Episode 020: Pivots, Swerves and a Solid Base

People redefining themselves, it's all the rage to swerve, rebrand, and pivot. That being said, swerving candidates often give us hiring managers a reason for a sideways glance.

I've been across the table from several people looking to jump career paths. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's an abject disaster. In this episode of The Rebellious Recruiter with Daava Mills, I take a look at the systems that Baby Boomers, Gen X'ers and Millennials had to work within in as it relates to career path. It's interesting that Millennials perfected the system that Generation X built.

Daava's Rebellious Recruiting Notes:

• Baby Boomers worked up the "corporate ladder", working toward a Gold Watch the way their Dad's did it.
• For many in Generation X, blue collar work was demonized and were tracked for College, then start at the bottom and work their way up
• But, Gen X'ers saw their parents losing their jobs before they could reach the top of the ladder, and were unable to get their gold watch. 
• When email, the internet and cell phones came around, Gen X'ers started job hopping, leaving a company for a new opportunity, before the inevitable lay offs. 
• When Millennials entered the job market, it became normal to enter the work force trying on several different perspectives.
• We designed training systems at larger companies to expose recent college grads to 4 departments in 2 years. We wanted to give people perspective of how multiple departments worked together. 
• As Millennials started rising in companies, their focus narrowed, and their career path was shaped like a pyramid.
• Generation X was watching from the sidelines because they were still on a ladder. They had to climb down and create a base. They took a cut in pay, while the younger people excelled quicker, because their base was stronger.
• Anyone can take on a second career, as long as they have taken the time to lay the foundation.
• Big pivots need to be planned, and expertly formulated, manipulated, calculated and executed.

Episode Links:

The Rebellious Recruiter

Flippy Motorolas with bendy antennas

Generations Explained

Latchkey Kids

Leave It To Beaver

Isn't ironic, don't you think?