Guest Blogger Jason Aldrich on "Career Rock Climbing"

Jason Aldrich is the Executive Director of the Career Management Center at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. (where I teach)

Jason's article is a terrific look at how career building is no longer about ladder climbing.  He offers:
SEVEN CAREER ROCK CLIMBING PRINCIPLES: A NEW STRATEGY FOR THE 21st CENTURY

I particularly like:

Principle # 5 – Strategic sideways moves are smart…Keep moving!  The quickest path to the top may no longer be straight up.  Just as true rock climbing often requires lateral moves, 
so does career rock climbing. The worst thing you can do is freeze up because it drains energy and wastes time.

Career Strategy – A strategic sideways move may actually accelerate your growth in the long run.

Actions
- Your firm is launching a new product, has a major problem, or wants to expand a department. This is your chance to make a strategic lateral move if it helps you move in a new direction, build competencies for the future, expands your network and raises your profile in the organization or community.
- Even if you have to take a lateral move or a step back, the key is to keep moving. For example, a friend of  mine lost his job in 2005, took a job at Starbucks to get out of the house, and less than a year later he was a regional manager with 12 stores and he’s been there ever since.
- Don’t allow organizational restructurings or interpersonal conflicts derail you.

Read the article (pdf):
Career Rock Climbing: How the Career Ladder Became a Rock Wall and What You Can Do About It