The Next Move is Yours

I’m often asked for tips about the best strategy for advancing your career. Frequently, the question comes from people who have been waiting for a long sought-after promotion in their area of specialty. They are typically highly skilled, hard-working, strong performers – yet that important next move has somehow eluded them. 

My advice isn’t always what they want to hear. That’s because in my experience, the best career path may not be the most obvious one. It may involve doing something very different than your current role, and it almost always requires you, the job seeker, to take charge.  

Yes, employers will always need technical specialists and subject matter experts, and advancing on one of those tracks can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career. But the days of having an upward, predictable, linear career path have gone the way of the typewriter. 

In today’s constantly evolving business environment, successful companies need employees with broad perspectives and different experiences. They value people with a deep understanding of the business who can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and find solutions out of confusion.

I learned this lesson early in my career. I was general manager of an established plant that year-after-year made large contributions to the company’s success. When I was asked to take a position at a much smaller facility that was struggling to meet its operating targets, I considered it a demotion. I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

My time at the smaller operation was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It brought me out of my comfort zone. I quickly learned new skills, how to work with different types of people, and gained experience that would not have been possible in my previous position. 

The same is true for other roles I have held, ranging from manufacturing, to commercial, to supply chain, to R&D. Each one of these positions served as a springboard to learning and growth, and opened up new opportunities. 

There are many other examples of people who weaved their way to leadership positions. Consider the career path of Mary Barra. Trained as an electrical engineer, Barra was a plant manager and held positions in supply chain, internal communications, product development and HR on her path to becoming Chairman and CEO of General Motors.

This approach is supported by recent research conducted by Burning Glass Technologies. Several years ago, Burning Glass identified a trend in the creation of “hybrid” jobs – positions that combine skill sets that never used to be found in the same job. For example, they might include a mix of skills such as analytics, customer service, digital technologies, marketing, supply chain and compliance. 

According to the Burning Glass research, one in eight job postings is now highly hybridized, encompassing more than 250 occupations. And although the research predates COVID-19, I suspect the pandemic will only accelerate the trend toward hiring people with diverse skill sets.  

Of course, not everyone is in a position to make a full career change. But that shouldn’t stop people from seeking out new challenges and learning new skills at every stage of their career. Here are some ideas to get started: 

• Make sure your manager is aware of your interest in a new challenge
• Take advantage of internal and external training programs and courses in your area of interest
• Volunteer for roles outside your job’s direct responsibilities, such as special projects or cross-functional teams 
• Seek out a mentor, preferably a coworker who currently has a position similar to one you're seeking
• Build relationships outside your current department that could lead to new opportunities

Above all, don’t be quick to turn away an opportunity that may at first appear unbefitting. It could turn out to be the most important move you will ever make.  

Remember that it’s your career. You need to define your own path and take charge of it. The next move is yours!