|
>Give it time
>Take a closer look
>Make
a graceful exit
>Move
on
|
 |
|
Fitting In (or Not) |
|
By
Carla Joinson
Winter 2004 Print |
So you hate your
new job? Learn when to stick it out and when to move on.
With three children at home, Capt.
Dave Ziff, USA-Ret., needed to work after leaving the military. He
lined up a job through a recruiting firm: managing a sales
distribution force in the San Francisco Bay area. It looked good on
paper - but reality was another thing.
"What I really got was a position as a factory rep - with a
territory that encompassed California north of Santa Barbara, most
of Nevada, and Hawaii," says Ziff. "It was a disaster from day one."
Ziff wanted to hang on, but says he hit the point of no return after
six months. "When the company wanted to send me to a training
conference, I decided I didn't want them to waste their time and
money on me," Ziff says. "I gave them three weeks notice, and they
fired me on the spot."
For most military officers, retirement means jumping into the
civilian workplace with the same enthusiasm and can-do attitude that
brought them success in the military. However, that confident
mindset makes it difficult for retirees to assess job mismatches.
Although most former military members realistically expect problems
adjusting to a civilian environment, they hate to walk away from a
challenge or feel like they didn't give it their best shot. So how
can new employees distinguish between standard transitional issues
and deeper problems that warrant a closer look?
Give it time
Experts stress that getting comfortable in a new work environment
takes time - anywhere from three months to two years. And, while
transition problems and employment mismatches are not uncommon in
the civilian world, military retirees can be particularly prone.
Andy Gilbert, co-chair for the Armed Services Forum at Booz Allen
Hamilton in McLean, Va., says many veterans struggle with the
difference in workplace expectations and it can take some time and
effort to adjust to a corporate culture versus a war-fighting
culture.
"There are also variables in terms of management style," he says.
"Senior military members have run huge organizations and had lots of
responsibility. When they ask for something to be done, it gets done
immediately. At Booz Allen, for instance, we're more collaborative
and less hierarchical, and that can take a while to get used to."
Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret., MOAA's deputy director of Government
Relations, says he initially blamed himself for his discomfort at
the first job he took after retiring from the military. "I told
myself things like 'I'm not smart enough' and 'I've got to work
harder at my analytical skills' and 'I'm out in the civilian world
and this is the way it is,' " he says.
But Norton says that as he continued working, he realized the job,
which looked great when he was interviewing, might not have been the
right fit. "The work was attractive, but the atmosphere was chaotic
and disruptive," he remembers. "The chain of command was confusing
at best, and overall I sensed a hostile environment. After a
successful military career, I knew how to work in a complex,
stress-filled organization and get the job done. I wanted to give
the job my best shot, but I wasn't being successful." Later, Norton
discovered that his instincts were correct - there was a 50-percent
turnover in his division within the first year. "I should have
listened to myself a little more," he says.
When analyzing your own possible career mismatch, consider the
job-hunting process that got you where you are. Did you carefully
plan your new job around your goals and interests, or did you need
income too badly to be picky? Did you thoroughly investigate your
new employer and spend some time in the environment, or did you base
your whole decision on a pleasant interview? Did you have a chance
to meet your new boss and coworkers? The less planning and
deliberation you gave during the process, the more likely you are to
find yourself in the wrong place or position.
Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., director of Benefits Information
Department at MOAA, admits he took the path of least resistance when
he accepted his first post-military job. "A defense contractor
reached out to me before I retired, and I had some reservations
about working in the area I was just leaving," he says. "[But] I
rationalized my concerns a little, feeling I had always made it work
in the past and that I would this time. I entered into the situation
with my eyes open."
But before his first week on the job was over, Schneeweis says, he
knew he had made a mistake. "I did a lot of soul-searching, because
I was being fairly compensated and I was motivated to do a good job.
But I constantly realized I wasn't enjoying what I was doing and
that there were other jobs out there that I would like."
Schneeweis finally pinpointed the problem area: a mismatch of skill
sets. "I was brought on board for my recruiting experience, but my
employer needed to look at recruitment more theoretically. What I
brought to the table wasn't what they were looking for." Early on he
had communicated his misgivings to his supervisor, and after six
months he gave his notice.
It's understandable for people who used to be successful - and now
feel they aren't - to think they made the wrong choice with a
company, says John Dooney, manager of strategic research at the
Alexandria, Va.-based Society for Human Resource Management. "But
give yourself a chance to get used to the environment and the
company," he suggests. "After six months, you start seeing some
successes and you feel better. It's sort of like the first semester
in college."
Take a closer look
In the meantime, sit down and go through the issues that make you
uncomfortable, Dooney says. "Ask: What is it I don't like - the
people, the environment, my boss? Then, talk to people you know in
other companies who already have made the transition to civilian
careers. See what it's like for them - some issues may be very
common, and that can be a sanity check for you."
Understanding that transitions never are easy, however, doesn't
always improve your immediate situation. You'll find it easier to
make a decision - even one to leave - if you've first explored all
the options and have asked your supervisor or human resource manager
for help.
"If you're feeling something isn't right, it probably isn't," says
Michele Goedde, senior recruiting manager with Microsoft Corp. in
Redmond, Wash. She suggests having a conversation with your manager
about your difficulties. "It takes a thick skin to be able to sit
down with someone who might say you're not meeting expectations,"
Goedde says. "You have to be comfortable with feedback, and you have
to be comfortable flipping it over to tell your manager that you
need something he or she isn't giving you."
The goal of your conversation is to find solutions, Goedde stresses.
"Perhaps what you need is a mentor, or a different role in the
company," she says. "[Microsoft tends] to be very upfront in talking
about difficulties."
Linda Olin-Weiss, director of staffing services at Lockheed Martin
Corp. in Bethesda, Md., says a sense of discomfort in a new job
isn't rare. "There are always transitional issues, whether it's
figuring out how to get things done at your new company or dealing
with family concerns," she says. "It simply takes a while to figure
out who's who and how things work."
To address this common problem, Lockheed Martin has a comprehensive
new-employee orientation and also matches new employees with a peer
"buddy." "This gives the newcomer someone to talk to on his or her
own level, rather than just a manager," Olin-Weiss says.
Olin-Weiss says employees also need to talk to their managers.
"Discuss what you thought the position was. Perhaps your
expectations and your manager's aren't in line, or they are in line,
but just aren't moving at your expected pace," she says. "Work
toward a solution - perhaps there are other opportunities in the
company. You can also talk to someone in human resources or check
out a referral program."
Continued>>
|
|
|
