Dream Jobs Found...Without Quitting
| · | Is your boss so preoccupied with profits that she takes you for granted? |
| · | Do you remember a time when your job was interesting and you enjoyed your work but now feel the job is a dead end? |
| · | Do you feel a lingering connection with the mission of the company you work for – yet disconnected? |
| · | Do you want to develop your career in a new and challenging direction with minimal risks and without leaving your current employer? |
Take heart! A remarkable number of workers today are upgrading their jobs without leaving their employer.
The recent advent of a talent shortage is causing employers to wake up. In order to retain top performers, companies are meeting the demands of their current employees.
In the past month alone, the coaches at Scully Career Associates have seen employers move mountains to keep star employees. Our clients tell us the key to their success was a clear vision for their future. The self-assessment and long-term planning exercises they completed allowed them to communicate their advancement requirements – and get results.
For many employed professionals and executives, there comes a day when they come to a cross road, “Do I give my employer one last chance – or do I start circulating my resume?”
For “Ted the Techie” (one of our real clients...in disguise), he was able to find his dream job without quitting. Here’s how he did it.
Ted was trapped in a crisis oriented, high public contact job with no hope for advancement (as far as Ted could see!) He completed both a talent and personality assessment. He also worked out a long-term plan. His true vocation was systems networking. He yearned to classify and analyze data so he could solve complex information processing problems.
He was a star on the job, but only at the expense of his last drop of energy each day.
Further, his self-esteem was slowly eroding as he tried to excel in a job that did not capitalize on his true talents.
Drawing from his deep sense of integrity and commitment, he told his boss the truth.
“I’m going to school to learn computer networking. My career is headed in a different direction. I can not do this crisis-oriented, public contact job any more.”
Ted really did not expect his boss to make any changes. He just could not stand the internal duplicity. The company had been good to him and he needed to tell his boss the truth before he began searching for a job where he could get some information systems networking experience.
In the week following their talk, Ted’s boss virtually reorganized the small company. He did not want to lose Ted and found ways to build on his employee’s real strengths.
Ted now manages both the internal technical operations and is opening new market potential in a technology related area. Ted was stunned and honored. Needless to say, the company did not lose their star performer.
Everyone wins in this scenario, and talent retention is high on every smart employer’s list of priorities. Here is a checklist to follow if you want to re-career without quitting.
| 1. | Decide where you want to be...in 6 months, two years, five years, ten, twenty and thirty years! Develop a really long-term plan. |
| 2. | Analyze your boss, her power base and consider proper timing. Approach her when you have the best chance of getting what you want. |
| 3. | Remember you have nothing to lose… you were going to leave anyway! |
| 4. | Be ready to compromise. The company can’t go bankrupt to make you happy. Accept changes that are significant enough to re-energize your career. |
| 5. | Keep growing and developing your goals. You are in charge of your future and have more power than you think. |
Web Site Resources
Riley Guide
www.rileyguide.com
Terrific research site for specific field, industry or organization information.
Salary.com
www.salary.com
Excellent resource for how much everyone gets paid.
CEO Express
www.ceoexpress.com
The site offers busy execs fast, easy access to all that they need to know.
Working Solo, Inc.
www.workingsolo.com
Great resource, links and FAQs on the nitty-gritty of going solo.
New York New Media Association
www.nynma.org
Reading job listing is a great way to learn about the competition.
Monster.com
www.monster.com
Advice on career management.
Books to Read
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore, (Fireside)
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type , by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger, (Little, Brown and Co.)
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really
Want and How to Get It , by Barbara Sher, Barbara Smith (contributor), (DTP)
Rites of Passage at $100,000 to $1 Million+: Your Insider’s Lifetime Guide to Executive
Job-Changing and Faster Career Progress in the 21st Century , by John Rites, (Henry Hold and Company, Inc.)
The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an ‘Employee’ into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! by Tom Peters, (Knopf)
My boss is not supportive of my changes!
The first strategy is to analyze your relationship with your boss and see what can be done to improve it. Try to understand your boss’s personality. Take an honest look at your own attitude and determine if you could do something to improve your relationship with your boss. This is the best approach because you can control your behavior and attitude but you can rarely change your boss! This is often very successful but can take great patience and courage. Of course, it is easy to look at your boss’s negative qualities. However, try to pay more attention to what he or she does right and then say something positive to your boss. You’ll see that your boss may become more willing to support your goals if you are supportive of him or her.
If that does not work, you may need to explore a transfer or promotion. You deserve to be happy in your job and supported in your career. Move on to a better situation but do not burn your bridges! It’s a small world and you have a bright future ahead
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