This morning during my 5am walk, I had a discussion with a neighbor about career management. It really got me thinking about my own career and the question came to me, "Have I been managing my career or my jobs"? I think I can honestly say, I've been doing both, but at different times. Early in my career, I was managing my career, unbeknownst to me. I was constantly seeking new challenges, which led me to an average tenure of about 18 months. Then something changed. I'm not sure whether I got older, more stuck in my ways or just longed for greater job stability. When that happened, I stopped managing my career and started managing jobs. For me, that was a mistake.
When you manage your career, your focus remains on the work you do, the results you produce and leveraging those to meet the next challenge. At some companies, this may mean asking for permission to post when you haven't met the required time in job. It may also mean being open to short-term, temporary assignments. Depending on your lifestyle at the time, this might include relocating. It could also mean changing companies.
Conversely, when managing your jobs, your focus is on the next position more so than the work. The downside to that is you become dependent on a company to produce the "right job" and the company's timing may not directly align with yours.
So, as you go throughout your day, ask yourself, "Am I managing my career or my jobs"? I'll bet it might even help you prioritize your tasks, but I'll save that for another post.
Until next time...
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