My dad has worked for the State of Iowa since 1960 (although he retired 8 years ago, he still contracts part time). Can you imagine 54 years with the same employer?
Dad started as a field child welfare worker and nine years later was the head of the Child Protective Services division of the Iowa Department of Human Services. By the time he retired he was the #2 guy over Iowa's Department of Human Services, the largest state organization in Iowa. He worked hard, sacrificed, and was rewarded with a fulfilling career spanning six decades.
My how the world has changed. Today your employer will not carry your career cradle to grave. Even government jobs - the last bastion of employer stability - no longer can guarantee you a life long career. Your career stability will come from you, not your employer. I’m not saying you won’t have a fulfilling career. Because you can. I’m not saying you won’t have to work hard & sacrifice. You will.
What I am saying is you should always be looking for potential opportunities. The average Gen X / Millennial will likely have a new employer every 4-5 years over the course of a career. There's no excuse for not wanting to expand your network. We live in a hyper connected world where online and real time relationships can be discovered and nurtured with ease. Whether its a Google hang-out or Hack-a-thon, it's never been easier to network.
If you are not networking you are stunting your career growth. The best time to plant a tree was 20 year ago. The second best time to plant one is right now. Don't wait any longer - make it a point to meet 3 new people this week. You never know where it will lead.
Side bar: CPS sent a case worker to our house when he was chief because of my 8 year old shenanigans. “Say, aren't you my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss?”
No comments:
Post a Comment