The benchmark is no longer your father!

In the past Cold War system [where the world was still split by thick and high walls], leaders forced citizens to compare themselves to their fathers. They would say: are you doing better than your father? Yes? Can you afford to buy bread, milk and tomatoes? Yes? OK then Shut up!

But now [decent and smart] people no longer compare themselves to their fathers. They have so much information; they’re much more open and thus much more demanding. Now they compare themselves to their neighbors- everywhere because they can track them all over the world on television, over satellites, on DVDs and through the Internet. Benchmarking against the best has never been easier! And yes! Enough is good but more is even better!

So when you cannot deny a common citizen the right to access a higher living standard [like by affording gas besides milk] how could you react with the would-be elite of the country - inevitably comprising us engineers, unquestionable driving forces of the economy? Therefore, some more attractive packages [like higher pay, more benefits, better quality trainings and much more access and “exposure”] are a well deserved quid pro quo.

Tactics or Strategy?

Switching jobs is a tactic. It’s not an aim in itself! The decision of walking away from a company is of course subject to several push/pull factors: Remember every time you change a job, you’re like shifting gears in a car: the engine regime falls down right away but not for long! You’re already one gear up after the second job so all you have to do is to kick in a higher regime real fast by working smarter [instead of harder] to gain a higher speed. Yes! Some people do change jobs to get a better pay, some to have more mobility and some to have more “exposure”! Whether this or that, switching jobs can be a good sign that the individual is shrewd and that he has enough self confidence! A willingness to job hop can indicate good judgment since the employee recognized an opportunity wasn't working.

There’s an old cliché that whoever changes jobs must have failed somewhere or that he’s unable to sustain the stress of the post, while this can be true for some cases and to a certain extent but on the other hand, isn’t changing jobs sort of a punishment to the company? A sign that it’s not able to retain its staff? According to Barbara C. Neff in an article published in Graduatingengineer.com website (an American website offering tips, articles and outlooks on the engineering profession), “in the early 1990s, employers were more skeptical of resumes that demonstrated a tendency to job-hop. The impression was that the candidate was not focused or dedicate”. Not anymore! Neff even “finds those to be more aggressive, direct and forthright, because they've had to be. They take more ownership and may be more cautious.”

There are even some few who spend some time working for companies learning as much as possible, absorbing invaluable data like dry sponges and meeting as many ad hoc people as they can [yes! you guessed it right! Some of their would-be future customers/suppliers!], only to end up as entrepreneurs, giving a big door slam [and an even bigger laugh] at the corporate world while trying to make the second big bang happen!

But for the most, not every job move should be regarded as a rite of passage! Again, it’s a tactical move; the approach should be holistic: attain your life goals and fulfill your raison d’être! After all, job is just there to make a living not a life!

Super-empowered individuals still exist out there! And shifting paradigms too!

People used to imitate a worn résumé, send it by regular mail and wait for a phone call! Now people can customize, store and send their CVs online. They can even do interviews without leaving their homes. Undoubtedly, the internet in the hands of those not-so-dumb engineers can yield miracles! Tele-working is getting more and more fashionable and viable with companies shifting to cut their workforce and keep only the core key staff. The job market might have just gotten freer!

Mindsets are also changing…slowly but they are! People’s conception of employment is changing at last! One alumnus confided to me that he was astonished by his daddy’s thinking when he told him once: “you know your own value on the market so if you feel like you’re not getting enough, send that CV, do some networking and hold tight. Son! Being a maverick has never been as good as it’s now and conformists are just swept under the carpet these days!!”

Remember to be patient…enough!

While change is a good thing, it’s like chocolate, moderate consumption is recommended. Change is not a “one-size-fits-all” jacket and “cunning” patience is recommended until another safety net is found! Back to Nizar again:“Finally, I seem to start to calm down. My plans are now stretching over 10 years. I think I don’t have the time to play and hop anymore. I’ve now a family to look after. My daughter is waiting me around the corner and there’s simply no room for mistakes anymore!”

Again, patience is important, and fresh graduates must particularly realize that they won't be running the company right away (or ever, if they lack personal leadership and interpersonal skills). Conflicts often arise between employers and employees in technical fields after employees have, in their minds, mastered a new skill or process. The young engineer, fresh out of an educational environment, is generally eager to move on and conquer something new; the employer wants the employee to apply the new skill for a while “It's a real conundrum!”

So when you’re fresh out of the college oven, when you feel like the heat is still rising in your feet, don’t feel guilty, just walk away and go get something else out there! Self confidence coupled with some sound planning and love for risk-taking might just be the right recipe for “Renewable Success”!

And HEY! It wasn’t a big deal anyway so also do remember to breathe again afterwards!