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Time to prepare for that next career move
BY DAVE MURPHY
San Francisco Chronicle
Big corporate shifts can make workers crazy. One day you're working for this company
you love, then suddenly it merges into this conglomerate that feels more like
sin than synergy. Or your company gets spun off or loses a key affiliation, turning
it into a featherweight instead of a heavyweight.
Or maybe the company simply lost a lot of its prestige and financial stability
as the economy soured. Take people who work for dot-coms - or Enron.
Your job has changed significantly, even if your duties are pretty much the same.
You don't look at the world in quite the same way, and the world may look at you
differently, too. And it's all because of things that are beyond your control,
right?
Not exactly. You couldn't control the corporate fluctuation, but it's up to you
to make the next move. A recession isn't the time to quit in a huff, unless your
finances are in great shape or your suffering is unbearable. But it is the time
to prepare for that next move, and the first step is to figure out exactly where
you stand.
Consider these three questions:
Are you blowing the changes out of proportion?
Do you still have the same boss and co-workers? Is your commute still the same?
Have your hours changed? Do you collect the same salary? Is your company still
likely to be around a year from now?
Getting a substantially longer commute or being forced into working hours that
disrupt your lifestyle can rock your career. Seeing your paycheck shrink is not
exactly a joy, either, and it can be a symptom of something even more serious:
Companies that cut pay across the board often enter a downward spiral, losing
their best people because pay and working conditions have deteriorated.
Just don't let your impatience get the best of you. The first several months after
a merger are often mind-numbing, as people struggle to find their roles and managers
struggle to make sense of it all - or to make any sense at all, some employees
might say. Layoffs lead to a different type of sputtering, as those still working
get stuck with more duties - and more angst.
Is there a reasonable hope that the negative changes will work themselves out?
Could you overcome your longer commute by telecommuting? Are your odd hours just
part of an adjustment period?
Look at the things that will endure. Do you have faith in the company's management?
Are you seeing people you respect head for the exits? Does your "new" company
have a strategy that makes sense?
What new opportunities are available?
It's easy to dwell on the negatives when your company goes through a substantial
change, but smart workers find ways to take advantage of the changes.
If you have merged into a larger company, there can be more opportunities to specialize
or move up the corporate ladder or possibly transfer to another part of the country
or the world. You might find more chances for training or mentoring, and you can
learn from people who are closer to the top of your field.
Unless the larger company has a hideous reputation, adding it to your resume might
open more doors. People on the East Coast might not know about your Silicon Valley
dot-com, but they've certainly heard of Yahoo.
If your company has been spun off or clobbered by the economy, you might find
yourself with more freedom. You can take a project and run with it, not go through
10 layers of bureaucracy. You can take on a variety of tasks, not be pigeonholed
in one area. It might make you feel like you're more of a team, or even a family.
Maybe the company is likely to go out of business in six months, but you might
gain experience that will help your resume a lot more than half a year of hand-wringing.
Whatever the circumstances, periods of change favor those with energy and creativity.
While everyone else is uncertain, can you create a job that you'd be perfectly
suited for?
What are your demons?
We all have fears and insecurities. If your new situation is going to continually
push one of your hot buttons, seriously consider whether you should move on.
Deep down, does it bother you to work with a lot of people who are more talented
or smarter than you are? Will you be inspired by them or intimidated by them?
Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond?
Is the prestige of your company crucial to you? You might know it's a good company,
but will it bother you if your neighbors or relatives have never heard of it?
Is the company's reputation so bad that you're afraid of being blackballed in
your industry? Do you see bureaucracy as an annoyance, or a great place to hide?
Working at a huge company can be a heady experience - or a mind-numbing one.
Do you crave individual attention? Do you like hearing praise more often than
Susan Lucci wins an Emmy? There is no rule of thumb on that one, other than to
look at your immediate supervisor. Good ones will hand out praise and help you
grow, regardless of the size of the company. Bad ones will ignore you and snub
you, no matter how wonderful the company's mission statement sounds.
If you're not getting that attention, though, a big company does offer one substantial
alternative. In a big company, you can often head for another department. In a
small company, you often have to head for the door. |
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