Sometimes the grass is greener.
There is conflicting advice out there about how to think about a job shift. In Adam Grant’s latest work, he suggests that happiness comes more from re-thinking what we do and less about where we do it. Elsewhere, coaches, economists, and influencers preach the value of moving to a role where we’ll find validation, community, and growth.
My latest job shift reminded me that it’s never as simple as one or another and I hope this story is one that can inspire you to find deeper meaning where you are AND recognize the conditions under which to seek out greener pastures.
I hope this story is one that can inspire you to find deeper meaning where you are AND recognize the conditions under which to seek out greener pastures.
A common millennial career?
In some ways, my career trajectory is very millennial. After college, I dove into social justice work as a teacher, found my way through a dozen different roles in the social impact sector, and eventually landed in a role in tech. I had nearly twice as many managers as jobs and rode a wave of national interest in educational “reform” across an array of areas from school operations and fundraising to teacher evaluation and most recently curriculum and digital learning apps.
Looking closer though, my career looks decidedly un-millennial. Before my recent shift, I only worked for 3 organizations, each for ranges of 4–7 years. All have been in the education sector and were either government or non-profit roles.
What I was looking for
I share this context because it matters to what I was looking for when I recently made my switch. I wanted both some things that were known to me and some things new. My criteria were relatively simple:
- People: I wanted to work in product at a company where digital products were center to its business strategy and where it built up its talent accordingly. Previously I had worked hard to extend the ways people could use technology and data in the orgs I was a part of, but digital was almost always seen as a supporting cast member to leadership.
- Culture: I wanted to work in the private sector, both for a change of perspective as well as to shift who I was creating products for from internal users who sometimes had to use our products (e.g. Enterprise CRM, internal reporting tools) to paying customers who wanted to use what we built.
- Learning/People: I wanted to work with a manager who was a leader in their field, a master of the product craft, and an inspiring and inclusive manager.
- Career: I wanted to work in a medium-sized company where there were clear opportunities for growth and career advancement as well as a track record of folks staying around and able to move around as their interests evolved.
Bringing it back to the essential question: stay or go?
Your criteria for what matters will be different but there are a few key questions you can ask yourself to determine whether you can meet that criteria where you are or whether it might be time to look elsewhere:
- Learning: are you in a place where you can learn and expand your skills and responsibilities?
- Culture: are you in a place that aligns with your values and where you are valued?
- People: are you in a place where you feel included, are motivated and challenged by your colleagues?
- Career: are you in a place where your role can evolve as your skills, strengths, and interests change too?
If you can answer mostly yes on the 4 questions above you might be in a position where staying could be great, but maybe under different circumstances.
A case study
To make this concrete, take my time at Teach For America. I worked on 4 different teams where I picked up skills in fundraising, database management, internal communications and knowledge management, human-centered design, business analysis, SQL, and web analytics to name just a few. I was supported by managers who found ways to nurture my own self-discovery while delivering a lot of value for the org. I was surrounded by colleagues who were deeply invested in both the mission and each other. Sure, I had a lot of managers but some of them remain the best I’ve ever had.
I stayed for as long as I did because I kept growing, learning, and was surrounded by people who helped me way-find when I was still figuring out my strengths and professional identity. But I also began to look elsewhere when I found myself stuck on a few of the questions above.
In my new role at Amplify I’ve found a place that checked all the boxes. I am deeply grateful for everyone I’ve had the chance to work with and learn from at both TFA and the NYCDOE. I feel deeply fortunate to have been able to explore the ed space across so many different roles while deepening my expertise in creating amazing digital experiences and tools that help people do their job better and to have found a place where I can be my own best at doing just that.
To wrap up, to know whether to stay or go, start with the values that are most essential to you, ask yourself whether you’re in a place where you can stay true to those values while still learning and growing surrounded by great people. And at the end of the day, if not, perhaps it is time to look elsewhere. Just make sure you’ve tapped into all the opportunities where you are first.