Change is growth
My guest blogger this week is Cathy-Ann Paige — Vice President and General Manager for Manpower’s Northeast Staffing Division. As you read her blog, you’ll notice that she’s been with Manpower a bit longer than I have so I’ve known her for nearly 28 years. She’s a good friend (and fellow dog lover). To learn more about Cathy, read her professional bio.
From Cathy…
____________________________________________________________
Change is growth… That was the poster in the Manpower office when I first applied for a position with the company in Springfield, Massachusetts over 28 years ago.
It’s all the rage these days to change companies every three to five years. Statistics tell us that the average student graduating today will work at seven to ten companies over the course of a career. I see evidence of this every day when I get invited to join someone’s LinkedIn network or I get “Facebooked” by someone (when did that word become a verb?).
Have I changed jobs that often? I must admit that I have. By changing jobs every three to five years I’ve learned new skills, met different people and developed my career. It has been a very rewarding experience and I regret nothing. And I’ve always been lucky enough to do work that is meaningful and has value.
The most important thing I always look for at work is getting the balance right for me. Am I challenged enough? Learning new things? Meeting people I enjoy spending my time with? And most of all, does the way I spend my time earning a living matter in the world? If work is not meaningful, it isn’t the right company for me.
So back to the day I walked into that office in Springfield. I was a newly minted college grad looking for my opportunity to change the world. Here I am 28 years later, older and somewhat jaded, but still having fun every day. Yes, I changed jobs often — but I always stayed at Manpower.
My point is this, you don’t have to leave where you are to find what you are looking for. I found a lifetime of meaningful work and challenges at one company. When you search for a career think about the right company and explore your options to stay and grow. Change may mean growth, but it doesn’t always have to mean a new company — if you pick well.
