This week’s Q&A is taken from my PMI PM Network careers column which was published last week.
I’ve been working for a number of years in the same organisation as a project manager with a view for getting a promotion to a senior project manager or programme manager post. I’ve just found out that the organisation is merging and it looks unlikely that I will be considered for any senior posts that emerge. Current market conditions make me feel moving on is too risky, so should I just sit tight?
Firstly, I would say that for most people moving jobs always has and always will have an element of risk! So you need to ask yourself is it riskier to stay with the same organisation, in effect stalling your career development or looking to secure that next career step outside of the known.
There are common feelings of conflict amongst practitioners who on the one hand enjoy their job and the organisation they work in but on the other do not feel they are reaching their potential. Is it safer to stay where you are; drawing a salary and performing a job you know you can do effectively or better to get out of the comfort zone and find the next challenge, albeit with potentially a short period of anxiety whilst you find your feet in that next job?
In my experience many people believe that finding and taking a new job is a risk without really taking the time to analyse or think through what this actually means. Think about the risk management you carry out in your daily job as a project manager: the process you go through to identify the risks; analyse them; prioritise them; the probability and impact; how you determine which is a threat or opportunity; how you control them. The process you use turns both identifiable and unidentifiable “risk” into something which is known and managed so why not apply these same principals as you prepare to make to move into a new job? Once you start to understand what you believe to be the risks of changing jobs, the sooner you can understand what aspects are in your control and make plans to proactively manage them.
Some common “risks” shared by practitioners when thinking about changing jobs include; finding a position which pays the same or more than you currently earn; being able to understand if an advertised role is really the right job which will allow you to advance in your career; how do I check out a potential employer to see if I would fit into their culture; what will be the reaction when I hand in my resignation; what do I do if the move doesn’t work out.
Which do you consider to be your main issue? Once you have identified the potential risks and issues and worked them through your risk management process – including communicating with family members (your stakeholders!) you may find that the risk is not really an issue at all. In fact what you are left with is an exciting new opportunity with a plan of action on how to find and successfully land your new position.
You can send us a question for the Q&A Project Management Careers series through the contact form. Just state if you would like to remain anonoymous.
You can also check out the Project Management Training Directory
