Keep the Door Open to Great Opportunities
We are all aware that opportunities in life are unlikely to appear just as we want them to. As much as we might try to plan and write our futures, it is not always possible to acutely time these. The same can be said for career opportunities.
Career opportunities ebb and flow – and the perfect fit is rarely in time with our lives. Often, we are not even aware that the perfect career step could be available right at this very moment. If you are in the fortunate position that somebody reaches out to you about a new opportunity – be this an old colleague, a recruiter, or a mutual contact – we urge you not to dismiss their approach based purely on timing. The following explains why this restricted view could unintentionally limit your career horizons.
In the IP industry, opportunities come and go rapidly. Professionals are sought after for their expertise and knowledge, but so too are the unique and truly great career opportunities. We have worked with many professionals who declined to learn more about an opportunity only to reach out a few months later in the hope that the opportunity is still available because the timing fits better.
It is important to point out that accepting an invitation to learn more about an opportunity is not seen as a commitment to pursue a new job. Instead, it is a proactive step to staying updated on new ventures, ensuring you do not miss an opportunity that could represent a great career step.
Career Zones & Comfort Zones
As a specialist IP recruitment and careers company, we speak with professionals everyday about new opportunities. Most often professionals operate within their comfort zone (see chart below). Things are progressing well, they are embedded in an organization, and can see returns for their hard work. They may be engaged in some interesting work and projects. Overall, they are content with their position. However, at some point – and it is impossible to determine when this may be – things will plateau. As with any comfort zone, the stretch and challenge will begin to diminish, reducing opportunities for growth and impact.
In time, professionals will then begin to actively seek a new opportunity. Often, when this happens, people can spend many months searching before something arises. When a role does arise, by now, the pressure to move on is mounting. Perhaps the professional is truly feeling limited in their job with a lack of growth. Consequently, people are more likely to compromise on a different opportunity because the benefits of something new surely outweigh the current situation.
By staying open-minded you can avoid this situation. This is not to guarantee that each new role you hear of will represent a significant career step – of course this is not the case. Instead, it may give you the confidence that your current role allows you to thrive. Alternatively, it may highlight areas that are not allowing you to grow as you would like to; it may instead present the opportunity to develop and have impact.
Instead of slowly and subconsciously arriving at a plateau and feeling dissatisfied and unfulfilled, we recommend people remain proactive in their knowledge of other opportunities. Being able to compare other job prospects to your current role allows you the luxury of reflection and analysis – differentiating the strengths and weaknesses of your current opportunity. Without learning about and listening to new opportunities, you will not have this knowledge.
If you would like to have an informal conversation regarding opportunities that could represent an interesting career step, then please do not hesitate to contact MWA.
