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Make The Right Career Move
by: Colin Ong TS
It is not realistic
for HR Managers to believe that there will not be any staff turnover
in the organisation. Having regular staff turnover need not be a
negative proposition as it may imply that the industry is very
dynamic. There are also other varied reasons for this: The
organisation may undergo a restructuring exercise or its
headquarters may be relocated to a different country. With new
talents to improve the competitiveness of the organisation, it is
dependent on each employee to take full control of his career
progression.
In this article, tips
will be provided about making the best decisions in career
progression.
Your Expertise:
You have to be
objective and honest about your own personal expertise assessment.
Are you suitable for a particular job or are you expected to learn
in new skill? It is best to find out about the future progress of
your chosen industry so that your skills will not be deemed as
outdated by other organizations.
Your Networks:
You should also get in
contact with your corporate networks and find out more about the
industry. This will be useful if you want to take up relevant
courses to boost your employability in the industry. You can also
join informal Internet Forums to get more information.
During The Transition:
It is wise to take
stock of your current situation before you make a career transition.
The most important aspect is your regular financial commitments. The
reason is that making a career transition needs considerable
adjustment in time and building new working relationships. You may
have to set aside more money in your new working environment for
transport, eating and business entertainment.
Your Company Has
Changed Focus:
You feel that your
organisation may have changed its long-term focus and your skills
may not be as important as before. This is not uncommon occurrence
especially with globalisation. It is good to have a word with your
immediate superior and explain your wish to change your job
specification. Your initiative may actually prompt your immediate
supervisor to recommend you for a promotion.
Needing New
Challenges:
With the recent
dot-com explosion, many people have been exposed with the excitement
of setting up a company from scratch. There is a lure of being an
entrepreneur. You may not want to be a technopreneur but you are
certainly considering to be an Independent Consultant.
Do not throw away your
current contacts: They may prove to be instrumental in getting new
contract. Leave your organisation in good terms; they may be your
future alliances.
Overseas Posting:
Your Career Move may
also be an overseas posting. The reason is that your performance may
be monitored and a good showing will bring positive results. Before
you accept the overseas posting, you should make the effort of
finding out about the living conditions and expenses. A lot of this
information can be found on the internet It is also prudent to get
in contact with other employees who have had the same overseas
posting.
Developing A New
Product/Expertise:
If you are in the R&D
industry and you are developing a patent, you may decide to make a
career move because your current work environment may not be
conducive. This is not a difficult decision as developing a patent
may take about 5 years and you do not want to waste your productive
years not completing the patent design.
Needing More
Flexibility:
A career move be a
signal your deep desire to pursue other interests. This can be in
the form of writing a book or completing a study program. Many
senior employees make this conscious decision after their children's
education have been settled or after accumulating a comfortable
retirement fund.
About The Author
This article is the copyright of Colin Ong TS of MR=MC
Consulting Pte Ltd (http://www.mrmc.com.sg)
which provides Customized Training for Organizations and
Educational Institutions in the area of Knowledge Management,
Workplace Issues & New Technology Empowerment. Also visit
http://www.mrmc.com.sg/12n
colin@mrmc.com.sg |
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