"Up or Out"

Seth Godin wrote a great piece recently for Monster.com about the wisdom behind changing companies every few years or so. 7+ years is too long and I call that career suicide in 90% of the cases I see.

In his article, “When Is It Time to Go?”, Godin makes the obvious point:

"Doug needs to leave for a very simple reason. He's been branded. Everyone at the company has an expectation of who Doug is and what he can do. Working your way up from the mailroom sounds sexy, but in fact, it's entirely unlikely. Doug has hit a plateau. He's not going to be challenged, pushed or promoted to president. Doug, regardless of what he could actually accomplish, has stopped evolving -- at least in the eyes of the people who matter."

This is very common with admin staff and paralegals, but is equally true in regards to Litigation Support talent. I call it, "Up or Out".

Godin’s advice to his friend, and I agree-- Get out ASAP!

Find a new challenging opportunity. Statically, tactically, and politically you need to continue to grow and advance. A new job means new opportunities, a new set of challenges, and a new salary scale.

The litigation support market is evolving at a furious rate. After all the years you’ve put into your career, you owe it to yourself to keep pace.

Good Luck!

*Note that I advocate a move after 5 – 7 years, not 1-3.

Comments

[Mike Warner]

I totally agree with this line of thinking. The days of relying on "The Man" for a retirement cheque is long gone. And you know what, we're better off because of it! Everyone should think of themselves as self-employed and have some entrepreneurial spirit.