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4 Devastating Career Killers … and How to Avoid Them (Part 2)

March 3, 2010 | Author: Allyn Horne | Filed under: Career Change, The Networking Habit

On Monday, we shared with you the peril of staying in a job you hate, or not learning how to transform your job into something rewarding. What’s the next most devastating career killer? A poorly executed transition that leaves you trapped…

So, on to avoiding that devastating career killer….

Killer #2: Transitioning, unprepared, to a new job

Ah … a new job. New responsibilities, new co-workers, new boss, new possibilities. While the newness of a career shift might make you flush with excitement, it might also set you up for a fall by distracting you from a very important task: that of laying a foundation for a new role.

What? You mean showing up and being enthusiastic isn’t enough?

That’s exactly what we mean. Failing to prepare for a new role presents several hazards:

  • You could ramp too slowly—or at least more slowly than your new boss expects.
  • Productivity might suffer while you learn the ropes, creating a barrier you must later break.
  • You might not fit well with the existing culture.
  • You could under-perform and be out on the market in 90 days.

But that won’t happen to you. You’ve read this article and know how to avoid the fate of so many other career professionals. Whether your new job is with a new company or a new group at your current company, follow this advice to launch your new role with a bang.

  1. If you’re staying in-house, talk it out. Bring your old and new bosses together for a powwow. Agree as to how to handle your transition. Will you need to guide your replacement or answer questions, taking time away from your new job? For how long—a week, a month?
  2. Understand the new rules. Take time to learn how things operate in your new work situation. Ask questions. Get details. Talk to your colleagues about what works, what doesn’t, and the ins and outs of your new departmental or organizational culture.
  3. Open up—and stay open. Speak to your colleagues about your role in relation to their roles and the overall role of your group. Let co-workers know that you’re ready and willing to contribute.
  4. Plan for the unexpected. Your old boss might need you, even if only temporarily. You might also be asked to do something you wouldn’t normally connect with your role. Stay flexible, as your flexibility can and will carry you far.
  5. Manage your relationships. It’s easy to build new relationships, to add new contacts, to grow your professional network when you take on a new role. But anyone can do that. Much harder is to preserve relationships with your old co-workers and managers. But since we’re in a referral economy, where more than 80% of job opportunities are found through the network, this task is crucial to your long-term success. Stop by one in a while. Invite a former boss to coffee. If you see an article or book your know your former co-worker would love, pass it along.

    6. In the next article in our Career Killer series, we’ll share more detailed advice about how you can best nurture your network—and why you neglect your network at your own peril!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 and is filed under Career Change, The Networking Habit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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1 person has left a comment

Great points, Allyn. As you point out, the foundation of successful career transitions is communication–thoughtful, clear, and repetitive communication between all of the players involved in your transition, including both old and new colleagues.

Anyone interested in taking the advice in this piece should read “The First 90 Days” by Michael Watkins. It’s a great Harvard Business School Press book on effectively managing career transitions; it expands on many of the points laid out here in helpful ways.

Greg Howard wrote on March 4, 2010 - 6:29 pm | Visit Link

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