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When seeking new career opportunities be aware that it is
crucial that you be hired to a career path rather than a specific job. |
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What realistic opportunities lie ahead for internal promotion, and when? What is my
ultimate marketability to other outside employers from the company and position under
consideration? |
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Larger companies normally promote from within in order to
maintain continuity and positive staff morale. |
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This philosophy often makes it difficult to transfer from a small or medium size
company to a large company even if the transition is to a position of lesser
responsibility and title level. For example, a corporate controller of a small corporation
will normally find it difficult to transition to a division of a larger company
even at a level below controller. |
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Your company and position must be continually challenging you
with new and broadening experience and responsibility. |
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Will the position you now have or are considering give you three years experience for
three years of work, or one year of experience repeated three times? |
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Are there other accounting or financial professionals to whom
you report in the organization who have more experience and expertise than yourself who
can continue to train you? |
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Remember, as the controller of a small company, you no doubt will be the most
experienced accounting or financial professional in the company and your opportunities to
learn new financial skills will be minimized. This concept is especially important for
professionals in the 3-8 year range. When you go with a smaller company, the learning
curve flattens out. They are hiring you for what you already know. They want productivity
out of you now. |
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Get the right experience at the proper point in your career when
a progressive employer can afford to pay you the market rate for your services. |
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You typically get only one chance in career development to get the right experience,
at the right time for the right price. Waiting too long to get the right experience
usually means you lose your opportunity. Good companies do not pay people (even the
extremely well qualified) more than they are worth.
You must make the proper move at the proper time because the competition and relative
salary cost to the employer, not the level of expertise, generally dictate's career
pathing opportunities in the real world industrial marketplace. Your career, like a train,
must not only get to its destination but it must also get there on time. |
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Decide, as early in your career as possible, which industry you
intend to specialize in and seek exposure in this specialty. |
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In today’s business world, industry specialization is a prime factor in
companies’ hiring decisions at the middle management level and above. Companies want
professionals who can "hit the ground running." That is, they want someone who
does not require start- up time to learn the idiosyncrasies of their industry. If you do
not plan your desired specialty, someone will eventually plan it for you. Furthermore, as
your career progresses, it becomes that much more difficult to change directions and
pursue the specialty you actually desire. |
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Seek opportunities with growth-oriented employers. |
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Job and promotion opportunities develop from employers’ replacement and growth
needs. While many more job openings result from replacement needs, for the "fast
tracker" the growth factor is the most important. |
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Be sure you continue to develop both your interpersonal skills
and your network. |
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Very few professionals, at any level, fail due to the lack of technical competence.
Instead, they fail in their relations with their associates: their bosses, peers, or
subordinates. The professional’s success depends on developing and utilizing
interpersonal skills (defined as the ability to communicate with others in an effort to
earn their trust, respect, and cooperation), because the further one progresses in their
career, the more their success becomes dependent on the cooperation of others. The young
executive who develops strong interpersonal skills will ultimately build the largest
"network" of professional contacts and the largest base of potential career
enhancing opportunities. |
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Today’s ever changing information systems age requires that
every financial professional stay current with both computer hardware and software
technology. |
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Take advantage of "workshops" offered by your current employer, as well as
pertinent external seminars. |
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In his #1 National Bestseller - The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People - author Stephen R. Covey says. . . "Happiness can be defined, in
part at least, as the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for
what we want eventually. Change has to be motivated by a higher purpose, by the
willingness to subordinate what you think you want now for what you want later. Only this
process produces happiness, the object and design of our existence." Like any
successful business, you have to "invest" the early years of your career
positioning yourself for your ultimate objective and it's accompanying career fulfillment
and overall happiness.
