Sam Cooke said it best back in 1964 “It’s been a long time, a long time coming / But I know a change gonna come.” Now, he was articulately speaking about the civil rights movement but inadvertently created an anthem of hope for many people. And for me? I couldn’t think of a better song to hum along to as I type this post.
As you know, a year ago my role at my company was eliminated and I, thankfully, was able to secure another role here! It’s been just about a year in this software development and I have to be honest; it’s been a great challenge. However, I do know my little brain does not always work in this type of way, I want to lean more towards work that requires creativity, development, communication and just a sprinkle of technology. But, I’m so proud of myself that I was able to do jump in and do all that I could to help the team be successful.
However, a couple of months ago I realized that I needed to get back towards this kind of work that I was passionate about. I just didn’t know what jobs in my company encompassed this kind of work. I, thankfully, have a great relationship with my Director who encouraged me to go out and learn about the different roles we offer. Basically, get my meet and greet on. So, that’s exactly what I did!
Sometimes when we’re in the middle of our career, or even just a few short years, in we forget all of the networking and meet and greet work we did in the beginning. It’s always important to learn about your next step, or what you want to pursue because you never know who will have the right opening for you! So, when you’re feeling stuck about what the next job is I want you to grab a pen and paper and write your list! Think of this list below like the time Ross wrote the Pro/Con list about Rachel, but at least your job didn’t think you were on a ‘break’! 😉
What are the daily things you want to do? Are you really loving reporting and focusing on data? Are you really excited when you get to create presentations for the executive team? Or do you want to get more into a product development gig? Write down the top five things you want to do.
What are your ‘oh no thank yous’ in your day? What are the daily tasks you do that just don’t jazz you? Are they items that are fully a “no” or would you be ok if the next job you took had a little bit of that sprinkled in?
Who do you know that has a job with some of these attributes? Look around and see who you know that may do 3 or 4 of those items you wrote down, and ask for a meet and greet.
Learn about these roles! Spend this meet and greet learning about the role and seeing if these are the kind of things that tick off your list and it is something you can see as the right next step for you. Be sure to ask about the daily responsibilities in this gig, as well as where they see themselves going with this job. It’s great to learn about how your next role could impact your next next role.
Tell people that you’re interested! The only way to get that next gig is to be open and let people know. If someone asks what do you see next for yourself you want to be open and say “I can really see myself getting more into a Business Analyst role overseeing reporting of our e-marketing campaigns.” OR “I really enjoy the communication side of my job, and think that getting the chance to support upper leadership as a Communication Manager would be a great next step for me.” The more clarity you have the more people will understand, and potentially be able to help you. Think of this as your personal mission statement.
Understand your career is a game of chutes and ladders. Not every job you go for will be a promotion, sometimes you absolutely must swerve left to get to that next level and that’s ok. If the job is rewarding and fulfilling then the promotion will come.
So, how do I know that these are the tips and tricks to help you land that next job? Because when you’re here at My Revamped Life I’m not offering you a single bit of advice that I didn’t myself already try out and test. Girl, consider me your corporate guinea pig…and this little lady is off to a new role beginning Monday.
Yup, I wrote down the things that I missed getting to work on, and the things that really drove my passions aka got me out of bed in the morning. Things I miss doing: Project Management work, communication, working on projects that our Cast Members ultimately integrate and impact our Guests vacation creating magic and excitement.
So, with all of that in mind, I set off to learn about roles here at Disney that encompass this kind of work and almost like putting it out into the universe a perfect opportunity popped up. After a few interviews, and a lot of finger crossing and “come on Universe, I think this is the one” conversations I accepted a Project Manager role within Disney Premium Services. I am so excited about this new role, I knew a change was gonna come… I just had to make it happen and so can YOU!
Wherever you are in your career I hope you always remember to never stop learning about what your next step could be! Leave me a comment below if you have any other questions or feel free to shoot me an email I’m always happy to help out a fellow friend!
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