A few weeks ago, I was involved in a conversation about somebody who was celebrating 30 years in the same job. I said, truthfully, that I admired the person and noted that the job was quite a difficult one to do, especially for such a length of time.
The conversation went off on another tangent (which is a story in itself), so I didn’t get the chance to say one other thing that was weighing on my mind: 30 years is far too long to be in the one job.
I don’t mean that it’s too long to be in the same career, or even necessarily in the same workplace. It’s entirely possible to be employed in the same basic occupation, but do a variety of things, so it never becomes routine or boring, and be as good at it on day 10,950 as you ever were.
What I do mean is that sometimes it’s a good idea, for your sanity if not your career, to step away from something you’ve been doing for a long time and do something else.
I’ve been lucky enough to work in a profession that allows not just for promotion but for sideways movement.
As a journalist, I’ve specialised in the arts and entertainment, but for more than half my career I’ve done other things. I’ve spent many years as a sub-editor, and I’ve also been a reporter (both at the beginning and in the middle of my career), a section editor, layout sub and chief of staff. I’ve also worked in different mediums: newspapers, radio and online.
There was a time when I made a conscious decision not to be seen as “that showbiz guy”, because it limited my job opportunities, and there were times when, thanks to newspaper closures, I was forced to reinvent myself.
To be honest, I could not now cover the entire showbiz field the way I did in the 1990s, when I was writing about television, music, film and theatre all at the same time. Working 10-12 hour days, at nights and on weekends, was unsustainable for my physical health and sanity.
And, as in many careers, there were times when I felt I was just going through the motions rather than tackling the job with the amount of enthusiasm, effort or commitment it deserved.
I once packed in a job and went travelling for that very reason.
Others don’t have that choice and are forced to work through these episodes, which can coincide with a personal crisis, such as a relationship or health problem, or a change in the workplace, in the nature of the job itself, the corporate structure or the expectations of the bosses or clients.
You may notice it yourself, or somebody else may notice it. And if you’re at that stage it’s best to address it, because the answer may simply be to move to a different part of the business. Or it may be to move on all together, but to do it in a planned way.
If you do find yourself doing the same thing today as you were doing 20 or 30 years ago, it certainly is asking yourself whether you are doing it with the same positive attitude and attention to detail. If the answer is yes, that’s great. If not, then it probably is time for a change.
This article has also appeared on my LinkedIn page.
