Don't Call It Quits by Shana Lebowitz Gaynor

Author:Shana Lebowitz Gaynor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw Hill LLC
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

FOCUS ON YOUR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Wisdom like Carter’s—play great music even if your ship is sinking; find something about the job that resonates with you—comes in handy wherever you are in your career right now. You could, theoretically, resign yourself to the possibility that your career is currently on hold because you hate your job and aren’t growing in it. In this universe, you’re essentially biding your time until you can leave.

Or you could do what you can to develop your skills given the circumstances.

In part this might mean seeking out new projects and leadership opportunities at your company. It might also involve a bit of a mindset shift, so that every day you remind yourself that the work you’re doing now will open up better career opportunities down the road. Carter was a more attractive candidate to Patagonia because of the impactful work he’d done at Sears. You’ll be more appealing to your dream employer, too.

I talked with Jessie Wisdom, a former Google people analytics manager who cofounded the HR software platform Humu, about how exactly to make this mindset shift. Humu helps employers like sweetgreen and Virgin Atlantic improve their performance and their employee engagement by sending managers and individual contributors “nudges” toward positive behavior changes. (For example, “Tell a colleague you appreciate their work.”)3

Yet Wisdom is also aware that not all workers at every organization are ecstatic about the work they’re doing or are planning to stay there forever. To workers who feel understimulated or unfulfilled by their jobs, Wisdom says, “Maybe there’s something that’s at least useful to your long-term learning and career prospects.” In other words, even if the job responsibilities themselves don’t change (or don’t change much), your focus shifts to your own learning and development.

To use her example, say you work in a call center and find the job somewhat dull. Instead of allowing that perception to envelop the entire workday, see if you can identify one or two skills that you’re developing in this job that will help you get your next job, one you really want.

That skill could be influence: As you try to persuade people to buy the product or service you’re selling, think about how you’re building a muscle that will come in handy whether you pursue a career in sales, marketing, or really any field that involves interacting with other people. Or say you work in consulting and regularly give presentations to other teams about your research. In this case, learning how to craft a compelling pitch will benefit you if ultimately you decide to pursue something more entrepreneurial.

Focusing on skills and tasks that enhance your career development is a good idea in any job, but particularly if you’re unhappy and feel stuck in your current role.

These types of competencies—which map easily from one job or career to the next—are called “transferable skills.” Being able to identify and articulate your transferable skills is critical in making a career transition, especially if you’re aiming to switch industries (as opposed to switching companies in the same field).

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