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Posted by Joni Rose Jul 20, 2008 |
I had a conversation recently with a manager who relayed a story about how she struggled to quit her first job and move on with her career. She had been with the company for five years. She had bonds with fellow employees and fit in well with the corporate culture.
Although the opportunity before her was an obvious choice as it was more in line with her education, she struggled to let go. When we spend a significant part of our career with one employer, especially our first employer, the bonds can be deep. Like a first love, the first employer reserves a special place in our hearts as they helped to initiate the development of our professional side.
Her wise supervisor said to her at the time, with a gentle smile, “We will be able to function without you”. The phrase eased her mind and helped her to realize that although she had made a contribution to the company, she was replaceable. That is not to say that her replacement would be able to offer the same skills and talents, but the company would survive without her. He continued to encourage her to do what was best for her career and to make that the forefront of her career decision making.
She is not alone in this struggle as loyalty to an employer is a common career value that is demonstrated not only by employee behaviors but as a company value on which performance is assessed. Also, while first employers can be difficult to leave, the same can be said for most long term employer commitments regardless of when they occur in a career. Keep the wise words of this supervisor in mind. Move on with confidence and make career decisions that serve you.