Creating Career Stability
Creating Career Stability: Choosing Complementary Career Paths
"The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well." - John D. Rockefeller
When choosing career paths, most career seekers evaluate the stability of specific careers and industries. They may consider how easily a role could be outsourced, how necessary it is to daily operations, is there a demand in the industry for people who can fill that role, and will that demand be ongoing or short-lived? Medical and teaching careers, for example, are considered more stable than most because they will always be needed and there are frequent shortages in qualified labor.
Savvy observations about job stability can be prudent, yet limit career seekers' options -- perhaps deterring them from pursuing the life's work they really desire. There are ways to make any career more stable, however. One of them is to adopt a "three-legged stool" approach when it comes to career planning.
Complementary Career Paths
Just as a three-legged stool is more stable than a one-legged stool, so is incorporating complementary career paths into any long-term plan. Possessing qualifications for three roles in different industries that work together can provide a safety net during times of transition that one narrowly-defined career path cannot. If jobs are hard to come by in one industry, they may be available in another. An interior decorator, for example, may have difficulty finding a job with a design company. But if they also have experience in landscaping and decorating for events, they will qualify for jobs with companies in these industries as well.
Here are some of the main reasons why integrating complementary career paths pays off:
- Increases hireability in the career seeker's chosen industry
- Knowledge about related industries allows an employee to an enhance their work performance
- Makes the career seeker's resume more marketable to reach a broader audience
- Helps the career seeker qualify for positions that are hard to fill because they have a diverse set of requirements
- Allows the career seeker to be considered for additional available jobs within a company
- Expands the pool of available jobs across different industries
- Gives the career seeker necessary experience for starting their own business
How to Identify Complementary Career Paths
Imagine any given role in a company is part of a machine. What parts are operating in proximity to each other to accomplish a task? For example, a marketing coordinator in a widget manufacturing company must work most closely with website companies, printing companies, tradeshow vendors, promotions companies, database administrators, sales teams, and travel companies in order to do their job well. Therefore, experience in these industries would give the marketing coordinator the inside scoop on how things work, making him or her more valuable to an employer than someone with just marketing experience. An upwardly-mobile marketing coordinator might get a degree in graphic design so they could work for website, printing, or promotions companies. He or she might become certified in website technologies or project management, request sales training, or start their own travel agency.
Here are further examples of complementary career paths:
- Website developer - project manager, Web content writer, information designer, technical writer, business analyst, usability expert, e-learning specialist, website tester, graphic designer, or Flash developer
- Database administrator - Web developer, business analyst, human resources manager, accountant, IT administrator, knowledge management expert, Intranet webmaster
- Journalist - Web content developer, marketing copywriter, public relations professional, publicity coordinator, politician, publisher
- Human resources manager - payroll accountant, disability lawyer, database administrator, business analyst, trainer, organizational development expert
- Pharmacist - pharmaceutical sales representative, medical device sales representative, business management, nurse
- Hotel manager - business manager / entrepreneur, event planner, travel agent, commercial interior decorator, entrepreneur
Tips for Researching Complementary Career Paths
- Research the daily responsibilities of specific roles - As an example, this article about the work of librarians provides insight into how they interact with roles in other industries, outlining potential complementary careers.
- Look for "day in the life" descriptions of jobs - This article for post-MBA career seekers, for example, shows how business professionals transition into and out of careers
- Study organizational structure and processes - Learn how different roles work together within organizations (such as human resources and accounting payroll departments, or Information Technology and facilities management departments). This is sometimes called a value network
- Get the inside scoop - Consider volunteering, participating in an internship, or shadowing a friend / relative / colleague who works in a desired career in order to see what other positions and external vendors they interact with regularly.
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