Exit a Dead-End Job 5: Create Opportunity on the Job

This continues our series to help all of you who feel trapped in a dead-end job to find an exit

Lori found herself in a dead-end job with 14 years to retire. She knew her career had peaked 11 years earlier.  She managed one of the top 5 branches out of 360 worldwide. Her performance consistently placed her among the top 1-3 employees in the system of 780 employees. Money was not an issue even though she had maxed out on the pay scale. Consequently she received very small raises in spite of her great performance reviews.

She did not want to leave the company because they grandfathered her with a defined benefits pension and a great medical package. She also remained passionate about the company and the service they provided. However, she refused to stagnate in her current situation. She created opportunities to grow, stay current, and work at her potential within her current position.

How to Create Opportunity in Your Current Job

You may create opportunities in your current job and increase your satisfaction by

• Mentoring other workers into promotions and management positions
• Exploring ways to do your job faster, better, more efficiently and more effectively
• Discovering better products, services, outlets or market niches for the work
• Serving on community boards of associations your employer recommends you join
• Volunteering to serve on committees and development teams for the company
• Studying on your own and attending professional development workshops
• Reaching out to, or networking with, others in the company or community

Involve Your Supervisor Before You Act

You should keep your supervisor informed before you begin changing what you do on the job. You may face consequences if you change things without informing management. You may propose

• Changes in procedures, workstation layout, or work processes
• Reorganizing staff (as Jim Collins says) to get the right people in the right seats on the bus
• Adding new responsibilities to your current responsibilities
• Trading responsibilities you do not enjoy with co-workers for performing more of your motivated skills

Friday we discover how to find outside opportunities for satisfaction related to your job