Chapter One
Old Dogs, New Tricks
The only way to enjoy life is to work.
Work is much more fun than fun.
NOEL COWARD
Three Tales from the Front Lines
It's easy to slip into an Old-Dog mind-set, regardless of your age. What's an Old Dog? See if you recognize yourself in these scenarios first, then we'll evaluate whether you have any Old-Dog tendencies.
"What do you mean, a pink slip? Termination? Me? There's been a mistake." Gordon had been working for his current employer for more than twenty years, had been regularly promoted, had received good performance evaluations, and was doing the organic chemistry work that he loved. This pink slip, that wasn't even pink, had to be an error.
Sure, he'd seen his shares of stock in his publicly held company erode in value as earnings had slipped, but his chemical research was at the heart of the company's products. They couldn't keep the money coming in without the core products that Gordon's research helped produce. The idea of his job being vulnerable to some of the changes he'd seen in other parts of the company was so foreign to him that he had ignored the tremors going through his own division.
"Why me? This doesn't make sense!" But to his company, cutting Gordon made perfect sense.
Professionally, Gordon was in a holding pattern. He'd done most of his intellectual development in college, over twenty-five ago. He'd gone to work for his current employer shortly after finishing his bachelor's degree in biology. He'd taken some workshops that his employer had offered, but not many, and not unless he believed that the topics would directly benefit his current work.
Staying in touch with professional trends outside of the company had been difficult for Gordon. He occasionally read articles in professional journals, and he took some graduate courses in chemistry twenty years ago. He found professional association meetings painful, so he avoided them. "Too many people are standing around, and there is too much chitchat."
Socially, Gordon was a private person. He did his job and kept in touch with a small group of friends. At work, he wasn't terribly interested in life in the other divisions, corporate politics, or company finances. He was interested in his research. "I thought if I just kept my head down and did my work I'd be safe." That approach proved to be fatal.
If Gordon had taken the time to look up from his work, he would have seen two warning flags waving wildly in front of him:
• Most of the people who worked with Gordon had advanced degrees, a master's or doctorate, while he had a bachelor's.
• His colleagues had degrees in chemistry, the department's main focus; Gordon degree was in the less directly related field of biology.
Gordon had assumed that his increasing level of experience would offset his professional weaknesses, but his colleagues were becoming increasingly experienced also. When his company hit an economic speed bump, he was vulnerable.
Gordon is an Old Dog.
Penny could see it coming, but assumed she was safe. As the head of Human Resources for a well-respected, large, family-owned textile firm, she had been involved with laying off employees when a division was closed. She knew that textiles was not a growth industry in the Unites States, but her company's fabrics had been "hot," and she was loyal to the company's founder and president. David, the president, had brought Penny into his company when she was making a career change, which had earned her long-term gratitude and allegiance. If there were layoffs, so be it. Penny would learn how to do them and be there to help David. She didn't want to abandon him when things got a little rocky. Besides, David would always save a space for her, even if the going got rough.
She had started her career as a teacher, and moving into human resources had seemed a logical fit for her nurturing, caring personality. Going to work and taking care of her young family had consumed all of her time. Now that her children were getting older, she could put more of her time back into her work. Even though the physical demands at home had lessened, the financial demands had increased, and would continue to do so.
Developing herself as a professional was a luxury for PennyS with all of the changes going on, taking care of a family and managing the day-to-day demands at work was enough of a challenge. Besides, she really didn't need to meet people outside of work to learn about different ways of handling the changes in her company. Budgets were tight, and she was sure that her mature industry and company wouldn't accept new practices anyway. "I'm swamped at work every day. I don't have time to get my job done, let alone figure out which new ideas are of any use or get to know new colleagues from outside of my company. If I ever need to, I'll figure it out then." Penny is an Old Dog.
Michael is twenty-six years old and, by all measures, he should be a hot commodity in the job market. After finishing his undergraduate degree in finance at a major university, he headed for an investment-banking firm to get some firsthand experience. He followed through on his original master plan of getting three years of work experience, then applying to business school for a master's in business administration (MBA) degree that would make him eligible for some of the most prestigious and well-paying career paths available.
As the source of our economic wealth continues to shift from manufacturing to information and services, the "knowledge worker" continues to rule. Graduates of well-regarded MBA programs comprise an available pool of knowledge workers that the world's best companies target for bright, motivated hires. Michael put himself on the path that leads to these high-level jobs by accepting admission into a world-class MBA program. When he started classes, however, he discovered that he had become a little fish in a big pond. He's in classes with people who are as a smart as or smarter than he is. His first job success have paled as the bar moved higher. As he moves toward completion of the first year of his program, he's competing for coveted summer internships with companies that could catapult him to long-term career success.
I met Michael in networking seminar I presented to MBA students. He was clear about his own goals. "I want to be a consultant with a professional services consulting firm. I want to design strategy for Fortune 500 companies, become a partner, and reap the rewards." What he wanted, he could articulate. When I asked him, "Why should a company hire you?" there were five seconds of dead air. That's a long time for an aspiring consultant. He hadn't thought about the company's needs. Most of his fellow students are targeting the same consulting firms, investment banks, well-funded start-ups, and a select group of other companies. How is Michael going to get their attention and differentiate himself from the rest of the pack?
