Approaching career advancement unconventionally can prove to be very rewarding. Don’t be intimidated, repackaging your skill set and marketing it do a new audience is easier than you think.
It’s simple to think of career progression as climbing the corporate ladder; advancing by promotion. Perform well and step-up to more responsibility and money. We all know reality is not this kind; the ladder is more like a greasy pole.
Vertical
Career progression in this way can be compared to vertical integration in business. This is where companies expand by purchasing other steps in the supply chain. Like Coca Cola Bottlers acquiring its distributors, or McDonald’s acquiring the farms that grow its produce.
This is a challenging way for businesses to grow. It’s expensive, and management needs to learn something completely new, outside of their expertise. Like climbing the corporate ladder, there are no guarantees of success.
Horizontal
A more common way for businesses to grow is horizontally. This is where a company purchases another that basically does the same thing. Coke acquiring Pepsi, or McDonald’s acquiring Wendy’s, for example. The big advantage here is that management already knows the business. They will be doing the same thing, just on a bigger scale, and to a larger audience. It’s an easier way to make more money.
Your Career
If the vertical career approach is holding you back, then try growing horizontally. A little creativity should produce several ideas, depending upon what you do. Consider leveraging your skills and expertise in new ways. Position yourself as an expert by offering classes; teaching others about what you do. Public speakers are always in demand, and blogging is also a viable option. Like a business growing sideways, you are doing simply the same thing, but on a bigger scale to a larger audience.
Even if your efforts don’t produce a massive financial reward immediately, you have solved the boredom issue of your day-job. More importantly, you are learning new ways of marketing your skills and this will pad your resume when vertical opportunities present themselves. It’s a win-win.
30 Minutes
My favorite example of this approach is Rachael Ray, media personality and star of 30 minute meals. Fleeing New York City after multiple muggings at gunpoint, Rachael settled in Albany, NY and soon began working in a market. A brilliant, self-taught culinary specialist, her employer asked that she teach cooking classes. Inspired by the Domino’s pizza promise, 30 minutes or it’s free, Rachael created a class to show how to make great meals in the same time it takes to order a mediocre one. After reaching out for some local publicity, her idea caught on. Following a spot on the Today Show, the Food Network offered a syndicated TV show, 30 Minute Meals. Rachael Ray has leveraged her skills horizontally.
Challenge yourself to think of unconventional ways to advance your career by repackaging your skills. Are you doing this now?
This economy should make people assess their skills and think about creative ways they can make themselves more valuable to their employers and to themselves. Skills are transferable and can be adapted to a variety of careers.
Skills are readily transferable. I’m in full agreement KC. It’s a tough economy and creativity is required to differentiate yourself.
I agree with krantcents. Assessing skills to make yourself more valuable is important. And these skills can be leveraged in future career paths, too.
I often think of ways I can use my parenting experience in other projects. This develops many valuable skills, from time management to conflict resolution!
I defintely work on skills that I feel would complement those I have now. It is something that helped me land my first job. I start with what I know and figure out what skills are similar and what I have talent in and I continue building my skill set.
Bingo. We never have to stop learning. I think a lot of people are psyched out of trying new things because they don’t think they know enough about it or think they can’t learn. It’s not easy to keep teeling yourself YES, when few others are there in support.
I took a horizontal approach, I was a technical lead, I had two options to grow one, being architect, another, becoming manager. I took a few certification on Agile, PMP etc and now a manager. Only now I and my employer both agree that I am actually cut out for being a manager and a leader. I love coding and design but I excel at leading others at work, which I never knew. Now my career is in faster track.
Amazingly this decision to change direction was taken in a 30 mins meeting with my boss and his boss.
You have many talents SB. Maybe we can play some cricket one day?
My wife is a huge Rachael Ray fan, and I am constantly reminded of how successful she is, by how expensive her products are. However, they are all quality and she does a brilliant job of marketing them, so I really cannot fault her at all.
Yes, her brand is powerful, and she has a marketing machine working all the angles. I think we can learn a thing or two from the way she embraces opportunity.
I haven’t done much horizontal move at work, but the company doesn’t discourage it. It gives people a chance to try a different job and maintain the same familiar working environment. Some people took pay cuts to transfer to a different job/position and came out very well after a few years.
My first corporate job required a lot of sideways moving. HR called it building the base. Looking back, I think it was beneficial to have a broad introduction rather than progress directly up one chimney.
Love this article!! Great advice. I really never thought of it as verticle vs. horizontal but it’s totally true.
Thanks Ashley.
I’d say, if you can’t thinking of a few different ways to use the same skills you’re building now, you might want to consider building so additional skill sets or you could find yourself in a tight corner later, even if you don’t want to move anywhere now!
Good thinking, I like how you compared this to how companies work.
Thanks Kellen. I hope the business analogy wasn’t too much of a stretch.
I’m concentrating more on learning new skills at the moment, but I am trying to take things horizontal, too. I’ve already done freelance writing while working on this blog, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for me.
Yeah, I see that you’re not afraid of exploring different aspects to blogging, and freelancing. A lot of us can learn from that.
Great advice, Hunter! And a well written post. Thinking about going sideways is a great way to think out of the box, add to our skills, and stand out from the pack. Super image too! Thanks!
Great advice, I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons in the past few months, beginning with a renewed effort (more like sprint) to finish my degree, that will give me more options.
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I love this distinction! This is exactly what I’m trying to do. I’m trained as a journalist, but jobs in “traditional” media are drying up. The best way to expand is by doing so horizontally — moving from newspaper writing (which is my “formal” experience) to blogging, online writing, and hopefully soon, radio and public speaking.
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I like the analogy of Rachel Ray to the horizontal career ladder. It makes much more sense to stick with what you know; just expand upon it!
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I like this article. Never looked at it like this before.