Does the mere idea of moving from one organization to another without a better title, salary or additional responsibility make you cringe? Termed as a lateral career move, the idea does not exactly ring bells in the ears of many a professionals for pretty obvious reasons and there are a number of them.
No Sense of Progress
There is no sense of progress at all, it looks awful on your resume, you are left with a feeling that you are starting from scratch. The above is absolutely true during normal times, however making a lateral move under special circumstances is highly warranted. You got to sense and recognize these special conditions and take a cue so that the lateral move may prove to be really beneficial for your career advancement.
Under Someone Else’s Shadow
It is quite possible that you might have stopped learning altogether and find yourself caught in some sort of a toxic mess. Again it is quite possible that you might be very much under someone else’s shadow. It is entirely probable that you find yourself in the wrong culture. When you wish to climb the next rung on the professional ladder, you got to acquire the necessary traits and learn the new skills that are absolutely critical for taking you where you want to reach.
Never Stop Learning
Just be reminded that your progress can be severely stalled the moment you stop learning on the job, be it moving from an entry level position to a more senior role or from a mid-level professional position to a more senior position. When someone like you is caught in a monotonous job on a day to day basis with no unique projects coming your way to stimulate and challenge you and force you to make credible progress and evolve as a professional, a lateral move is a blessing in disguise.
A Blessing in Disguise
You might just feel the need to make the shift at that point in time as staying any longer would delay the acquiring of skills needed for the impending promotion. It is quite possible that you never learn the skills by remaining at that place. Start by seeking options that would let you explore further opportunities to learn and grow. Mind you moving up the corporate ladder requires a concerted effort on your part, and the employer must give you the opportunities as well.
Put Your Career Right Back On The Track
Just think about it that seeking and finding a suitable lateral role at a company that is more than willing to invest, that too heavily into your professional development is surely a great way to put your career right back on the track. Again you need to get out of a toxic mess where you are being unfairly targeted despite putting in your best efforts. When you try and stick around in a place that clearly lacks focus, you are doing a great disservice to yourself; the mess can have a severe impact on your career in a negative sense.
A Smart Move
Such a complete mess and toxicity in the work environment is bound to stunt your growth potential in a big way. It makes eminent sense to move to a company with synergy amongst its employees, has clear as well as present leadership and is willing to invest heavily in you for your betterment and that of the organization as well. This lateral move is indeed going to be a smart move as it safely takes you away from the toxic environment and unpalatable behavior of your present coworkers.
Left High And Dry
Sometimes it becomes necessary to leave an organization as you are under someone’s shadows and hindering his or her career path, the other person gets all the learning and advancement opportunities and you are left high and dry, they move ahead leaving you stagnating & fuming and the only way out for you is to look for a better place, where you do not happen to be under somebody’s shadows or assume a backup role.
The Wrong Culture
Being in the wrong culture can be a major cause of unhappiness at work, with clashing work styles, shouting matches and most of all you would not be able to derive motivation at the workplace. Seek another job while still employed, or so goes the dictum, that way you save yourself with lots of unwarranted explaining.
Final Words
A lateral career move is never a career suicide; on the other hand it is indeed a smart career shift that would eventually open up opportunities which would never have been possible at the current workplace. Even after a successful lateral career move it is your prime responsibility to derive maximum mileage and take advantage of the opportunities that have arisen as a result. There is no point making a lateral move and not benefiting from the same, also it would reflect poorly on your resume as well.
