Santa Clara University

Accepting change: An essential career strategy

Kathy Potter

As I work with alumni who are looking for jobs, moving within their organizations, leaving jobs, changing careers, or heading toward retirement, I wonder about a person's ability to live with constant change. My experience in career development certainly has shown me the reality of change. But often, when people live as if their job might suddenly disappear, they suffer from continual anxiety and stress.

In a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduating students and alumni ranked the importance of the "stability of the organization" in their decision to accept a job as 4.7 on a scale of 5, with 5 meaning "very important." Stability referred to how much the organization provides a secure future. Is there a disconnect here? Are these respondents looking for something that no longer exists, or do we need to redefine what stability means?

A colleague of mine once stated that he views all jobs as temporary, as opportunities to both contribute his skills and to learn something new that he can take to the next "assignment." In other words, he sees himself as a consultant, no matter the length of his "contract" with a company. His definition of stability is based more on continual learning, contribution, and reward rather than on the number of years in an organization. He is optimistic in his outlook and positive in his support of his employer, but he never assumes that his job is permanent.

We are now, more than ever, the masters of our destinies, with the attendant work and joy that the role requires. We need to take our work seriously and plan for future changes, yet also, as Buddhist teachings suggest, be "in the moment" and focus on the job at hand. Not an easy task, but one essential to coping with this ever-changing job market.

Kathy Potter is assistant director of SCU's Career Center. She can be reached by phone at 408-554-4859 or by e-mail at kpotter@scu.edu. Visit the Career Center online at www.scu.edu/careercenter.