I’m sure you have noticed a trend in the posts of this month. I have been sharing my learnings around career movement/progression. I have been in the same job since I started working, and 3.5 years later, I am officially moving! (if this makes no sense, here is the original post I am referring to). I am not leaving the company, as I did decide that it wouldn’t work for me at the moment. However, I am leaving my team, and this will officially be the next step in my career.
Is this how I pictured my next step?
When I started in my first job, I knew I wouldn’t enjoy staying there in the long term. The trends of career progression have changed over the last few decades. With it becoming less popular in younger generations to stay in the same team for more than 4 years. Back then I didn’t have a clear picture of my next steps, it was as struggle to envision what the first year after my graduate scheme was going to look like. Oct 2024 marked the end of my first-year post-graduate scheme, and that year was unpredictable yet amazing for my career.
I really thought I was going to stay another 12 – 24 months, in the hopes of getting a pay rise within my team. And then look for another position within the company, that would broaden my experience and give me some variety. Little did I know, by Jan 2025, I would have reached the conclusion: “I need to get out of this team ASAP, because I can’t work here anymore’.
How did I go about deciding my next step?
It’s hard to think of something on a topic you have 0 idea to think about. It’s the classic ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ but now they want something more specific. I talk more about this in my last post here, if you need some guidance. So how did I go about deciding my own next steps?
1. I have been actively thinking if the experience I am getting is something I am comfortable doing for 3 years.
2 – 3 years is the average amount of time someone spends in a role. If they are looking for progression or new experiences, then this is a good amount of time to get experience to help the next move. Each experience, I looked for things I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy. Knowing what I don’t like is just as valuable as knowing what I do like (as that saves me from accidently moving to a place that has more of the stuff I don’t enjoy). Some people are perfectly happy where they are and only want to progress in that same area. Note: Just because it works for one person, doesn’t guarantee it will work for you.
2. I kept doing the current work at hand even if it wasn’t something I wanted to continue doing
Not everyone has the privilege to leave a situation at the drop of a hat. I was fine staying in the company, but not in my team, so I couldn’t just leave. The work I did was to the best of my ability. I engaged in team events, whilst still letting my manager know that I am not satisfied. I will admit my manager did try, but he can only give me the work that he is limited to provide me, as a middle manager. So, once I realised, I was not happy with those limitation, I knew I needed to be in a team that had less restrictions on the work they can give me.
3. Apply for vacancies
Having a better understanding of what I liked, and what I knew I needed from a team, I started looking at vacancies. The company I work for hold multiple campaigns throughout the year, but I was specific for what I applied for. The goal wasn’t to just leave, but to leave for something that I would enjoy more. I read those descriptions in detail and did my research on the roles and teams. This gave me a hint on whether it was worth applying for the job. In January I applied for 2 jobs in the campaign. I was rejected by one and got an interview for the other.
The baby steps that can affect the next step
After coming to a conclusion that you know what the next step should be and taken action to get to the next step, there are a few baby steps that can change the outcome. For example, I had to tell my manager that I had applied for the role and that I had an interview, to hopefully increase the likelihood of them releasing me, if I was successful. I also asked for help to prepare for the interview, from an experienced friend in the company, to increase my odds of succeeding in the interview. So, here is a list of baby steps to consider when preparing for that next step:
- Manager involvement (do they have some power over your move?)
- Have you done everything you can to increase your chances of success?
- Do you have any projects that rely on you to work, and can you hand them to another colleague?
- Does your team need you on the headcount? (if they do, it can delay the outcome of your next step)
- The role might expect you to already have specific training or qualifications, which would delay your start if you don’t have them
Summary
There will be other things that I haven’t considered, but hopefully this gives you a rough idea. For me, I have 2 projects that are reliant on me that my manager wants me to finish before I go. He gave me a release date in mid-April, so that’s when I can start working for the new team. He expects me to complete those projects, so then I am not finishing them off when I have started in my new team. It’s annoying, but it has driven me to get them done, so I can smoothly move on. My new team would have preferred to have me sooner, but my manager gets the greater sway since I am in his team. I am just grateful that it didn’t completely stop the move or delay it to June (which is the company’s policy to have me released within 3 months of being offered the job).
TL;DR
- I am officially taking my next step in my career by moving teams at work
- This is a summary of how I went about finding this next step in my career
- There are factors that can affect your next steps, so I have listed them here for you to consider on your next steps
- Just because it works for one person, doesn’t guarantee it will work for you. But hopefully the tips I give will help you.
- I move in mid-April, wish me luck 🍀
