Networks Telecom: Tackling your own team

Despite their claims to the contrary, most organisations are not much good at valuing their employees and giving them decent career progression.

The problem is particularly acute for people working in technical departments, because their skills and aspirations are often little understood by human resources staff, and still less by top management.

It's all too easy to be perceived as a mere techie, even if you are a key manager. As a result you can often be left languishing and stuck in a rut, while your pampered peers in other disciplines dash up the corporate ladder.

The obvious solution to such neglect is to start looking for your next employer. But can you get what you need without the dislocation of leaving?

The first step in taking charge of your destiny is to stop being annoyed at the apparent idiocy of those blocking you. They may not be bright when it comes to IT, but (we hope) they have a smidgen of business acumen.

Once you've gone they will probably realise how much it costs to replace you. So a key objective of your campaign is to get them to think about this expense earlier, to soften them up for your demands.

First you need to clarify in your own mind exactly what you are after. Is it just more pay, or is recognition an issue too?

Perhaps what is really frustrating you is a lack of opportunities to learn or to work on interesting projects. Perhaps you seek more flexible hours or the freedom to work from home occasionally.

Even if the problem is the need to escape an overbearing or obnoxious colleague, you may still be able to fix it without leaving, although in this case you will need to think carefully about who you approach.

Find out what you are worth

The next step is to test the market. What does the rest of the world think you are worth, and what are others getting in your existing and desired roles? It is easier to find out about pay than other benefits, as companies usually keep quiet about non-standard arrangements that might set precedents.

Much can be gleaned by assiduously reading the job ads. It's also worth asking contacts in the industry. Although people are often reluctant to talk about pay, they may be more forthcoming about fringe benefits and employment arrangements.

To get better rewards from your employer you need to start a systematic campaign to change how key people see you. If this seems a tall order, remember that if you had just walked in the door as a job applicant they would probably see you as the dream candidate for your present position.

The point, though, is that you need to start positioning yourself for your next job, not just your present one. Renew your interest in training.

Try and get into the general management training scheme so they see you as more than a techie. Come alive in the relevant parts of meetings, and volunteer for tasks that lead you in the right direction. Delegate more of the tasks you want to leave behind.

Start thinking seriously about succession planning. Remember, you are playing this constructively and not trying to get one over on your bosses. The last thing you want to do is leave them with the excuse that they can't move you because you are irreplaceable.

Depending on the role you are going for, start carrying around the relevant magazines. Although some of the management books on the market might be theory-heavy, they still contain useful insights and tips. Consider whether you need to alter your appearance. It sounds trivial, but poor dress sense can stigmatise you.

Once your campaign is beginning to get results and you detect signs that people perceive you more positively, you need to decide who to approach.

You are not looking for a one-off, all-or-nothing confrontation where you slap down your demands and threaten to storm out the door.

A better tactic is to approach a number of people, subtly at first, to get a feel for who will be most receptive. A range of people may have the power to do you some good.

Apart from your own boss there is also your boss's boss, and there may well be other influential senior managers who have nothing to do with your reporting line who can give discreet advice. This is the time to get some benefit from all those boring meetings you have been forced to sit through.

Look before you leap

Don't forget human resources. In most companies they will inform your boss if you say anything too alarming, so it might be best to start off talking to them about training for yourself and about developing your subordinates to take on more of your role.

Play it constructively, as you are not seeking to leave the company. What could be more constructive than talking about succession planning, which also has the advantage of steering their thoughts to all that you contribute?

Exploit the fact that all of these people have different agendas; some may be happy to give you a new role inside the company even if your immediate boss is inconvenienced. Your move may well solve someone else's recruitment problem.

Above all, keep things friendly. Try not to appear discontented, but rather ambitious for other roles in the wonderful organisation you are privileged to belong to.

Finally, keep your lines of retreat open. Even if you get that new position you may still need to have dealings with your present boss and co-workers. So keep a cap on the really corrosive criticism.

When you've got to go

After exploring all the opportunities available in your present company, you may come to the conclusion that your future really does lie elsewhere.

Don't jump aboard the first thing that comes along. Use your present position as a platform for making a really good move.

