Is it time to re-recruit yourself?

2008-03-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

From time to time each of us, whether by choice or not, should re-examine our professional situation and assess how it is aligned with our goals, needs, and ambitions. Too often this only occurs when we are making a career decision - should I pursue a new opportunity or take an offer that has been presented? But in reality that assessment should occur on a regular basis within the situation we currently exist.

In essence we are "re-recruiting" ourself.

I recently went through such an exercise which I'll share here, and by extention provide you a framework for performing the exercise yourself.

When I was considering joining Pariveda Solutions, I used three criteria to evaluate the match from my point of view. (I'm sure Pariveda had its criteria as well as it determined if/how I would fit into its objectives but for this discussion, you'll hear my point of view.) My criteria were based on a review of my past professional experiences where I looked at the situations where I felt most satisfied, and the times when work wasn't so fun and fulfilling. I concluded common elements of the situations where I had the most positive memories included situations:

Where the people I worked with were bright, energetic, motivated, and interested in moving the ball forward

Where the things I did on a day-to-day basis were valued and contributed to the broader success

Where I learned new things and the work was not mundane or routine.

So obviously looking at Pariveda I tried to gain a sense of how it, and my perceived role, would measure in those areas.
I also, admittedly, had some reservations that were on my mind. Chief among them were:

How would my technical experience translate into the current dynamics? I hadn't been in heavy duty development in a while, and knowing some of the depth of my peer group, would I be able to hold my own.

What would I have to say that was complimentary to the views of those around me? I knew many of my presumed peers from previous experiences and I knew some of the intellect and insight they brought to the marketplace. Frankly I wondered if my talents and experiences would measure up.

So I looked back at my first 14 months with Pariveda as part of a self-assessment (re-recruitment, if you will) and drew the following conclusions:

The people I work with (for and for me) are enormously talented, capable and a heck of a lot of fun to be around. In particular, the younger team members have rejuvinated me and renewed an enthusiasm for my career that admittedly had grown stale.

My contributions have and do make a difference. Some of that is measurable (clients and revenue) and some of it is softer. In fact, I've contributed in ways that I didn't imagine I would, and in some ways I thought I would contribute, maybe not so much. In the latter case, that's okay and there's still opportunity to do that going forward.

I'm learning things every day. Whether it be how to be a more effective networker (and by extension a resource for others), a more effective business person and leader, or new business and technology concepts, I can't think of many days when I didn't go home that night thinking I knew more than when I started the day.

So what does this mean for me?

It sounds overly dramatic but I'm experiencing a career fulfillment that is far up the Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs.

While work isn't without some of its routine hassles, frustrations, and disappointments, on the whole this experience is enormously rewarding.

How will your re-recruitment turn out?

Ideally, you'd find a level of satisfaction like mine. But, in actuality, you might find the opposite. If so, what can or will you do about it? Maybe the disconnect would be eliminated if you altered some of your behavior. Or maybe the organization, if it knew, could adjust to better meet your needs. Finally, maybe you do need a change. If that's the case, your re-recruitment has provided you a framework for pursuing your next career opportunity. You have some sense now of what it will take for that next stop to better meet your goals and ambitions.

More Than Technology

Is it time to re-recruit yourself?