Fact of the matter, according to the latest unemployment statistics 90% of the nation's workers still have their jobs and fewer than 5% of the unemployed are college grads. A large number of those employed, who work in major corporations, have new job opportunities staring them in the face.
What brought all of this to mind was a recent Tom Peters' post, entitled Stop! The post was labelled 100 Ways to Succeed. #175. Strange math, but. . . well, you know Peters. The point of his post was the overlooked importance of "consciously-systematically-strategically working on 'stop doings'." It's important from both an organizational and personal perspective to excise things that don't fit basic objectives and strategies.
In conversations with several Gen-Yers who were in the enviable position of having several job opportunities, the big question was what opportunity to accept. My response was always about the same issue: work strategy. In your early years, where career exploration is very important, I always urge Gen-Yers, and other generations as well (when they have new job opportunities), to follow a number of important rules that I learned from my mentor, Carl Wilson, EVP of Marriott:
1. Aim to have a different role and job experience each time. Once you've gained the competencies from your present role, it's time to move on. Two-and-a-half to three years is ideal. After that, you're risking stagnation.
2. Take a lateral or a lower graded job for more experience. Adding competencies to your toolkit is key to long-term career success. If you're gaining new skills, it's not a demotion.
3. Take on tough assignments that no one else wants. Companies reward the entrepreneurial mindset. Some execs will talk about the risk upfront. If they don't, you can. Besides, you'll learn a lot from a tough assignment.
4. Acquire project management skills. Project management is useful in all functions and nearly all industries today. Most organizations structure the bulk of their operations around projects. Especially new and innovative opportunities.
Keeping focused on your personal career strategy inevitably implies saying no--what Peters calls "stop doings"--to many opportunities. Careers are no longer about money and position. The traditional job ladder is gone. Compensation and recognition come if you've got the competencies, the network and a bit of calculated luck.