Pride: How does it affect your career?

We all remember Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) lecturing Butch (Bruce Willis) on the “sting” of pride in the cult classic, Pulp Fiction. Was he right? Yeah, he was.

We live in a time with the perception that if you’re not moving up, you’re doing something wrong. What happens when you hit the ceiling? Once you’ve made it into management, you’ve done it! However, you’ve essentially backed yourself into a corner. Unless you stay the same, you can’t move up, so where else is there to go, but “backwards”?

When I post a job, I can greatly tell what the climate for a certain skillset is by the response of candidates I see for certain positions. One would assume that the lower level/pay of the role, the higher volume of available or interested applicants; the higher level and pay, the lower amount. But that is not true at all. Think of a river with a dam/blockage: the water hits the dam and immediately pools around it, leaving a larger amount of water at the end (top). That pool, is upper level management and they’re all competing for a small amount of positions.  That water doesn’t stop coming down the river while more and more people enter the workforce and the pool continues to grow; especially today when there are more entrepreneurs and self-made executives than ever before. The only way execs (water) get through the “dam” is if they retire, leave the market for another industry and/or decide to go back up the river to a lower level job. Now think of a pyramid in relation to the amount of open jobs, there are generally more jobs on the bottom of the pyramid than at the top. Fewer executives, more laborers. 

From time to time my company posts Management, Director, VP+ roles and when we do… open the flood gates! We just don’t get local applicants, but hundreds of executives with the will and a way to relocate. You’re not just competing with the local market when a VP of Technology role opens, but you’re competing with a global market in a world of telecommuting with the internet, airplanes, skype, and hotels. Half of the applicants are still working, while the other half might be between jobs or taking on projects/consulting. At times, I see non-technical executives take 1-2 years to find their next Executive role; some never do. Job seeking for them becomes a full-time role of stress, disappointment, and rejection. 

So, what do you do? Do you just keep looking and applying and networking and interviewing until a position is created or opens up for you at that same level?  Once you leave a role, a time bomb begins; but this bomb never explodes, it just becomes more and more dangerous the longer it ticks. The longer you remain unemployed, the more questionable that “sabbatical” becomes to employers or recruiters. What are you supposed to do? Start driving Uber? Work at Home Depot? Wait tables? What about your quality of life? Most people live to their means; how can they possibly make ends meet by taking such a drastic pay cut?  They’re used to making $50, $100, $500, $1000 per hour, so is it to their benefit to spend their time looking, or working something at a lower wage? 

A very high level Director and I had discussed this very topic the other day.  She told me of her father, who was a GM of a Radio Station for 18 years.  One day, he lost his job and spent all his time trying to find a similar role, moving his family around the country from one job to another.  She asked, “Why don’t you try getting a job with electronics, or computers, as it is your hobby?” He proclaimed, “I am a General Manager of a Radio Station, that is what I do”.  He continued this relocation process until one day he died of a heart attack. Pride was his greatest adversary.

My advice to avoid a stalemate in your profession:

1.      Always be branding and marketing yourself. This could be blogs, articles, networking, public speaking, or podcasts. The list is endless.

2.      Always consider new opportunities. 

3.      Always accept recruiter invitations on LinkedIn, even if you’re not looking for a job at the time.  They may be your greatest allies one day.

4.      Keep your skills up to date and sharp. Re-certify when needed and learn new technology or processes when they come out.

5.      Network, network, network. Go outside. Meet people.  Rinse. Repeat.

6.      Consider hiring a PR rep to help shape your image. It may be as simple as running your social media, getting you to speak at functions, or just to manage tip #1. Stay desirable.

7.      Always be selling. If you’re not selling yourself, you’re not doing your job correctly. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Doctor, an HR Director, a News Anchor, or a Cruise Ship Captain. Sell.

8.      Always keep your resume up to date. Never have just one version of your resume. You’re more dynamic than that. Don’t let a keyword searching recruiter limit your qualifications. 

9.      Diversify. Always maintain multiple lines of income. Never put all your eggs in one basket. 

10.  Accept inevitability. Life is a very long game of chess: always stay three steps ahead and be prepared for eventual failure. All things must come to an end, and when they do, hopefully it is on your own terms.

11.  And lastly, no matter how much corporate punch you may drink, don’t forget that you and your family are always the #1 priority. Never sacrifice them for anything.

*If you have other tips for executives reading this article, please like, share and comment below.*