I’ve been in my current job, which is close to perfect for me, for six months now.  Expectations are high, and I put in a lot of extra time.  After job searching for almost as long as I’ve been in this position, I’m not complaining. BUT, I don’t want to lose the network I developed, and I am trying to avoid becoming too narrowly focused on my current work.  How do you recommend I keep working on my own behalf?

Deb's Answer:

You are so right to invest in your future. During the initial months of starting a job, your attention is appropriately focused on learning and contributing in your new role, almost to the exclusion of everything else.  As time passes, stick with “learning and contributing” and move away from “to the exclusion of everything else.”

Keep in mind that investing in your future is a benefit to, not a detractor from, your current employer.  Your involvement outside the workplace will contribute fresh ideas and help to avoid burnout.  Outside connections also provide a recruitment pipeline to potential candidates for openings at your company.

Take these four steps to deliver for your employer, and keep working on your own behalf:

  Make a difference.  You’re a newcomer and others at work are still forming opinions about the contribution you make, the work ethic you demonstrate and the potential value you hold for the future.  There’s nothing more impressive than exhibiting the passion you’ve expressed for this near-perfect position and delivering results that better the organization.  

 Take the 30,000-foot view.  It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you’re totally absorbed in the day-to-day operations at your work.  You’ve probably witnessed or heard stories about employees who are blindsided by developments at work that they never saw coming yet impact their jobs significantly.  While a new job initially requires a microscopic focus to magnify all the details, as you become more familiar with the daily operations, it’s important to broaden your outlook with an aerial view.  You can attain this perspective only by periodically removing yourself from the daily details.

  Market yourself.  We often like to console ourselves with the belief that if we do a good job the rest will take care of itself.  In reality, for your career advancement, it’s not enough to do a good job.  To create future options, people inside and outside the organization need to know who you are, what your talents and goals consist of and how you make your contribution.  Visibility is key.  Therefore, you must find the time each week to do at least one thing that highlights the difference you make.  Visibility may mean documenting a personal accomplishment, raising your hand for a new project or giving credit to others by showcasing team results.

 Commit to your network.  The network you developed during your job search is not just a job-search network.  It is a network made up of relationships that you initiated and nurtured during that period of time in your life, but those relationships have a much wider application.  Not only should you make a concerted effort to stay in touch and give back to your existing network, but also you’ll want to expand your network to continually incorporate new people. Given the demands of your job, the only possible way to keep your network alive and thriving is to schedule appointments either weekly or monthly to participate in cross-functional teams or internal task forces, attend external professional events or networking meetings, and connect personally with others. Now is the time to take action.  Before you become further entrenched, continue delivering results in your current role, and, at the same time, reach out and invest in your future.