An old friend made a phone call to me this morning to seek advice on his career plans. He mentioned that his current job is not challenging anymore and he wanted to look for another suitable job inside the same organization. However, apparently, his manager was not totally convinced with his plans and not recommending the move. Now my friend is contemplating moving out of the company, leaving behind everything he loved so far and everything that worked so.
I witnessed many such scenarios at my work place as well as in other companies, results are not always the way the employee expected and sometimes did not go as planned in the current company, as well as their careers in the short term.
Below are the questions you should ask yourself while considering moving jobs.
1. Am I making a right decision?
The fact that the career is a journey, not a destination – there are expressways and then there are smaller drive ways, you will need master different skills at different levels to have a successful run. Along with the domain skills (banking, technology, art or others), you should also build proficiency in organizational dynamics, interpersonal relationships and eventually some leadership. Interestingly, you will not get opportunity to learn all these at a single organization or team.
We will have to accept few trade offs momentarily, in order to build a winning combination of skills over longer term. This is where even the most experienced fumble, they expect too many things too soon, and commit mistakes that cost them opportunities.
Always remember, those who care for business and look for win-win, build right relationships, which eventually help present right roles.
2. Am I moving out of current role too soon?
Spending sufficient time at the current role in order to learn every possible aspect and then to deliver at best is critical in order to add long lasting skills to your toolkit. This usually takes about 18 to 24 months at minimum depending upon type of role & level of experience you have. Ask yourself, “What would your colleagues in previous team say about you, after you moved on”
“Its unlikely that someone can expect to do a good job at the next role, if they did not at the current role, unless it was a mistake to choose current role in the first place. Consistency is the key to success”
3. Do I know the right channels to make this happen?
Assuming, you have considered all options and made an informed decision to move on, ensure that your manager is the first person to know this.
“It is a confusing scenario when your managers gets to know that you are looking for role change from someone else”
Explain what you are looking for and have a 2-way conversation on how to come up with a win-win situation. Don’t act with knee-jerk reaction for the proposals, try to work out a deal even if there’s time delay as long as there’s better future in mid-long term.
4. If this doesn’t work, what’s my plan B?
If the plan did not workout, its critical that your next step is not a knee-jerk or high-risk reaction for obvious reasons. Turn to your mentor in/outside of the company to understand next steps. More often than not, staying back and working things out will deliver better results than settling for next available option.
All depends upon how ready are you for the next position and how ready are the opportunities for you.
5. What do I do differently when I get into the new role?
After all the hard work and making the right moves, you got into the new role, that can’t be business as usual. You must look to elevate your game, commitment & ownership and prove that you indeed deserved this position. With your consistent performance, you aim to build credibility in the organization and industry that you are a straight forward choice any next big opportunity that comes up.
Every time you move to a new role, make it a point to up the game and raise the bar!
Hope this helps you make balanced choices and right moves. Good luck!