Your next job

If you want to have a great career ahead, you need to take some time off to envisage how different jobs that you undertake gel together in a telling manner and thereafter get back to each job to execute your responsibilities intelligently. 

You may have hundreds of items on you ‘To do” list for your next job. To begin with your job hunt, you must ensure that any job that you accept should be in harmony with your rationale, inclinations, proclivities and principles.

Towards the above, you need to introspect to discern the guiding rationale of your career; specific work activities that delight and inspire you; your fortes; and dogmas that define your conduct. Once you identify the above aspects, selection of your next job will be rendered easy. However, remember that taking up a job purely on pecuniary considerations without any regard to your purpose, zeal, suitability and disposition is a formula for failure.

Once you discover the point around which the entire weight of your career is concentrated, you should examine different career steps forward for their suitability and benefit. There are four moves that you must consider in detail and envision their effects on you:

· More responsibilities in the same company: You could be wrong if you assume that your prospects in another company are better. And you cannot afford to keep changing companies for obvious reasons. You should explore if you can get more responsibilities to handle in your present company; this will give a tremendous boost to your leadership qualities and skills-set. Progressive growth in a company has its own advantages. This type of a career move will stand you in good stead because you will not be required to work in a new environment and establish yourself once again. You can always exercise the option of switching your job subsequently.

· Different charter in the same company: If you have been performing well in your current role and have all the qualities to excel in other roles as well, then moving on to a different vertical is a good career move. Your company may have a plethora of functions – operations, human resource management, marketing and research, to name some common ones. Moving on to a different role will render you vividly more important and appreciated; however, you will have to master different aspects of your organisational functions. By keeping your eyes and ears open, you can easily identify suitable roles within your organisation that can be suitable for you. However, the inescapable need will invariably be to expand your skills-set.

· Similar responsibilities in another company: Now and then it may be essential to refresh your outlook, prospects and associations. A changeover to another company sans any change in functions could well serve to rekindle and refuel your career. It is possible that people will see you differently when you are elsewhere. Old impressions are of no consequence and what will matter will be your performance and adeptness. You may get to handle newer responsibilities, which perhaps may not have been assigned to you had you continued with your previous company. Before taking any such decision, you need to holistically examine the situation on ground. You could be viewed by your boss and co-workers differently and which could possibly be affecting your chances to encounter and grab meaningful prospects. The causative factor could well be you too. Whatever be the actualities, your decision will be a difficult one to arrive at. When you leverage your industry knowhow into new responsibilities, the road ahead could well be bump-free.

· Different responsibilities in another company: When you get to shoulder different responsibilities in a new company, it can turn out to be the catapulting of your career to newer heights. But it also has an inherent danger of fizzling and collapsing. Leaving a company or industry throws up fresh contests. You leave behind your associations and name; and will have to establish yourself all over again. And if you had been acquitting superbly, the contest could well be a tough trial. But if you carry your knowledge, experience and wisdom with you in one hand; and your rationale, fortes and principles in the other, the chances are that you will create a stronger impact. Obviously, this move is also a viable option to generate new career prospects for yourself.  

If you are getting to believe that your career has reached a dead end, you have to get to the side for once and think about the above possible moves; and envision the shape of your next job.  You can always start from now and make a brand new ending. Rest in reason and move in passion – that should be your mantra.