Page 105 - Free Yourself From

88 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

The Leap of Faith

No matter what your situation, once you decide to make a career
move, the hard work really begins, and it can be very emotional. Par-
ticularly in these uncertain times, leaving a steady job, regular pay-
check, and good work-life situation for an unknown and unproven
opportunity can seem like courting danger—better the devil you
know than the devil you don’t, right?
But those people who take the risks and gain diverse experiences
end up knowing more. They have more opportunities open to them,
are more employable, and make better money. I learned from expe-
rience that taking a leap of faith and making a change can be the
best opportunity for growth and development. Once you do it the
first time, the rest is easy.
Consider the thought process I went through after leaving a good
job with Amax, Inc., where I had been director of human resources
for five years. I knew after only three years in that job that I needed
to expand my skills beyond recruiting and other limited human
resource functions the job covered. But I loved the work, had a good
boss and great people working with me, and lived near family and
good friends.
Fortunately—in a way—the decision to move on was made for
me; I was laid off. The unemployment rate in Indiana was 15 percent,
so I knew the chances of advancing to a greater level of responsibil-
ity while staying in Indiana were not great. I did receive an offer to
work in Chicago, a bigger city and one I’d always loved. It was a
small step up and a little more money, but it was also very similar to
the job I’d left and wouldn’t advance my career all that much.
While I was weighing the Chicago offer, I got a call one night
from a man who headed up human resources for Fairchild Industries
outside of Washington, D.C. He was looking for a replacement for
his job and had heard about me from a mutual colleague. This posi-