A recurring topic that I discuss with candidates on a daily basis is the pros and cons of making a planned strategic career move. Will this hinder or help their career in the long run? There is a big difference between being a “job hopper” and making strategic career moves. A “job hopper” has made several job changes within a brief period, often with some positions being held less than a year, with no clear career progression or rationale as to why these moves were made. This is a sharp contract to someone who has made defined strategic career moves every three to four years which demonstrate career progression. Well-planned strategic career moves will allow you to grow your knowledge and experience, bolster your resume, and advance your career.
Below are three examples of positive motivations for career moves that I share with candidates:
- A change in company and position will give you a broader depth of experience. Moving to a new company will expand your knowledge base, expose you to a new culture, and allow you to rise to new challenges. It also shows potential new employers that you are looking to grow your career and have the ability to make a positive career move.
- More experience and diversity on your resume will make you more marketable and appealing to employers. Depth and breadth of experience are very important to hiring managers and a strategic career move might offer the ability to work within different therapeutic areas, or work on programs in different stages of development, or potentially interact with different divisions of the FDA. This experience is very important to hiring managers because it offers more versatility to their team.
- A strategic career move can result in you growing your career at a rate much faster than if you remained with the same company for 10-15 years. Staying with the same company can result in a slower increase in compensation packages, a loss of ability to influence within your current company, and ultimately a decrease in enthusiasm for your job. A career move would bring greater responsibility, a compensation package that would be more in line with industry standards, and a change of scenery that could re-invigorate your career and enthusiasm.
The Bureau of Labor statistics said that, on average, young baby boomers have about 11 jobs in their working careers. Millennials are predicted to have 15-20 jobs in their working lives. With this number changing and the younger work force open to making more career moves, it is important to ensure that each career move is carefully thought out and there is value beyond a raise in pay for each move you make, an early blog of mine discusses the 5 Things To Do When Starting Your Job Search
Success lies in the preparation, for additional job-seeking resources head over to Dennis Partners