How is Making a Successful Career Move Like Landing a Plane?
Landing a plane is like making a successful career move? Really? How so? Making a major career move takes time, but as time goes on, several aspects come into clearer view. This resembles a plane that is high above the ground. The pilot can’t make out much of the details below, yet as the plane descends with time, the details become clearer.
The “Career Move Cockpit” – Three Dials
Imagine you are in the “Career Move Cockpit” with three large dials on the dashboard. One is the professional dial that represents your role in your current company, career advancement, company culture, and other aspects of your career. The second is the personal dial, which consists of work-life balance, job satisfaction, and your relationship with coworkers. The third is the package dial, which includes compensation and benefits.
The Landing Sequence
As you start your landing sequence at 60,000 feet, each dial is vague and inconclusive. Very little makes sense at first. But as you spend more time researching the industry and interviewing for jobs, you start to bring the plane down. You start to see each of the The three dials start providing more useful and insightful information as the landing (or interview) sequence progresses. The dials function independently. For example, you may receive information about benefits and compensation up front, but you won’t know much about the professional and personal aspects of a job until you attend an interview.
Landing the Plane
By conducting research and engaging with interviewers, your “career cockpit” gradually starts to descend and provide even more useful, informative readings. As you descend, you gain the insights you need to decide if you want to proceed with a full-fledged landing (make a career move). However, if one of the three dials looks unfavorable, you know it’s time to abort the landing. You won’t feel good about taking a job if it doesn’t include the work-life balance you desire (personal dial) or you realize that the company culture does not align with your values (professional dial). Consider what the career move means for you. Will you receive a higher salary? Will the new job allow you to expand your skill set? Is the corporate culture a better fit for your personality?
https://www.td.org/insights/should-you-take-the-leap-5-factors-to-consider-before-job-hopping
Making a career move is much like landing a plane because at first you lack clarity, but as your progress on your journey, you learn more and the details become clearer and more obvious. When in the process of making a significant career move, take the time to research companies and industry trends. Use the interview phase as an opportunity to learn about companies and positions, so you can find a job that satisfies you on a professional and a personal level and make a flawless landing on the RIGHT landing strip!
