Re: Will it hurt my career

["Gehres, Mary Elizabeth (Betsy)** CTR **" <gehres -at- LUCENT -dot- COM>]

<< My question is: do you think that if I work as a senior writer for a
while, it will hurt me when I go job-hunting again and try to find a
manager position? Will people look at my resume and see only that I
have appeared to stay at the same level for a long time, and then
actually moved down a level? Or are jobs plentiful enough in Silicon
Valley that my experience will be strong enough?

Some people advise me that I should not take the transfer, even though it
would pay for my move, be a guarantee of employment, and probably be a lot
of fun for at least a while. Others think I can explain the situation
easily enough when it is time to move on. I'm not sure. >>


Having done something similar myself (the result of a layoff, actually, and
not of my own free will), I agree with those who say you can explain the
situation easily enough. What you propose to do sounds perfectly reasonable
to me.

It has more to do with your own attitude than anything. If you feel shameful
about this move, a prospective employer may pick up on your defensiveness
and wonder what may have gone wrong. However, if you explain that you made
this move in order to take advantage a new place and new opportunities, the
employer may view it in a more favorable light. You'd have to explain in
positive terms why this move was a such GOOD thing. And it probably is.

Besides, you might not even miss being a manager. I thought I would, but I
don't.

Good luck!


Betsy Gehres
gehres -at- lucent -dot- com
(303) 290-3495

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