What do you want? A job or a career?
Experts contend that a clear distinction ought to be made between a job and career, seeing a sea of difference separating them.
A job is a short-term play leading to a better job. A career is a string of related jobs in one field, all of which are aimed at achieving mastery, knowledge and experience. Rather than jump from one unrelated job to another, a career is all about mastering one skill or profession. More complicated still, many will have two or three careers throughout their lifetime. The mysterious part is that you have no idea when disillusionment will set in and you’re once again on that uncertain path searching for meaningful work. It could happen next year or never.
Even in the best of times, it’s unreasonable to assume one job will blossom into a full-blown career and consume 20plus years of your life. Think about it. Can a company and its workers grow at the same pace? With new career options tempting you every day, topped by a job market as uncertain as the wind, chances are you’ll tire of the job first.
As you learn more and build new contacts, you’ll crave change. Don’t assume all job changes will be upward. Lateral moves can be just as constructive as vertical ones.
A great job is a steppingstone to a better job. Yet there is more to a great job than most people realize.
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Michael Zey talks about interim or steppingstone jobs leading to bigger and better jobs. The steppingstone job fulfills a shortterm function, such as teaching a skill or offering immediate opportunity.
He calls it a bridge or temporary job because it’s flawed. A steppingstone job is one of possibly several jobs en route to an elusive perfect job, he said.
Zey dangles the perfect job in front of job hunters. It’s like a delicious lollipop off in the distance. But like a desert mirage, it’s an illusion.
Think of every job as a steppingstone job. People take jobs for different reasons, Zey said. For example, a company has a great reputation; it is well known as a launching pad for budding superstars; its products are household names; its acquisition tactics are legendary, for example.
Don’t put a time limit on jobs, said the author. Don’t say to yourself, “I’ll get what I need and move on in two years.” You never know how things will work out. A so-called steppingstone job may be the best job you ever had, said Zey. One day you might say, “I can’t believe I love this place. They said it was a jungle that burns engineers out in two years.” Five years later, you’ve moved up four notches and have no intention of leaving. Even in the best of times, it’s unreasonable to assume one job will blossom into a full-blown career and consume 20-plus years of your life. Think about it. Can a company and its workers grow at the same pace? With new career options tempting you every day, topped by a job market as uncertain as the wind, chances are you’ll tire of the job first.
Play it loose and find out for yourself. Jobs, like people, are unpredictable. There is no telling how things will work out. You could shock yourself and wind up staying at a steppingstone job for the rest of your career. Avoid preconceived notions, said Zey. Do your homework and have a plan, yet be open-minded and ready to abort if things should work out unexpectedly.