Career Mobility: Straight up is not the only way

There was a time not too long ago when one’s career began and ended at the very same company. Individuals would finish their formal education (either school or college), start their first full-time job and continue there until retirement. Either that, or they stayed for decades, later switched and stayed for the rest of their career at the second company. 

This wasn’t uncommon in my parents’ generation and the generation before them. People speculate and complain about millennials and Gen Z being job hoppers and how prior generations were loyalists etc. I see both sides of the fence, and I disagree about why my parents chose not to move as much as we can today. In my opinion, it has a lot to do with a contrast in the options they had available, being happy with whatever they got (even if it was under negative circumstances), and not rocking the boat too much. 

Things are different today. Employers offer more, and employees demand more. There are way more options available to people, for the most part. Switching involves taking a risk from the comfort of one’s current position, and that risk was not very acceptable in the past. Today, people are not shy or hesitant to capture those opportunities today. More pay, better work environment, better perceived growth opportunities, culture fit issues, serious harassment, difficult boss - any or all of the above could be a reason folks want to move on. I’m not here to judge or decide what’s right or wrong. I myself have exited 4 companies in my 15 year career. This does not include a few entrepreneurial ventures I invested time and energy into. 

No matter what one chooses to do, having a wider array of experiences gives you a broader spectrum of visibility into what else is out there. You can experiment and test the waters, see what you like and learn not only about the market, but also about your own preferences. There are serious pros to staying at one company for decades too. There is considerable growth and visibility to be achieved in doing that even today, if you’re at the right place. 

You should note that being ready for mobility in today’s world is not a luxury. The global big picture is evolving so tremendously fast, that sometimes you need to plan for your career by looking ahead at the state of the industry. When I graduated with my degree in Computer Applications (BCA) in 2004, the way we built systems was so different from the way we build technology today. It was all large, monolith systems. 

Today, it is all about collaboration and partnerships and how we can build pieces extremely well and integrate with someone else. Technology has gone that way, the media landscape is shifting, entertainment has evolved drastically. In 15 years since I graduated, the way we do a lot of things has fundamentally disappeared and turned into something else. So many jobs that we pursue today that involve social media, artificial intelligence, data science, esports, FinTech simply did not exist back then. Jobs evolved into these spaces, and it is ideal for us to be prepared to evolve too. Being prepared from a career mobility point of view, is not a luxury. It is a part of our evolution, and the best thing one can do is prepare for it as it happens. 

“Do you buy an umbrella after it starts raining? Sure, you can. But isn’t it better to be prepared when it gets cloudy?”

Having said that - in my experience, there are two kinds of mobility. 

• Intentional / voluntary mobility
• Forced mobility

Intentional Mobility

If you choose to move on from your current employment with the purpose of gaining something positive or avoiding something negative at the old place, that’s intentional mobility. 

Either you leave your current position and move within the company. Or you exit the company and move to another role elsewhere. These could be in a lateral move, or even a step-down to work towards a new career path or stream. Maybe you choose to take a sabbatical and catch a break, or start something on your own.

Forced Mobility

This is a situation when an employer either undergoes restructuring or layoffs. They may choose to either relieve certain employees (team, product line, division) of their duties or move them laterally into other units across the company. In extreme situations, could be the whole company. We see this all the time - Deutsche Bank and Jet Airways in 2019, Lehman Brothers in 2008. The list goes on. This is a reality of business. 

Companies undergoing mergers & acquisitions go through this process too. They either are able to mobilise employees sideways into different departments, or they are made redundant completely. 

Note: Avoid looking at this in a negative light. Often these situations force us out of our comfort zone and enable us to move in directions we would ordinarily not pursue. 

I know dozens of individuals who after being let go, chose to start their own businesses and are very successful. The same thought process works even if you choose to exit intentionally to start your own business or try your hand at something new. 

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Okay, so I know what career mobility is, what do I about it? 

The best thing we can do is prepare in advance. Look at this preparation as an investment towards your career. 

1. Invest time and energy in building your network
2. Build on your transferable skills
3. Become financially literate and manage your finances 

Build your network

Have you heard the popular quote - “Your network is your net worth”? 

So many of us, even in today’s highly digital, connected world do not make use of simple tools and strategies available to us. 

“Networking? No need, I don’t need anything right now. Why bother?”

“I hate meeting new people”

“I don’t know what to talk about. And I am shy”

Each of us is guilty of this at some point or the other. Networking does not only have to involve using social media (like LinkedIn) or attending big events to mingle with new people. It certainly does NOT involve connecting and asking for a favour the first time you interact. 

