Part 11 (2/2)
In order to determine whether or not it makes sense to leave your current job for another one, you need to weigh the twenty elements that const.i.tute each job offer. I tell my clients that their decision about leaving should also be influenced by the length of time they've held their current job. For instance, if you've held a job for a year or less, you should leave for another only if the new position represents an improvement in at least two of the factors you consider important. If you've held a job for between one and two years, you should leave only if the new position is an improvement in at least one important factor. And if you've held a job for more than two years, you should feel free to move for any job that offers a boost in any of the factors, important or not.
However, if you're in your first job I think the rules should be slightly different. I believe a first-time job holder should be ready to move within a year for any position that represents an improvement, even if it's just in one important factor. In addition, if you're still holding that initial job after two years, I'd suggest you take another, even if it doesn't offer an improvement in any any factor, but simply is a change. I believe it's essential for young people to create a momentum in their work lives and to fight any tendency toward complacency. In the twenty-first century, movement is essential for a successful work life. The sooner you learn that and make it part of your life, the better. factor, but simply is a change. I believe it's essential for young people to create a momentum in their work lives and to fight any tendency toward complacency. In the twenty-first century, movement is essential for a successful work life. The sooner you learn that and make it part of your life, the better.
Liz Mandel Lands Her First Job After accepting that she needed to kill her career before it even began, Liz set aside her idea of getting an entry-level job in the nonprofit sector. After speaking with a former professor about her desire to find a volunteer activity, Liz contacted a neighborhood youth center in Brooklyn. She and the director struck up a quick friends.h.i.+p, and Liz volunteered to help set up a peer counseling service. Liz also decided to go ”temple shopping,” as she called it. After attending services at a number of synagogues around the metropolitan area, Liz found a small but energetic Reconstructionist congregation in Manhattan that seemed to provide much of what she was looking for in a religious community.
While she was busy creating a fulfilling personal life of her own, Liz tapped into the personal lives of her parents and her friends' parents, looking for job leads. It was actually at a barbecue in her parents' backyard that she struck up a conversation with a neighbor she hadn't seen in years. A marketing executive in the sporting goods industry, he had started consulting with a large national chain of sports stores that was setting up an electronic commerce operation. After hearing Liz explain how studying philosophy had taught her how to be a problem solver, he mentioned that that was exactly the skill the sporting goods store's e-commerce arm was looking for in staffing its customer service department. The chat at the barbecue led to an office meeting, followed by an interview.
At the interview Liz saw that the hiring manager seemed to be looking for people who would be compa.s.sionate with customers. Liz stressed not only her problem-solving skills, but also her charitable work. She got a job offer. Since the only other offer she had was for an entry-level position at a bookstore, and that paid much less, Liz took the customer service job. After a few weeks on the job Liz quickly realized her boss's real need. A veteran in the retail business, he didn't have much of a handle on the Internet customer. But he was being pushed by the management of the new e-commerce operation to come up with innovations. Liz began offering suggestions and new ideas he could use. Within six months she was promoted to be his deputy.
Despite her promotion, Liz continued to fish for other job offers. After a Bible study group at her synagogue, she and a very fas.h.i.+onably dressed woman in her midforties struck up a debate about Spinoza. It turned out that the woman operated her own business running focus groups for clients. As I was in the process of writing this chapter, Liz was in the process of talking with the woman about a possible job facilitating focus group discussions.
Before I met Liz I was worried that a young person who majored in philosophy wouldn't be pragmatic. She proved I was falling prey to stereotyping. Liz Mandel, a philosophy major fresh out of college, is as savvy and successful a pract.i.tioner of my Fire Your Boss approach as any of my most seasoned, bottom - line - focused clients.
Chapter 12.
Firing Your Boss in Another Industry
To betray, you must first belong. I never belonged.- KIM P PHILBY THE ONLY THING separating most businesses from each other is jargon. Sure, there are fields requiring specialized technical knowledge, like auto mechanics and neurosurgery, but most industries have far more in common with each other than most people realize. separating most businesses from each other is jargon. Sure, there are fields requiring specialized technical knowledge, like auto mechanics and neurosurgery, but most industries have far more in common with each other than most people realize.
Businesses usually follow similar sets of strategies and employ comparable arrays of tactics, regardless of what they're actually selling. That's actually the first common point: all businesses are selling something, even if it's intangible, like advice. I know it's something of an oversimplification, but you could say there are only three business strategies: sell the best for the most, sell the cheapest, or sell the best compromise between quality and price. In addition, all your skills and experiences in business operations can probably be divided into three categories: finance, management, and marketing.
