The corporate clock
This morning, while opening the door to your office you realized that it has been ten years (already!) since you came through it for the first time. You’ve just realized how time flies, as if suddenly a voice inside whispered to you: “Help, I’ve become part of the furniture.” However you’re not the type of person who “lets yourself be led”, you have always been on the frontline of projects, active and motivated. You have developed a unique knowledge of your market and field of expertise. You have obtained several promotions, seen bosses come and go, gone through organizational restructuring and mergers and you have developed a particular knowledge of your company’s internal politics (you know who is useful for promoting your ideas…). You are seen as a species of “corporate relic” or…a “dinosaur” among new recruits.
In spite of all this, you feel a curious sensation…You experience less excitement or surprise faced with new projects. Often blasé towards new ideas, you have a tendency to rely on methods which have proved successful in the past. You know your company so well that everything is so predictable. You’ve been round the block a few times (even if you refuse to admit it) and routine and boredom is catching up on you. Even if you have always tried to give the best of yourself, you haven’t obtained the position which you have deserved for so long, because in the end the position was filled by an external candidate.
So, before frustration kicks in whether you are 35, 40, or 45 years old, for your 10th anniversary: Get out of there! The worst thing is, even your employer expects it. He still doesn’t dare tell you but he is surprised that you are still there at all. The relationship you have with your company runs out of steam after a certain amount of time and ends up crumbling in spite of success and promotions. Moreover, loyalty towards a company is no longer the fashion. Loyalty today is seen as a lack of ability to adapt, to take risks and will lead your future employer to question your ambition and your ability to take initiative (and yes you need that too!). Values have changed fundamentally, you will have to change yours too. Ten years in the same place on a CV will neither help you to evolve nor progress. Only a radical change will take you a step further (with all the fear and unease that comes with it).
Imagine not so long ago, the more loyal you were the further you progressed, and promotions were allocated based on years of service rather than on success and accomplishments…times change…
Take note that no-one is forcing you to leave your dear employer tomorrow morning if you are happy there…On the other hand, it is your responsibility to realize the risk that you take and to give deep thought to your career to better prepare you for what will follow…And if one day, you can’t resist checking to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, tell yourself that your boss is already asking himself whether a new ingredient would bring some fresh insight to the team, so get in there before he does! Losing your job after 10 years of good and loyal service is not pleasant but it is important to avoid feeling bitter over the time spent there. You will need more effort and strength of persuasion to convince your future employer of your true ability to readapt to a new culture.
- Rule number 1: Your tenth year lasts twelve months. Nothing is forcing you to resign dramatically the day after the “office party”. Use this year as a key phase; a transition. Give yourself precise and realistic objectives and update your CV.
- Rule number 2: Assess your professional achievements. Make a list of your accomplishments and identify your direct contributions to the success of projects in which you have participated. Go on to assess your network of external contacts and use it!
- Rule number 3: The “ten-year crisis” often occurs simultaneously with a mid-life crisis, whether it be in your thirties, forties or over. Avoid questioning your place at work and at home at the same time. There is a big risk of mixing the problems and their solutions.
- Rule number 4: The longer you wait, the more difficult the transition will be. It is easier to change from the ages 35 to 40 after ten years at the heart of the same company than from 45 to 50. So, a piece of advice…don’t wait till it’s too late…
