4 Ways to Max Career Growth and Job Satisfaction

… if you’re clinging to your job for security reasons, there might be more risk in staying than there is in changing.

This story from long ago might help you decide if now’s the time to change jobs. As you read the following you might want to examine the Job-Seeker’s Decision Grid from last week’s Influencer post. This will give you a good sense if your reasons for leaving a job are greater than those holding you back. Consider that if you’re clinging to your job for security reasons, there might be more risk in staying than there is in changing. But on to the story…

More than 40 years ago, about three days after starting my first management job –a financial management spot at a major F100 industrial company – I was assigned to the corporate MBA recruiting program. Two days later I was interviewing MBA students at the University of Michigan.

During the first interview, my boss drew a chart like the one shown with the admonition to students to select jobs on the far left – those that maximized career growth and learning. His point was by staying on the steep part of the learning curve (the blue line) a person could get the equivalent of 5-6 years experience in 2-3 years. He went on to say that at most companies you wouldn’t get promoted for a few years, long after the curve flattened out. “This is not how you get ahead,” he cautioned loudly, since these same companies were interviewing these same students in the next cubby hole. However, at our company, while it would be a wild ride, you could get promoted in less than a year. It was true – my boss was 29 and a VP. I was 26 and promoted less than a year after starting. It was a wild ride. I’ve been using this Career Zone curve to present opportunities ever since.

Whether you’re looking for a job or not, everyone should plot themselves on the Career Zone curve. If you’re on the declining right side, there is no question it’s time to get more aggressive in your job search. For those who are not looking, maybe it’s time you should, especially if your personal growth has slowed and the upside opportunity is receding further into the future. But, as explained in the decision-grid article, most people – regardless of where they’re positioned on the curve – get seduced by the short-term benefits of a job without full knowledge of the long-term career opportunity.

To prevent that from happening to you, here’s some specific Career Zone career advice you can use to evaluate what you need out of your next job.

Career Zone 1: The Super Passive – Expand Your Network. Using the Job-Seeker’s Decision Grid, it’s clear the positive short- and long-term job motivators far outweigh any negative ones. Regardless, don’t shut your eyes to other opportunities. You never know what can turn up. More importantly, it’s best to build a robust network when you’re not looking to accelerate this effort. In addition, make sure you’re networked with every great person you’ve worked with in the past. You’ll be recommending many of these people for other opportunities, you’ll hire some, and they’ll likely connect you with some great opportunities in the future.

Career Zone 2: The Explorers – Keep an Open Mind. If a recruiter asks, “Would you be open to explore a situation if it were clearly superior to what you’re doing today?” say yes. But don’t start filtering on the job title, company name, location and compensation package. Instead, pull out the career grid and ask about the challenges involved. Big point: what you get on "Day 1" of a new job shouldn’t be negotiated before you know what you would be doing in "Year 1" and if this represents a shift to a steeper segment on the Career Zone curve.

Career Zone 3: The Tiptoers – Get Moving. If the Career Zone curve seems to be dropping fast in front of you, it’s time to get more selectively active. Stopping the fall shouldn’t be your goal. Dramatically increasing its positive slope is the key. However, when people think about leaving a job their emphasis is more on minimizing short-term pain for some short-term gain. But if the long-term upside isn’t clearly defined, you could be back where you started from way too soon. Since you’re not being rushed into a decision, do the due diligence necessary to prevent a golden opportunity to switch jobs from becoming a bad career decision.

Career Zone 4: The Very Active – Look Before Your Leap. Don’t waste your time responding to job postings. This is a great way to get the wrong job, as well as extremely frustrated. Instead, read this post at least 3-4 times on why job postings are the least effective way to find a better job. The alternative is to expand your networking efforts. However, recognize that networking isn’t reaching out to people you don’t know. It’s reaching out to people you do know who can refer you to people you don’t know. This is how you’ll find a better job.

Too many people take a reactive approach to their personal career planning. The Career Zone curve in combination with the Job-Seeker’s Decision Grid forces you to both slow down and think ahead. Send it your friends, family and associates - especially those looking for new opportunities. They’ll thank you.

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Lou Adler (@LouA) is the CEO of The Adler Group, a consulting and training firm helping companies implement Performance-based Hiring. He's also a regular columnist for Inc. Magazine and BusinessInsider. His latest book, The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired (Workbench, 2013), provides hands-on advice for job-seekers, hiring managers and recruiters on how to find the best job and hire the best people. You can continue the conversation on LinkedIn's Essential Guide for Hiring Discussion Group.