The secret to successfully changing industries is realizing there's this similarity between businesses and then being able to demonstrate that sameness to others. You need to demonstrate that your skills and experiences are transferable. The first step in doing both is firing your boss and hiring yourself.
That's what I told Jody Harkins when she came to see me. Jody is the thirty-nine-year-old deputy director of planning and development for a small city in the northern suburbs of New York City. Married with two young children, she was referred to me by her brother-in-law, an attorney with whom I've worked on a number of different projects. Jody found herself in an all too common position. A bit of an obsessive, Jody hated to see anything left undone. She instinctively filled any vacuum she came across. I've found that, as if by magic, people like Jody always end up working for individuals who are more than happy to let others do their job for them.
Jody's boss, the city's director of planning and development, was a fifty - one - year - old former architect who cut a das.h.i.+ng figure at public meetings. Tall, distinguished looking, and the possessor of an aristocratic New England accent, he seemed to attract cameras. He did nothing to discourage the attention. That wouldn't have been a problem for Jody, who didn't like attention, except that his doing nothing extended to work as well. He was constantly traveling to conferences, attending seminars and meetings, and going out for long lunches, leaving Jody to do his work as well as her own. Jody had, without knowing it, successfully found and met her boss's needs, ensuring her security.
That security didn't outweigh two other factors. First, Jody had grown tired of playing her political role. She had become the public face of development in the city, despite her being the person that carried out rather than set policy. The politicians who did set policy were happy to have any angry citizens take their ire out on Jody. After a couple of very contentious projects she had wearied of that role. Second, Jody's earnings potential was limited. Not only were any salary increases subject to the vagaries of politics, but because her boss was a fixture in the director's position, Jody would never be able to rise above a certain income level. Her boss was open about his plan to retire from this position. (Behind his back Jody joked that he'd actually already retired.) s.h.i.+fting to a similar job in another munic.i.p.ality would have required uprooting the entire family, something neither Jody, her husband, nor their children wanted to do. Jody decided that meant either sticking it out or changing industries. At a recent family gathering Jody had told all this to her brother-in-law, who suggested she get in touch with me.
Fire Your Boss in a New Industry In order to make the jump from one industry to another, you're going to need to take charge of your work life. If you allow your current boss to continue to define who and what you are, you'll never be able to break out of that mold and step into an entirely different industry. Most people have let their boss not only determine what they're worth, but also define their set of skills and plan out the course of their work life. Unless you break these chains you won't be able to convince anyone you're also able to break into a new business.
The way to do that is to write your own job description. What's important is that it make no reference to your current job, industry, or business. That sounds difficult, but all it takes is some thinking outside the box. Rather than focusing on your role in a hierarchy, think about your role in a process. How would you explain what you do to someone who knows nothing about your industry? Think about what you actually do during the day. Then write down all the verbs that came to mind. Using words like ”a.n.a.lyzing,” ”organizing,” ”planning,” ”leading,” ”coordinating,” and ”communicating” will make it easy for people in other industries to understand what you do. To make the parallels even clearer, weave those verbs into one or more of the three business disciplines: marketing, management, and finance. By looking at your work in this generic fas.h.i.+on, and coming up with a way of communicating its universal nature to others, you'll be able to s.h.i.+ft from any industry or business.
Let's say you are the editor of a newsletter for a museum. Your boss might say your job description is to develop the editorial calendar, set the freelance budget, write and edit the copy, hire photographers, supervise the design, and even oversee the printing and circulation. To someone outside of the publication business all this is just jargon. But what if you write your own job description, focusing on verbs and how the job fits into one of the three business disciplines. The new description might be that you ”develop and supervise the creative and financial aspects of an ongoing marketing campaign designed to generate repeat business from past customers.” That's a description that works for any industry.
Jody Harkins Writes Her Own Job Description Having spent almost all her working life in government, Jody initially had a difficult time translating what she did into generic business language. Jody's role was to be the generator, as well as the legal, physical, and aesthetic gatekeeper of any development in the city. Her job included trying to attract private developers to do business in the city, winning grants for public development, and overseeing the planning of the actual projects, making sure they met the city's requirements. She was the liaison between developers and the city, as well as between the city and its residents.