From this point of view it's not such a bad thing that the job market is rather flat, since you are less likely to be tempted into making a rash decision.

So, while you are forced to hang around, take the opportunity to think through your long-term career objectives and make the most of the resources and contact network at your disposal.

If you are going for a management job for the first time, it is important to appreciate the difference in the recruitment process. For a technical position experience counts for everything, and candidates can almost be graded by their CVs alone. But companies look for more intangible qualities in managers.

They need to know if you have the ability to lead, and whether you will fit in with their management culture. They will want to know if you have a wider vision for the technology. This stuff is hard to assess from a CV.

What people say about you and how you perform at interviews is much more important in this field, so start immediately on enhancing your appeal to employers.

Gather honest feedback on your reputation from colleagues. Fix the things you can, and don't worry too much about the others. Like any selling process, getting a new job is all about emphasising the positive.

Take advantage of the delay in moving by brushing up your professional qualifications. Try to bring your projects to successful conclusions or at least proper milestones so that you can quote achieved objectives.

Collect supporting data, such as savings made or service levels improved while you are still in place, as you may have difficulty remembering it all later.

Expand your contact network outside the company. Participate more actively in professional bodies and appropriate events.

See if you can get the company to stump up for any membership fees. Once a company has done that it may be eager to let you out more.

Since you are planning to leave anyway, you have nothing to lose by making extravagant demands. Try pestering your employer into paying for some substantial and imaginative training. How about Cranfield School of Management's Organisational Politics and IT Management course, for instance, priced £3,900?

Alternatively, you could go for crossover skills to help you get out of the IT rut. What about the Institute of Direct Marketing's Diploma in Interactive and Direct Marketing, a mere snip at £5,400 if done residentially, or £2,100 if done in the evenings.

OK, it's a long shot, but these are not the kind of things you are likely to pay for out of your own pocket. And you never know, taking part in them may open up new possibilities in your existing firm that you hadn't considered.

Another thing you need to start thinking about is references. Don't leave it to the last minute to contact your referees. Get in touch with them about anything at all, just to remind them that you still exist and to check that the contact details you have are still valid. You could even ask them for advice on your move.

Bear in mind the different CV requirements employers have for technical and managerial posts. Don't just update your old technical CV if you are going for a management job.

The wording needs to be different to bring out the relevance of your experience to that particular position. Unlike a technical CV, the same document will not do for every potential employer.

Within the constraints of the CV format you need to make it less of a history and more an illustration of the benefits you bring. Stress examples which show that you can deliver successful outcomes to projects and can manage people.

The technical passages should illustrate that you are not just a head-down person, but have a broader vision of what the technology does for the company. Highlight the technical skills you want to continue using, and prune back on the rest.

Remember that your CV will probably first be looked at by an HR person who may well do the initial screening. HR people tend to think in terms of competencies, and may even use a checklist that links supposedly required skills to a particular job.

In management jobs, these schemes always seem to stress co-ordinating, planning and people skills, so make sure you let them know you have these in abundance, and provide evidence.

As far as finding jobs to apply for, press adverts are still worth reading. Online job sites tend to be less good for more senior positions.

Be wary of contacting agencies until you have a career plan firmly in mind: you don't want to get railroaded into an inappropriate job they just happen to have on their books.

What about head hunters? Executive search firms, as they prefer to be called, are generally not interested in jobs worth less than £60,000 per annum. At this level they will probably approach you, based on the reputation you have cultivated.

For lower-level jobs your own networking can still pay off, and you may even get an offer indirectly through someone you have run into.

Make a good exit

Once you are certain you have a new job, be careful how you leave. Avoid burning your bridges if possible.

Beware the angry exit interview. Entertaining though this might be, it is unlikely to enhance your career if word gets out to those you criticise. Remember that you are not the only one with a personal contact network, so your targets may still be able to do you harm.

Instead, approach your departure positively. Make sure you have a good leaving bash, so it looks like you are going out on a wave of glory rather than slinking away.

Finally, maintain friendships with the people you have bonded with in your long years of toil. Don't let these relationships lapse simply because you have neglected to take their out-of-work contact details. After all, they may be planning to move on too.