Michael is on the verge of becoming an Old Dog.
As you can see, being an Old Dog isn't about age, experience, when and where you got your degree, or what your plans are for the future. It's about attitude. It's about an orientation to the outside world. It's about how you think about your career.
Are You an Old Dog?
Complete the following evaluation and find out whether or not you're an Old Dog. You'll see where you're at risk in managing your career so you can take corrective action before any career fires break out.
You might find the questionnaire frustrating because it doesn't have a "Maybe" or a "Sometimes" column. That is done on purpose. It's designed to force out your latent opinions, even if you're undecided about your answer. Check "Yes" if you agree with a statement or "No" if you don't, even if it's a borderline reaction. Don't think too long about each question. Your first reaction is usually the most accurate one.
WORK RISK / OLD DOG ANALYSIS
Yes No 1. I anticipate being with my current company for the next 3 years. () ()
2. I work in a growth industry. () ()
3. I am aware of general business trends and how they're affecting
my competitiveness. () ()
4. I can clearly articulate the needs of targeted employers
(current and potential). () ()
5. I am in touch with a cross-section of relevant professionals
outside of my current/former company. () ()
6. I know my top 5 marketable skills. () ()
7. I am comfortable with the concept of networking. () ()
8. I am computer literate. () ()
9. I am considered the right age for the work I want to do. () ()
1O. I know what skills are considered hot in my profession. () ()
11. I have changed how I am doing my work in the past 3 years. () ()
12. I have been in the job market within the last 5 years. () ()
13. I think about how I can be of help to others before
I contact them. () ()
If you're in transition ...
14. I know what my passions are, and where they are reflected
in the marketplace. () ()
15. I'm comfortable with asking other people for help. () ()
16. I'm past feeling angry at my former employer or fearful and
desperate about my future prospects. () ()
If you're currently employed ...
17. I have anticipated how changes in my organization could
affect my career. () ()
18. I accept that my company does not have the responsibility
to develop my career. () ()
19. I know that feeling essential, having high seniority, or being at the
highest levels of the company are not guarantees of job security. () ()
20. I am interested in and informed about the people in and
needs of other divisions. () ()
21. I understand my company's vision and goals and know how
I can contribute to achieving them. () ()
22. I can describe how I've contributed to corporate profitability. () ()
Old Dog Analysis
10 or more "No" answers: You're thinking like an Old Dog. Time to start taking control of your own career planning. You've already begun by reading this book
5 to 9 "No" answers: Be careful; your fur is beginning to gray.
4 or fewer "No" answers: Hot Dog! Your challenge will be to sustain your momentum.
How did you do? Did you check off "No" on the first five questions, decide that this was too much to deal with, then skip down here? If so, you're in good company with most other professionals. There is an easily learnable skill behind each one of these questions, however. We'll explore how you can learn and practice these skills in subsequent chapters. Knowing your markets, knowing your competition, and knowing how you should be developing yourself to reach your career goals will substantially lower your work risk for the long term. Let's consider your answers to the questionnaire. They will provide you with a benchmark to measure your future growth against, like weighing in at the beginning of a Weight Watchers program.
The ingredients of a Career
As you evaluate the results of your Work Risk: Old Dog Analysis, you will see three main themes emerge: change, skills, and attitude. These ingredients are constants. They will continue to be important even after you're settled in with work that you enjoy, not to mention enhancing your life in general. Being conscious of shifts in change, skills, and attitude can help you turn them to your advantage. Let's look at the themes of change, skills, and attitude so you can see how they affect your work life.
The Only Constant Is Change
Your company is changing. Your industry is changing. Your work is changing. Are you changing? If you answered "No" to the following questions, you're running headlong into issues with change.
• Business trends (#3)
• Needs of targeted employers (#4)
• Organizational changes (#17, 19)
• your work style (#11, 12)
You know your own job well, but you are not too concerned with what goes on outside your area. You may not be an early adopter when it comes to new technology or someone who rushes out to get the latest book on business management trends. As you get around to using a software application, some of your colleagues are already moving on to the next upgrade. Or maybe you're a new technology whiz, but have no idea what is going on outside of your department. Change is not something you welcome.
Whether or not you like change is irrelevant, unfortunately. It's here. It's fast. You can't ignore it because "I just have one more year until ... (restructuring, the kids are out of college, promotion, retirement, et cetera)." Putting off learning something new now may hurt you later. Learning doesn't have to swallow up your time. You'll get some ideas later in the book about how to do your own on-the-job training.
Gordon and Penny, in the earlier stories, did not explore outside their organizations, or even their jobs, to keep in touch with the changes in their professions. They did not change their skills although company needs were changing rapidly around them. Consumed by day-to-day work, they were unprepared for major changes in the outside world that they had ignored (such as textile manufacturing moving to Asia or external competition). Not only are they Old Dogs, they are sitting ducks (to mix a metaphor).
Granted, understanding that the world is changing doesn't necessarily mean that you want to jump in. Most people don't like change. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can make you look awkward, either intellectually or physically. Remember learning to ride a bike? You were learning a new skill, and probably had the bruises to show for it. But your desire to ride overcame the frustration of not knowing how to do it, so eventually you mastered the technique.
Continues...
Excerpted from The New Job Security by Pam Lassiter Copyright © 2002 by Pam Lassiter
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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