After a few minutes' conversation, Jody and I realized her job was actually a sales and marketing position. She not only prospected for new customers, but having found them, she provided customer service. In addition, she helped those customers in marketing to end users. Setting aside all the technical elements of her position, she was actually a full-service sales and marketing consultant.
Killing Your Career and Getting a Job in Another Industry One of the most common misconceptions I see in clients who come to me for help in changing industries is the belief that s.h.i.+fting industries will provide the psychic rewards they're missing. The failure to get emotional, spiritual, and psychological satisfaction from work has nothing to do with the nature of the work you're doing; it has to do with the nature of work itself. Expecting to get both financial and psychic rewards from work is the problem. That's true whether you're working as an actor or an actuary. Change industries with the idea that you'll find satisfaction in another business and you'll just find the same frustration you're feeling now. Remember: psychic rewards should come from your personal life, not your work. Your goal in changing industries should be to improve your work life.
There's No I in Jobs in Any Industry Another mistake I've seen made by many people who are looking to change industries is to forget that landing and keeping a job require a laserlike focus on a boss's needs rather than your own. A natural tendency of someone changing industries is to concentrate on one's own achievements and how they can be translated to the new industry. The problem with this is that you become the starting point for the argument for why you should be hired. Instead, your potential future boss's needs are where you should begin your argument. Don't take your own skills, abilities, and achievements and say, ”Here's what I can do; now let me show you how I can do the same for you.” Instead, find out what your future boss needs, and explain how you can fulfill those needs. You dialogue should be: ”I understand you need x, y, and z; here's how I can provide them for you.”
Job Fis.h.i.+ng in Another Industry The challenge of job fis.h.i.+ng in an industry in which you're not currently working is that you need to wear two very different hats at the same time. Normal job fis.h.i.+ng requires you to keep meeting your boss's needs while pursuing leads for future jobs. While this means dividing your time and perceived loyalties, you are speaking one language, and keeping in touch with the developments of one world. Job fis.h.i.+ng in another industry requires you to speak one language and stay on top of developments in one world while meeting your boss's needs, and to speak another language and stay on top of the news in another world while looking for new potential jobs. That's a more demanding task. My suggestion to clients is to create a schedule that allows them to change worlds. Usually I suggest they begin by devoting weekends, or one day a week, to their efforts at job fis.h.i.+ng in their new industry. Obviously this may mean it will take longer to attract job offers in a new industry than it would in your current industry. If for some reason it's important to make the change quicker, you can simply devote more time to your future world. There is a trade-off to this, however. The more time you devote to your future world, the less secure will be your place in your current world. This balancing act has to be a custom job, based on your specific circ.u.mstances.
No One Hires a Stranger from Another Industry Tapping into your personal life rather than your business network is, I think, a much better way to find job leads in an industry in which you're not working. That's because your personal life provides a much broader range of people than your business network and, as a result, offers more possible connections to individuals indifferent industries. The secret is to make it clear during your social interactions that you're interested in the industry in question. When people ask about your work, mention your current business but quickly segue into a conversation about the industry you're trying to enter. To the best extent possible, make your proposed change of industry the prime topic of your conversations. Ask your acquaintances if they've changed industries, or know anyone who has. Seek out advice and opinions. The more enthusiasm and excitement you show about this new industry, the more feedback you'll get and the more leads you'll uncover.
It's the Money...but Maybe Not Right Away While it should remain your goal to select a job offer based on how it measures up in the factors you've deemed most important, changing industries requires a bit more flexibility. In order to get a position in a different industry, you may need to accept an offer that doesn't represent an improvement in any important factor. Before you do this, make doubly sure you're changing industries for long-term material benefits, rather than any perceived psychic benefits. I'd urge you, during your first year of looking for a new offer, not to accept any that represents a decrease in any important factor. A decrease in an unimportant factor is okay, however. If, after a year of looking to change industries, you still haven't received any acceptable offer, then I think it's time to consider taking a position for, let's say, less money than you're earning now. This may be one instance when you'll need to make a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain. You may need to take a step backward today to be able to take two steps forward in the future. Just make sure that you do indeed take steps forward from this point on.
