Alice is 33 and has already held 11 jobs in six different career areas. In some ways, Alice is happy, and in some ways she’s miserable.
On the plus side, she has never worried about being unemployed, and many of her past bosses have invited her to come back. But Alice feels like she’s never going to move forward. Her friends from college all have great titles and respectable jobs. Some have master’s degrees; others have houses or families of their own.
It’s possible that your career path will always be different from the one followed by everyone else. If so, your career-management steps need to be different, too. Here are a few things to consider:
– Set life goals, not career ones.
Do you want to own a house? How much will it cost? When do you want to move? Once you know the answers, pick the job that will make that goal achievable.
– Set skill goals.
Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? In which job would you be able to do it?
– Set lifestyle goals.
Do you have kids you want to spend time with? Or a time-consuming hobby? Then you need a job that lets you make your lifestyle your first priority.
– Let go of false pride.
So what if you don’t have a stellar career story? If you have a life, that’s probably better anyway.
– Plan each job with an exit date.
If your pattern has been to leave every job in two years, maybe you should just give in to that. When you’re nearing the two-year mark, review your situation: Is it time to go? Is there any place in this company you want to go? What do you want to learn now and where can you learn it?
– Keep your nose clean.
Don’t let debt pile up, don’t neglect your IRAs, don’t burn bridges, don’t let go of your friends. Since you are not spending a lifetime in one career or one company, you’ll have to create and maintain your own safety net.
