In a perfect world all of us would be employed in exactly the position that we desire to have. We all know that perfection in life is impossible, so we are left to examine the reality. A reality to many people is that they are currently employed in what I will refer to as a transitional job.
My definition of a transitional job is much broader than maybe some so-called “experts” would provide. A transitional job (in my opinion) would be any job that you are currently employed in that you wish to change now or plan to change in the next few years. I don’t believe in today’s society you can successfully plan your career more than five years in advance, so lets call a transitional job a job you plan/wish to change within the next five years.
The traditional example of a transitional job is one where a person accepts a position at a lesser salary, responsibility, prestige, etc. than they previously possessed. There are many reasons for this to occur whether it would be a desire to stay in your geographic area, a lack of opportunities in your field, or immediate pressing economic needs. The era of a significant stigma being placed on these types of positions is diminishing. The reality of constant corporate downsizing has placed a significant number of workers in this position. The examples of former managers working at a home improvement center or a skilled manufacturer for a large company working for a small machine shop occurs far too frequently for there to be much negative impact anymore. In this situation, the fact that you are applying for a transitional position should be obvious to a recruiter based on your previous background. My motto is to be open and honest with the recruiter, as failure to do so will certainly cause more questions than you will be comfortable answering. Discuss with the hiring manager how your previous experience will be very beneficial to the prospective organization. A key will be your ability to successfully convey that you will not display a demotivating ego or become a disruptive force due to your previous experience and gained skilled set. No employer desires to assume a bitter associate. An upcoming future article will examine this particular situation in much greater detail and how you should “spin” your selection of a transitional job into a positive to even the most discerning hiring manager.
It is graduation time and the market will be flooded with university and college students of all types along with the local High Schools. Very few of these graduates will land their desired position out of school. Now for many graduates this will be a direct result of possessing expectations that are far too great for the reality of the current economic climate. A key for graduates will be to avoid presenting the hiring manager an aura that their degree owes them something. It is almost assumed by all recruiters that a college student will be a transitional candidate either for a fast track within the organization or for other employers. Look at your transitional position as a valuable opportunity to earn experience and gain networking contacts. What you do want to avoid is extreme job-hopping at this stage of your career. A recruiter will view this negatively assuming either that you are unable to commit to an organization or your left your previous employer for performance-related issues (or some combination). Once again, an upcoming future article will full examine the unique situation for upcoming graduates just in time for your full-time entry into the real world.
Finally, there are millions of workers who are biding their time in their current position with an eye towards their employers’ job posting board or to WNYJobs.com in hopes of landing the right position for them. The key for these individuals is to continue to perform at an acceptable level in your current position. No job seeker wants to carry with them the burden of having a reputation for being a difficult or disgruntled associate.
What all members of transitional jobs need to remember is that there is no shame to be in this type of position. The shame would be if you use this situation for negativity rather than to strive for a positive resolution. It is very rare in today’s world that a person’s resume will flow perfectly with each position (after a reasonable stay of duration) directly leading to the next. What you probably will have to do is explain the reasoning behind the decisions you made, so be honest with recruiters. If you made the decision because of a sick parent, your children, an economic downturn, to gain experience or a desire for a career change, communicate this in an accurate and positive manner. In most occasions, when decisions are made because of logical reasoning and are communicated properly, the issue of a transitional job becomes a non-issue.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of RochesterJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
