Why internal opportunities might work better for you?

With the current booming economy, job opportunities are plentiful. This has inevitably led to competition amongst companies and executive search firms for skilled and experienced talent. The biggest demand will be for those in the middle management level, particularly in the banking and finance, IT, manufacturing, government, and hospitality sectors.

Look inside

Changing jobs can be a daunting and life-changing experience fraught with uncertainties and unexpected adjustments, especially when one is not totally clear about the reason for making the move. Every change should be a carefully calculated move, especially as you move up the ranks in your career.

Interestingly, talent acquisition or search firms often find passive jobseekers more “marketable” than job opportunists or job hoppers because passive candidates are usually more focused on developing their technical skills and gaining experience in a broad range of the work environment, and they do this despite challenges they may face. Staying in your current job might be the wiser choice to move up the corporate ladder as it demonstrates behavioral competencies that employers find effective at management level.

Here are some good reasons to stay put:
•    Goodwill. Many employees tend to overlook this but the goodwill you build within a company can hold you in good stead, especially in challenging times or volatile market conditions. It is important to build your track record and show loyalty. Staying in a job or company for a significant period reflects one’s dedication and commitment.
•    Employers tend to look internally for candidates to fill open positions as these candidates have an understanding of the company’s culture, strategy and objectives. Priority is often given to internal staff whenever there are internal opportunities. Express your interest to your supervisor when the opportunity arises.
•    Companies see the critical need to prepare and retain good people, and more are beginning to invest time in nurturing the next generation of executives for succession planning. You could be the one next in line.
•    Look for cross exposure opportunities. Oftentimes people move because they are tired of the job but still like the company. This is because they did not explore options within the company fully. What you see from your perspective may be different from what the company has in terms of its strategy. Speaking to the right people helps.
•    Lastly, you do not have to change jobs to get ahead. Sometimes, the best change is to stay where you are and just do things differently, and better!

Grooming from within

Research has shown that some of the main reasons people leave companies are the lack of career development and broader job responsibilities. Companies recognise these missing gaps and are boosting their training resources and improving their management and leadership development programmes to keep their staff, especially middle managers engaged in their jobs.

More often than not, employees tend to rely heavily on organisations to provide opportunities for them to learn and grow. As an individual, you have to take career development in your own hands. Seize the opportunities that are available in your daily work environment and be proactive in taking advantage of the situation.

•    Be proactive: Get involved in company-wide projects that are outside of your job scope. Do not be afraid to take up new responsibilities or stretch assignments to demonstrate your strength and for other line managers to discover your talent.
•    Optimise learning opportunity: Recognise that opportunities to learn and improve are readily accessible in your daily work and interaction with others. Embrace some of these best practices and challenge yourself to perform them within your work. Those who succeed in their careers are those who take an earnest approach to improve their skills and make things happen for themselves
•    Show interest: Whether you are thinking of moving up or within the company, you need to build good references who believe in your abilities. To do so, you must be able to demonstrate your strengths, achievements and potential clearly. It requires letting others know that you are competent and capable of doing and achieving greater things.
•    Network actively: Tapping into the office grapevine, job boards and talking to supervisors and other managers can help to undercover some of the hidden job leads within your current working environment. Carefully assess some of these opportunities, and do your own skills-gap analysis to see if you fit the role. Even if there is not a good match, this analysis could help to identify areas for development.

Planning for your career success
If you feel you have reached a plateau in your career, take a reality check to ensure that you are ready to take up new challenges. Be proactive and make time to talk to your supervisor on developing your skills in order to be considered for a career advancement or lateral movement to a different position within the organisation. This demonstrates a strong statement of your commitment and dedication.

Whether you have decided to make the move or stay, you have to find a niche where you can do something you believe is important and you know you can do it well. After all, you want a career -- not just another job.


Anthony Tong, managing consultant
Kelly Selection – a business unit of Kelly Services
www.kellyservices.com.sg