How to Get Around the Ten-Year Fork In The Road When Changing Careers

How to Get Around the Ten-Year Fork In The Road When Changing Careers

I've seen a constant trend in the career trajectories of engineers and IT workers I've worked with for over a decade. The first three years of a person's career are often spent acquiring new abilities, getting extra training, and building their professional reputations in their respective industries. Their supervisory duties begin to take shape between the ages of three and seven years old. In the first seven to 10 years of a certain career path, engineering and IT professionals have established their capabilities and honed their leadership abilities.

However, at the ten-year point, they are confronted with a decision that seems to be universal. Professionals in this field often have to decide whether or not to pursue a career in management rather than one focused on acquiring new abilities. Professionals face a challenging decision-making phase since the outcome will have ramifications for the remainder of their lives.

The advantages and possibilities that come with each path are rather diverse. If a professional picks a career path based on their capabilities, they may expect to see their abilities rise to the level of specialist or expert. A career in engineering or IT that follows this route may lead to patents, national recognition as an expert in a certain field, or specialization in a field that requires more schooling. It is not uncommon for experts to become consultants who specialize in a certain field.

The advantages of pursuing a profession in skills rather than management are more internally centered. You'll have the chance to work on cutting-edge technology and emerging trends, as well as study and research possibilities accessible exclusively to the world's top specialists in a particular field. Many people return to university to get a PhD in a field of study they have a personal interest in. There is a wide range of monetary benefits, although consultants charge the highest fees because of their in-depth knowledge.

Exemplifying the skills-based pathway, one of my past clients was an elevator engineer. One of the leading elevator designers in the country with several patents to his name, he was a well-known figure in the business. His early work on the Hoover Dam's visitor center elevators was one of his early successes. A few years ago, I helped him switch from being a design leader to a consultant to optimize his income. His retirement plans were also on the horizon, but he hoped to work less and still earn the same amount of money.

One of our clients had to make a choice between continuing on a skills-based route or moving into management with a big elevator manufacturer at the 12-year mark of his career. He chose the skills-based program since design was his genuine passion and not people management.

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to a management-based professional path. In the management track, professionals spend less time developing their development abilities and more time managing projects, teams, and operations in their companies. To focus on larger-scale projects, they lose touch with their industry's specific skillsets. At the ten-year point, many professionals in this career path elect to pursue an MBA to help them climb the corporate ladder, which ultimately leads to a position as CEO, CIO, or President.

Because of the increasing pay, benefits, and greater prestige positions associated with the management route, it is becoming increasingly capitalistic in nature. Individuals who choose this path are more concerned with "winning" than "how things function." The management route is the most established and well-known, so professionals typically choose it even if they don't want to be managers or have the skills to do so.

When faced with this crossroads in their work, professionals frequently feel a sense of dread and trepidation that they don't understand. If you're in the middle of a career transition and aren't sure which way to go, a career coach may be an invaluable resource. People who work with a career coach will have a better understanding of their unique job style and objectives, allowing them to make well-informed decisions about their professional future.

Making choices is a constant part of life. A lot of decisions have to be made on the fly, by instinct, and with one's fingers crossed. When it comes to making a career decision, most people have the luxury of planning ahead of time and having the time to thoroughly weigh all of their possibilities. Are you at a crossroads in your professional life? Take your time and think about all of your possibilities before making a final decision. Your work, personality, and life are all factors to consider while making a selection.