In this day and age, nobody thinks of his or her current job as a lifelong commitment. Not only is this mindset no longer practical for the average worker, it’s also downright unappealing: people want careers that span different roles across different organizations and that tap into their deeper desires and potential. The changes in the nature of work are simultaneously extremely exciting and a bit scary. How does today’s professional navigate and continue to develop a career that will involve changing course multiple times?
No matter which career path you choose, you want to make sure that it isn’t leading to a dead end in the marketplace. While you can’t predict the future, there are a few guidelines you can use to keep yourself working for forward-looking organizations.
• Is the company you work for an “Academy” company, invested in the development of its employees? If the answer is no, it’s time to start preparing for a move.
• Is the organization “tech savvy?” That is, does it make use of, and encourage the use of, new technologies and communication vectors? Is it anchored to rapidly aging paradigms and techniques?
• Look to your bosses: Do you respect them? Are they constantly developing their own skill sets and moving forward in their own careers? Do they encourage employees to do the same? If there is a stultifying culture in management, it will surely trickle down and affect your ability to grow.