CAREER COACH

In times of peace in the workplace, prepare for war on your career

By VIRGINIA GALT

Feeling secure in that cubicle? A poll indicates that 80 per cent of us are confident we won't be ejected in the next 12 months.

Well, enjoy the respite, career experts advise -- but don't get too comfortable.

With the pace of change in today's economy, job security is rarely measured in terms of a lifetime with one employer any more.

A more realistic approach is to bank on three to five years in good times, w ith the option of staying beyond that if conditions are favourable, say consultants from Toronto-based Right Management, which measured the level of career confidence in a recent survey of 500 full-time employees in Canada.

The current level of employee optimism is understandable, given the low unemployment rate and the steady expansion of the job market, particularly in Western Canada, says Monika Morrow, vice-president and national practice leader of transition services for Right Management.

"Regardless of what is going on in the economy, however, things can change . . . Be prepared for that buyout, be prepared for that merger, plan how you are going to ride out the business cycles," Ms. Morrow says.

With many employers feeling expansive, Ms. Morrow's colleague, Bram Lowsky, says it is a good time for employees, at any level, to ask for new challenges and different assignments that will broaden their experience. Take advantage of opportunities to "be on that action team, to be part of that task force . . . It doesn't matter whether you are in a formally designated leadership role," Mr. Lowsky says.

Randall Craig, president of Toronto-based management consulting firm Pinetree Advisers Inc., cautions employees against feeling complacent just because economic conditions seem good.

"Just look at what's happening with the [rising] dollar . . . Yes, you can go to Florida a little bit cheaper. On the other hand, a number of organizations that have developed strong markets because of the low dollar are really going to have a bit of a wake-up call," Mr. Craig says.

"I think it's a false confidence, this 80-per-cent career confidence index, because many people don't realize the impact of the rising dollar."
Either way, what is the best career management strategy at this point?

"Now is precisely the time that you have to invest in yourself," Mr. Craig says.

"Whether it is because you think the economy is so strong, your company is so strong, that you have to take advantage of it, or whether it's because you think you are at risk of losing your job, you have got to make yourself more marketable," he says.

"What you do, in either of these cases, is the same. Invest in yourself, get involved in professional associations, and get additional certification. All the things that make you valuable to your current employer are the kinds of things that make you valuable on the [job] market."
Management consultant Edmond Mellina of Toronto-based TRANSITUS Inc. says this "is a perfect time to look for new opportunities within your own company or elsewhere, if you want to."

Those who do not want to move onward or upward should still continue to develo p their own skills and improve in their current roles, no matter how tempting it might be to coast during a seemingly secure period, Mr. Mellina adds.

"Coasting is a dangerous game," he says. "Companies are always trying to increase productivity, even in good times. If you are already coasting, you might end up being the target of a productivity improvement initiative."

Mr. Lowsky, senior vice-president and general manager of Right Management, says Canadians are considerably more confident about the security of their current jobs than they were six months ago, when 74 per cent of those surveyed reported that there was little or no likelihood that they would be laid off within the year.

Still, "job security doesn't mean that people believe any more that they will be there for 25 years, or for their entire careers," Mr. Lowsky says. But, certainly, there are fewer employees thinking their jobs are only secure for the next one to two years, "and maybe more looking at three to five years," he says.

Ms. Morrow says employees should always be looking at "a five-year horizon" when managing their careers.
"And it's never a static plan, it's an ever-evolving plan that you need to look at every year."

Mr. Craig says employees who are interested in promotion should watch for opportunities to develop and demons trate their capabilities. "But don't be so single-minded on the short-term promotion," he says.

Those who are in relatively stable job situations can afford to relax a bit, perform their current jobs well, focus on continuous improvement and plan the next stages of their careers.

"Now, precisely when we are not in a sense of crisis . . . is a good time to improve our skills," he says.

And, he adds, professional development is not always about bucking for promotion or catching the eye of another employer.

For many, it is a matter of professional pride, and the current climate gives employees a little more freedom to pursue those professional opportunities without worrying about job loss.