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Changing
Jobs? It's a Changing Market
Our
industry is rife with movement; here are some tips for job seekers
By Rich Ream
Managing Partner- RMC Associates
Appeared in Information Today
"If
you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
-Lewis
Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Often
entrenched in our thinking is the belief that career planning is
logical, linear, and indeed planned. People who are reluctant to
answer questions like "What do you want to do?" ("...
when you grow up" is, of course, implied) are often described as
undecided or indecisive. True, there was always good old George who
knew from the start that being a radiologist was his true calling. But
for most of us, answering requires us to wrestle with the complex
question about our role in an increasingly complicated workplace. So
in this world of downsizing, rightsizing, and capsizing, there are
things you should think about and take action on-assuming you're in a
situation somewhat more stable than Alice's in Through the Looking
Glass and somewhat less stable than good old George's. Here are some
questions and points to ponder as you consider your own employment
situation:
-
Will
your skills be worth more or less to your current employer in 5
years?
-
Have
you had opportunities to learn and grow?
-
Are
your co-workers committed to doing quality work?
-
Is
there someone at work who encourages your development?
-
Does
the mission of your company make you feel like your work is
important?
-
People
who change jobs do so because they perceive that they gain greater
autonomy, authority, challenge, and income.
-
Stay
with a company where you feel you can make a difference; otherwise
leave.
Adults
tend to reevaluate their career/life goals every 6 to 8 years. Most
who go on to make a change typically feel they have gained a great
deal, along the lines of the sixth point above. Change can also be
driven by a desire for quality-of-life issues and a sense of greater
control over one's destiny.
So
are you ready to consider (or do circumstances require you to
consider) getting a new job? Read on.
Addressing
Age Bias
Since
we have put the word "adult" out there, let's take a quick
look at the bone-deep fear many of us have regarding age bias. Does
age bias exist in the workplace? You bet! You'll most likely encounter
it if you're younger than 29 or older than 50, but it can also be
unique to a given environment of a specific company. The good news is
that most perceptions behind the effects of age on employment are not
true. Here is a short list of myth busters:
-
Myth:
Older workers have more absenteeism than younger ones. In fact,
time lost for all reasons decreases with age. The highest
absenteeism rate is for the under 35 group. If you're looking and
you're older, stress the strengths of experience in terms of
judgment, accomplishments, and maturity; above all have a passion
for the opportunity.
-
Myth:
Performance and productivity decrease with age. Studies have time
and again proven this untrue. In fact, having older people on
staff often increases the productivity of younger workers, and
there is no difference in time needed to learn new computer
skills, assuming a similar experience base.
-
Myth:
Younger workers lack motivation. Most younger workers are
motivated by a fast pace and a true sense that they are
contributing in a very meaningful way. They will stick with jobs
they love and quickly leave those they don't.
Regardless
of age, show a prospective employer how you can be a loyal employee.
If you are young, stress your special skills, ambition, energy, and
motivation. Older job seekers should trade more on accomplishments by
citing specific examples and experience that relate to the opportunity
at hand. In the end your attitude will influence the hirer as much as
your skills and accomplishments.
Career-Building
Resources for the Curious, Optimistic, and Flexible Information
Professional
Bolles,
Richard. What Color Is Your Parachute, 2000. Ten Speed Press, 1999.
"Think
Tank," a column in CIO Magazine written by Thomas Davenport,
professor of management information systems at Boston University and
director of the Andersen Consulting Institute for Strategic Change. To
sample Davenport's columns, go to http://www.cio.com/archive/indexfront.html
and enter "Think Tank" in the search box.
Kanchier,
Carole. Dare to Change Your Job-and Your Life. Jist Works, Inc., 1995.
"Career
Search" articles by Dave Murphy in the San Francisco Examiner. To
sample Murphy's articles, go to http://www.sfgate.com/search
and enter "Dave Murphy Examiner Career Search Editor"
("find all the words") in the search box.
Nemko,
Marty, Paul Edwards, and Sarah Edwards. Cool Careers for Dummies. IDG
Books Worldwide, 1998.
Jacobs,
Eleanor. 10 Pearls of Wisdom: Achieving Your Goals & Capturing
Your Dreams. Kodansha International, 1998.
Mort,
Mary-Ellen. "An Information Industry Survival Guide," a
special information industry jobs feature in the November 1998 issue
of Information Today. The article and resource are archived at http://www.infotoday.com/it/nov98/jobs.htm
and are still definitely worth a look. So, of course, is Mort's Web
site, JobStar: California Job Search Guide (http://jobstar.org).
(Note: The site's former name was JobSmart.)
The
"Careerbuilder" Web site (http://www.careerbuilder.com).
This is one of the premier job-site destinations, with excellent
references and articles. Look under the tab "Working Life"
and check out the "Web Guide" for articles expanding on the
themes of this month's Hiring Line.
Opportunity
Is Knocking
Careers
are linear in foresight but circuitous in hindsight, and chance favors
the prepared mind. What you need as you plan yours is to sustain
curiosity, optimism, flexibility, and open-mindedness. The trends in
employment are very favorable. People who try new opportunities aren't
necessarily seen as job hoppers anymore, but rather as risk takers.
Typical employees in Silicon Valley will have worked in 10 different
jobs by the time they are 45. Granted, the rest of the world may look
substantially different than Silicon Valley, but not for long.
Many
career experts would say that today's trend of short job tenure is a
reflection of the downsizing of the late 1980s and early '90s-a
phenomenon that shattered people's perception that hard work would be
repaid with the potential for lifetime employment. But there are other
factors contributing to the short-job-tenure trend as well, including
the following:
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Traditional
pension plans in many cases have been replaced by more portable
401k plans, thereby reducing some of the financial risk of change.
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Owing
to today's strong economy, people feel they can go ahead and make
a change, and that if it proves to be a mistake, another job can
be found rather easily.
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The
Internet, with its promise of thousands of jobs just a few
keystrokes away, plays its part.
The
prospects for information professionals are outstanding. In the U.S.,
the expected increase in information-science-related jobs is 118
percent between now and 2006, while the number of graduates planning
to go into information science is expected to increase by only 4
percent. While graduate schools of business crank out young M.B.A.s
rapidly, many of those new grads lack an understanding of what
constitutes valuable content. There is a tremendous opportunity now to
position information professionals as in-house consultants who have
the critical mission of educating new business professionals on how to
evaluate content. And this is only one example of how or why your job
may change. Technology is driving much of the opportunity in the field
of information management and knowledge systems. In today's
environment, an understanding of library science, database and record
management, and system design and implementation is essential. The
challenge is to stay current.
So
whether you are attracted to a career that involves interaction and
mentoring of fellow employees, or you're more inclined to a systems
design and management role, open-mindedness and curiosity are key to
securing opportunity in uncertain times. Change brings both
opportunity and uncertainty.
Curiosity,
optimism, and flexibility may land you on a career path not actively
contemplated. Don't let barriers to change such as fear of failure (or
success) or fear of the uncertain stand in the way of evaluating
opportunity. By taking action consistently on your natural curiosity,
you may well place yourself in situations that will transform
unexpected events into career opportunities. In the end, the road that
takes you there is often one that is not easily recognized at the
beginning of the journey.
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