company or organization; or (3) starting a new career in a different field. (A fourth option is “hanging a shingle” and starting your own consulting, which requires a whole other mindset and approach.) Which of these options you choose depends largely on your short- and long-term goals.
Read the following overview to help you visualize each approach to start the new year with a fresh perspective.
Change to a better job in your current company or organization
Changing jobs does not always mean changing employers. A nonprofit executive I placed at a different employer years ago came to visit me for advice. Now she had a good job in a famous non-profit organization and the job had many of the qualities listed above. Except, she didn’t see opportunities for more responsibility and greater change—and being in marketing and development, she could transfer those skills to many other opportunities outside the organization.
Meanwhile, the new CEO created a position for a chief operating officer and this executive thought to apply for that job. I first pointed out that the COO position required strong finance and senior management, all of which she could do but her strong children did not. Then, since her true strengths are so external, I suggested that she not apply for the new job, but instead think about what the organization needs and how she can contribute more to its success.
She said the education department has been without a leader for a year and is interested in the nonprofit’s international expansion. We discussed how she could propose to the CEO to create a new position where she would not only continue in her current role, but also hold both departments. Long story short, she is now the Senior Vice President of External and International Affairs and is also the Head of Education.
The premise of this story is that your direct supervisor (or CEO) may not always know your skills or needs or how you can best serve the organization. Moreover, it is important to know that the best employees do not just do their job; They want what others are doing, they step forward and do it. You’re ahead!
Get a new job in a different company or organization
What if there are no other opportunities at your current organization or your organization’s culture and values don’t align with your own? Another reason many people change jobs is that they can’t work for a “lazy” or ungrateful (even abusive) supervisor.
If any of these situations are true, make a commitment to yourself to seek change. Don’t quit, and don’t procrastinate—you’ll feel good about making the decision to change careers. In future articles, I will give advice on how to find a job with a different employer, but first, you must commit to change.
In the meantime, here are a few considerations.
- Finding a new job is practically a job in itself; Be prepared to work hard on it.
- Keep working where you are as if you’re never going to quit. There may be projects that take a little time to complete and you may not be there to complete them, so you may wonder why you bother to participate in them. The answer is simple: it may take longer than you think to get out of your current position (see below). AndYou are being paid to do your current job. They also want a positive reference, so keep doing your job as best you can.
- And don’t look for a new job on company time because you’re getting paid. As tempting as it may be, employers don’t want to call you while you’re at work, and you don’t want to leave work for an interview. This is very difficult to do as a full-time employee, but you can take personal leave as needed to conduct your job search. (No employer will blame you for scheduling interviews around your work schedule.)
- Be patient – looking for a new job takes time. Expect a minimum of three to four months for a middle management position and for the actual senior executive role as well. Keep calm and remember that there are more openings than job seekers in the market today. The odds are in your favor.
Start a new job in a different field
For those of us in the final stages of our working lives, know that it’s never too late to start a new career. For those just starting out, it’s never too early – you’re probably already stuck in your current job and don’t intend to stay anyway. To everyone else, hey, you only live once.
Heed these tips when considering your next move:
- Do your homework: There are alternative careers that you may or may not know exist. I remember one of my college friends had a summer job as a very talented coffee taster, which was unheard of in the pre-Starbucks days. Start with what you know, but explore other options. Talk to people in different fields, look for courses at colleges or other educational institutions (not to take, but to find out what’s offered), browse online postings, and volunteer at an organization you like. You never know what might spark your interest.
- Check the Opportunities: If a higher salary is a priority, you may want to exclude certain careers from the trip. Starting a job with strong competition probably won’t do well, especially if you don’t have the necessary qualifications. As long as you choose, try and experience what fits your lifestyle—flexible hours, lots of travel (or no travel), the ability to give back to the community, whatever is important to you. Eventually you’ll want to zero in on just a few options to avoid spreading yourself too thin, but now is the time to explore everything you can.
- Be very patient: Moving into a new career path can take several months from changing jobs. Enjoy the ride!
In 2023 you are feeling energized and ready to hit the ground running. And if you’re still on the fence, be sure to read my next post about working for yourself and using your expertise as an independent consultant.
happy new year!
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