You Must Be Going...but Maybe Not Just Yet I encourage my clients who've taken a new job to continue to look for another position, but not to accept any offer within their first year unless it is an improvement in at least two important factors. After one year on the job I suggest that they accept offers that are an improvement in one important factor. And after two years, I believe, they should take any offer that's an improvement in any factor, important or not. When you change industries I think you need to be more selective, at least temporarily. In order to cement your change of industries in the mind of future bosses, I suggest you not accept any offer in your first year in a new industry unless it's an improvement in three three important factors. No future boss would second-guess a move in that case. Similarly, after a year in the new industry I'd suggest you accept only offers that represent an improvement in two important factors. And after two years in the new industry I'd suggest you s.h.i.+ft for any improvement in any factor, important or not. Two years is more than enough time in today's job market to make you a veteran. important factors. No future boss would second-guess a move in that case. Similarly, after a year in the new industry I'd suggest you accept only offers that represent an improvement in two important factors. And after two years in the new industry I'd suggest you s.h.i.+ft for any improvement in any factor, important or not. Two years is more than enough time in today's job market to make you a veteran.
Jody Harkins Changes Industries After developing her own job description, Jody and I discussed her plans for changing industries. She explained to me that she loved horticulture and had always dreamed of working in a nursery or garden shop. But when we explored that idea it became clear that her dream of working in a nursery was based on her drive to be creative, which she loved to express through gardening and landscaping. I suggested that she devote more of her personal time to tending her own garden, and perhaps even taking some additional horticulture cla.s.ses, and focus on changing industries for material reasons. Jody understood my point and admitted that she and her husband had discussed other industry-change options, particularly her going to work for real estate developers. Jody realized that by, in effect, changing sides in the real estate development process and working for the real estate industry rather than a munic.i.p.ality, she could earn a great deal more money. At the end of our first session together I asked Jody to come up with some ideas for how she could meet the needs of her potential future bosses.
When she returned for our meeting a week later, Jody had prepared a memo for me about meeting future bosses' needs. She wrote that real estate developers needed to be able to antic.i.p.ate and work to avoid the possible objections of community officials and residents. Her experience at working on the side of munic.i.p.alities would be invaluable. Jody and I then discussed how she should conduct her job fis.h.i.+ng. Knowing it would be difficult to look for work in the real estate industry while continuing to work for the city government, Jody and I agreed she should spend one day each weekend researching and exploring opportunities in real estate. We also talked about how she would use her social life to help look for job leads. Jody decided to get more active in the local Rotary Club. She had been sent to France on a Rotary-sponsored student exchange in high school, and felt a deep loyalty to the organization and its missions. She was already a regular churchgoer, and had decided she would get even more active, volunteering to serve on the parish council. Jody also said she had signed up for a bonsai cla.s.s and had taken a plot at the community garden to give her more ground for her landscaping hobby.
After six months I got a call from Jody asking for another appointment. She told me she had been discussing her desire to change industries in her social life and that she had actually met the wife of a real estate consultant at her bonsai cla.s.s. The consultant met with Jody and, over lunch, actually offered her a job. The problem was it didn't pay any more than her current job. She and I agreed that after only six months, it didn't make sense for her to make the jump just yet. Still, the offer had brightened her spirits and improved her self-image immeasurably.
At the time this ma.n.u.script was being finished, Jody was still job fis.h.i.+ng. Her job with the city was as secure as possible, since she continued to a.s.sume much of the grunt work her boss avoided. Her personal life had yielded some additional leads. At church one Sunday, another member of the congregation introduced Jody to her nephew, who was one of the princ.i.p.als of a real estate development firm that was working to bring a megamall to a nearby city. She and he hit it off right away, and they've arranged to meet for lunch. I've told her I think it's just a matter of time until she's successful in s.h.i.+fting industries.
Acknowledgments.
Thanks to Dave Conti and Megan Newman for helping us remain focused on our readers' needs. Thanks to Stuart Krichevsky for knowing there's no I in agent. Thanks to the clients of Stephen M. Pollan for letting us fish for details in their life stories. And thanks to Corky Pollan and Deirdre Martin Levine for helping us live the lives of our dreams.
About the Authors
Stephen M. Pollan, a New York City-based attorney, financial adviser, and career expert, is one of America's most-renowned financial experts. Mark Levine Mark Levine has been Stephen Pollan's collaborator for more than eighteen years. Together they have auth.o.r.ed numerous books, including the national bestsellers has been Stephen Pollan's collaborator for more than eighteen years. Together they have auth.o.r.ed numerous books, including the national bestsellers Lifescripts, Live Rich, Lifescripts, Live Rich, and and Die Broke, Die Broke, and most recently, and most recently, Second Acts. Second Acts. They have been nominated for three National Magazine Awards. They have been nominated for three National Magazine Awards.
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