(I will work on a separate deeper article on Networking soon. We will discuss growing an external network and other networking strategies then. Follow Lokyatha if you’d like to get updates when that comes out)

Your core network could easily start with the people you’ve met and actually interacted with, maybe at work or back when you were studying. It could be bosses, colleagues, customers and team members. These are the people who know you the best. They have communicated with you, done business with you, they know your strengths and weaknesses, and they know your work. They are the best advocates for who you truly are. 

As long as you have been professional, courteous and supportive to them, why would you discard all that hard work and those strong relationships when you leave? 

It’s understandable we all get busy after we move on and separate. But keeping in touch, investing time and effort to check in on them (maybe once a quarter) for their wellbeing and to simply provide any support you can offer, is a huge part of networking. It starts with maintaining the relationships we have. There’s no point attending conferences and building new relationships if we can’t retain the existing ones. Unless our approach to our careers involve transactional relationships, doing this should be much easier for all of us. All it takes a little time and effort. 

When you invest in that network long-term, they will be invested in your success as well. So in the case of career mobility, they are your first point of connection. 

To give an example, every single one of my jobs after my second one (in the 3rd year of my career), it was my network that has helped me navigate my career. It is only because they are so invested in me, that this would be possible. I went from casinos to events to media and who knows what next. And this goes both ways, I have had the opportunity to invest back to my network as well. Whether it’s business leads, partnerships, potential job openings, introductions or simply to check on them personally every once in a while.  

Authenticity is a key element here, and this cannot be faked. It’s not very hard to detect when someone encounters inauthentic engagement. You should want them to be successful, and work towards it. 

But I am truly grateful for my network that has helped me become who I am today. I would not be here if not for each and every one of them. 

Build on transferable skills

A lot of folks believe that technical skills and industry domain knowledge are the “Be-all and end-all” of being successful at work. 

While they are definitely important, individuals who have made a major difference and created a dent in a particular space were often outsiders to that industry. They simply looked at things a fresh / different way because they were not anchored by history and experience. 

Don’t believe me? Look up ‘Outsider CEO’ when you get a chance. This does not have to apply only at the CEO level, even junior level employees can look at things with fresh perspectives. 

Note: This is another reason to push for diversity in the workplace, but we can talk about that some other time. 

I don’t mean to imply that we should ignore industry veterans. Not at all! Simply measuring the value of the vast network and relationships across customers, vendors and regulators they have built over time, is enough to justify that. 

My point here is that beyond those industry specific skills, there is a world of expertise and capabilities that are relevant in no matter what we choose to do. Could be at work in a different industry or in our personal lives or even if we choose to start a business on our own. These are called transferable skills. They are skills that can be transferred to another situation. Sometimes people call them portable skills. But you should look at them as your personal toolbox for both your life and your career.

They include sales, negotiation, written and verbal communication, public speaking, relationship building, commitment & reliability, leadership, project management, customer service, organisation, time management, teamwork, research skills. This list could go on, but you get the idea. 

I will prepare deeper content on specific transferable skills, so look forward to sharing that with you when it’s ready. 

Having these capabilities that can be used no matter where you go are extremely valuable. Lifelong learning is the key to keep growing and improving in these areas. These could be the cornerstone of your brand, and in all honesty, they are getting rarer to find. When employers say that candidates are unemployable, many of these are part of what they are talking about. 

Imagine a candidate who has the highest track record and a deep technical strength. What use is this person if they are not good in a team? Or if they have poor communication skills? 

Now, I don't know anything about cars. But this image above belongs to a Rolls Royce Phantom Drop head Water Speed. Look at that shiny, beautiful engine.

Without those wheels, it's top speed is Zero!

“Technical skills may be the engine, but transferable skills are the wheels that take you places”

Become financially literate and manage your finances 

The final learning I can think of when it comes to being ready for career mobility is to manage your finances - Learn to be financially literate. 

As mentioned earlier, your career movement may not always involve taking a step towards greater income. Once in a while, this may require you to take a step down or sideways, resulting in lower income. In case of losing a job or a desire to take a break or start a business, this may result in your income to drop to nothing. 

Being financially prepared like having an emergency fund, the right insurance, managing your budgets, long-term financial obligations and your cash flow is critical to navigating this situation. 

I’ve got a 3-part mini series on financial literacy already that is available here, feel free to have a deeper read if you’d like.

I hope you enjoyed this perspective on career mobility and my experiences of how to navigate it. I look forward to hearing your comments and questions.