Avoid career myopia: Making the long-term play

photo credit: sydandsaskia

What are your goals for your job search?

A year ago you might have contemplated a path to that corner office five years down the line, but your goals right now might be much more basic.  When your primary motivation is to earn an income to support yourself and perhaps your family, it can feel luxurious to consider something like “cultural fit.”  Do the checks clear?  Yes?  Sign me up.

There are risks to taking a job that is all wrong for you.

• Abject misery. Let’s be honest.  Most of us have worked in a job that we hated at some time or another.  If it’s something you swore you wouldn’t go back to, don’t.  That kind of step can be crushing to your confidence, making you less effective when you try to transition into a role that’s more appropriate.
• Poor references. Have you ever disliked a job so much that you behaved in some way that you would never under normal circumstances consider?  I’ve known consummate professionals that have gotten into altercations with supervisors, blown off responsibilities or simply walked off the job never to return because their frustration level made it difficult for them to regulate their own behavior.  If you think the situation will devolve into you complaining around the water cooler, think twice.
• A challenging career story. Think about that next job interview.  How will you explain this side trip?  Can you link this, in any way, to your career plan?  Recruiters will likely be understanding of gaps and sojourns in your job history around this time, but the more you can demonstrate that this experience in some way contributes to your advancement, the better you’ll feel making your case.

I know.  Easier said than done.  If you have to have a job to meet your financial needs, by all means do that.  But when you’re considering how to accomplish that:

• Consider industry. Can you find a position somewhere in your industry?  Or, can you get a different perspective on your industry?  If you’ve been a client, be a vendor.  If you’ve worked in IT but your customers are in the legal field, is there something you can do for a law firm?  When you’re asked about your last position, you’ll be able to say that it offered you a chance to step away from your role and view your industry as an outsider.
• Consider skillsets. Have you always worked in operations?  Consider a job in sales.  Or vice versa.  If you consider this job as transitional–short-term–you don’t have to love it.  You just have to see value in doing the role.  If it will add to your understanding of business practices, or make you step out of your comfort zone, or help you learn management skills, or allow you to work under a great mentor, it can be worthwhile.
• Consider flexibility. If your “filler” job takes 60 hours a week, when will you be able to come up with the time to job search to get back on track?  If you want to pursue training to make yourself more marketable, will you be able to do that?  Some people in transition will work retail or wait tables in order to leave some weekday time open for continued job search efforts.  Or try temp or contract work in the interim.

As much as we’d all love to be able to continue on our chosen career path, sometimes we hit a bump in the road.  Don’t panic.  Make the best of a challenging situation by thinking beyond the immediate need.

Related posts:

1. Are you the phoenix? Coping with career challenges
2. There’s no such thing as “just”: Self-talk and your career
3. Job search over 50: Unique challenges, unique opportunities
4. How to Find a Career Coach: Can a coach help me reach my goals?
5. Your job application: How to avoid the circular file

Tagged as: Career, job change, job hunt, job search, layoff, motivation, planning, recession