On today’s podcast, we interviewed Christina Merriweather. Christina is a higher education professional with over 10 years of experience in college recruitment and admissions. She also serves as a mentor and a career coach to 20-somethings in the New York City area and shares professional and personal growth advice on her blog at 20/30 Enterprises.

We talked about all things lateral and vertical moves, thinking outside the box with professional development, and how to speak with your supervisor about upcoming opportunities.

You can download this episode from Itunes or Stitcher or listen below.  Check out our 4 top lessons learned from Christina.

MILLENNIAL AND CAREER MOVES

• Millennials tend to change career more than previous generation

FYI: This is due to Millennials wanting to be challenged, lack of job stability, easier to find jobs in other areas due to online resources

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL CHALLENGED

• Consider taking a vertical or lateral move to get your needs fulfilled as it might open up more options in another company
• If you have a company that is large enough, consider moving to another department
• Find out of the box ways to “flex your skills”
• Share with your manager your strengths and how they relate to your organization. Suggest your value-add to other places and responsibilities within your position

Pro Tip: Show how your supervisor how you can innovate, add value to the team and utilize your best skills that have not been utilized

BRINGING UP A LATERAL MOVE TO YOUR SUPERVISOR

• It’s important to have a conversation with your supervisor so they can be your advocate for you. Think about the timing of this conversation and utilize your one-on-one to talk about your goals

Pro Tip: It shouldn’t be a surprise to your supervisor if you are having these conversations early on and consistently communicate with your supervisor

• Leverage the conversations with your supervisor.  Make a strong case and think about organizational priorities and how they can utilize your strengths and be an asset for this new team.

Pro Tip: Know why you want to job, what makes you happy and where you see yourself in that role that can push you and your organization forward

• Be clear and transparent.  Make a succession plan for someone who can take your role as many managers are nervous to let good employees go

CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR MILLENNIALS IN AN ORGANIZATION

• Seek feedback from your staff on every level consistently.  It doesn’t have to come top-down.

Pro Tip: Check the pulse, do a needs assessment, and see what your organization is lacking. Ask the employees on the ground what they want for personal and professional environment.

• Turnover is not great for business. Build a culture of getting feedback to help the organization move forward

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

4 Surprising Ways Having a Lateral Move Can Benefit Your Career

The Benefits of Horizontal Vs. Vertical Growth

Giving Feedback to Your Boss-Like a Boss

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Alissa Carpenter

Workplace Communication Speaker and Trainer at Everything's Not OK and That's OK

Alissa Carpenter is the Owner of Everything’s Not Ok and That’s Ok, author of How to Listen and How to Be Heard: Inclusive Conversations at Work, TEDx speaker, and host of Humanize Your Workplace.She works directly with organizations to bridge communication gaps across generations, job functions, and geography and has worked with non-profits to multi-billion-dollar enterprises.She has an MEd in Social and Comparative Analysis in Education, is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and is certified in the Strong Interest Inventory and Myers Briggs Type Indicator.Alissa has been featured on ABC, CBS, NPR, FOX, Forbes, and quoted in multiple media outlets including CNN Money and Fast Company.

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