How to Make Your Current Employer Offer You A better Role Easily

By Kalu Ndukwe

Around six years ago I's speaking with a course mate, just before our graduation. In the course of our conversation she's like:

" Aren't you scared Kalu?"

"Scared of what please ?" I demanded

"... Scared of what may happen after graduation" she explained

" No. I'm not scared " I emphasized and I meant it that I wasn't.

She narrated that she's having  obvious   feelings of uncertainty, over lots of responsibilities to face and not having a definite answer to her personal "Where to from here ?" question that keeps coming up.

I recall having those "What next?" question pop up in my mind from time to time, just before graduation. And each time it does, I confront it with a definite answer.

Though everything outside of the present moment has its own significant level of uncertainties.  I's certain that I can handle mine.

Nothing gets beyond worst. Ones it gets to worst, it cannot go farther than that. And I already braced up to deal with the worst case scenario that comes up.

That discussion however, left an impression on my mind. So that since then, I've been dutifully studying professionals. It is the force that gave birth to Smatkaria.

Each time I'm examining and comparing the career journey of different persons, I make startling discoveries. The two great questions that I search for their answers are:

1.) "What gives some people the edge to get hired fast?" And by fast I mean 30 days from the day active job hunting was initiated

2.) " What makes some people achieve great success and career growth fast when others struggle to get along?"

The answers look simple. But they are not. I have discovered that the answers to those questions are as complex as every individual is unique.

And the good starting point to solving career related problems is not by prescribing "a one cap fits all" solution. It will fall flat because the career challenges faced by different individuals are usually unique to their circumstances/ personalities.

The starting point is to diagnose the peculiar case of an individual in question.

I've faced a situation in which a matter as straight forward as getting a promotion couldn't follow the usual route of how to achieve promotions.

The person in question, a young woman, was feeling stuck after investing a great deal in years and nothing was just happening in terms of promotion and pay raise. But the fastest route for her couldn't be to change employer.

To remain in the firm but in another functional role was more appealing to her. That's exactly where her case became complex. Asking for role change led to nothing. The company felt she doesn't have the balls needed for what she was asking for.

As it always happens, the best thing to do is to think things through when faced with a problem. Then act.

We cracked the door open for her by deploying networking and volunteering in her action plan. The process was designed so that she was kept accountable. And it worked. She changed roles after working across different teams and building bridges without extra pay for nine weeks. That period of doing extra work for free is worth her new found joy/Job satisfaction. 

Besides, she now has something she never had. Something she can offer another employer and she won't be disappointed. She'll get what she wants easily.

Everyone deserves better and your case can get better than it is at the moment.

First explore your unique challenges and the options available to you, going forward.

Somewhere inside of everyone of us, there is that best that's yet to come