No time for summer yet, a photo by Paleontour on Flickr.
Last week, we drove my daughter back to college. And this week, as we ready our son for his last year of high school, I’ve been considering the seasons of my own life. No—I’m not obsessing over my inevitable empty nest. I’ve been thinking a lot about the seasons of my career.
It’s important to navigate wisely through the seasons of your career. Knowing when to prepare and when to research, knowing when to work your ass off and when to coast takes time.
Spring is the season when you launch. You might be preparing to graduate from college. Or you might be returning to the workforce after raising your family or caring for an aging parent. This season requires more effort than any other. It begins with heaps of researching industries, job descriptions and salary surveys. This is the time when you learn to finesse a well-written resume and you hone your interview skills. It’s a time of trial and error. If you relax in this season, you’ll lose your stride and get left behind.
Summer: the season where you gain momentum. After a steep learning curve, you land that starter job and breathe a sigh of relief. You feel like you’re home free. The leaves are green and there’s a sweet breeze in the air, but the summer of your career is not the time to coast. It’s the time for you to learn how to navigate the politics of your company—and all the while, work really hard at finding new clients, deliver compelling presentations and whatever else it takes to prove your value to your bosses. Yes—it’s tempting to step outside your cubicle and peer out that window. You might envy others who look like they’re enjoying their summer while your nose is to the grindstone. Save the weekends and Labor Day for sleeping late or trips to the shore. You’re making an investment in your future.
Autumn might be the best time of your career. You’ve been at the job for a few years. You’ve received promotions, or maybe you switched companies for a better salary and responsibilities. As you hit your stride, others now regard you as a subject matter expert in your field. This is probably the best window of opportunity to coast—because you’re comfortable with the contributions that you’ve made to your company. You’re probably less interested in climbing the corporate ladder at this point, and while you still work hard at what you do, there’s less of a need to prove yourself.
But consider that in the Autumn of your career, you’ll probably earn your highest salary. Take some time out to plan for the next ten to twenty years. Start contributing the max to your 401k, and think about ways to simplify your lifestyle in a few years. Imagine yourself becoming a consultant instead of a fulltime employee in the near future, or perhaps you’ll decide to work for yourself. You can afford to coast a little bit right now, but don’t get blind-sided by a company reduction in workforce. The most highly-paid employees are often the first on the list to go. Participate in revenue-generating projects to show that you’re indispensable. Don’t take your current position for granted.
What does the Winter of your career look like? Twenty five years ago, this season included a farewell party and a nicely padded 401k and pension plan. These days—not so much. This season will look different for each of us. The scenario you want to avoid most of all is the one where you never saw the layoff coming.
When winter comes, it’s probably the only season of your career where you’ll be able to completely relax. Remain agile in the first three seasons of your career, so that you’ll be able to.
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