So, you’re a higher education professional about to begin your job search wondering, “What’s my next step in my career?” Vertical trajectory up the organizational chart is alluring for many, as it represents an idealized version of professional success in a capitalist society. After all, what’s a more concrete example of your hard work than getting the promotion you deserve?
As pretty of a picture as this paints, this isn’t the realistic career trajectory for everyone. The further up the organizational chart you go, the scarcer the opportunities become, making for a toilsome and sometimes fruitless job search process. In reality, many professionals find themselves moving laterally rather than vertically. But with a lateral move might come some cognitive dissonance: “I know I’m qualified for a higher position, so why should I accept anything less?” As someone who has made two lateral moves in their residence life career, I’m here to offer some new perspectives to help you resolve that dissonance.
1. An Urgent Need for a Better Workplace Environment
A better workplace environment can mean something different to everyone. Maybe you’re a new parent and are looking for a workplace with policies that support your growing family’s needs. Or perhaps you need coworkers with whom you share more identities and experiences to reach your full potential. When I made my first lateral move, I was looking for a workplace where I could set better boundaries with my coworkers so that I could improve my mental health. Of course, you can find a better workplace environment while making a vertical move as well, but if your needs are urgent, there’s no shame in prioritizing yourself over your career and making that lateral move.
2. Life Happens!
As much as we are the authors of our own lives, we do ourselves a disservice by assuming that every aspect of our lives is within our control. Unexpected layoffs and personal emergencies happen all the time, and one of the only things we can control in those situations is our own reaction. If you ever find yourself thrust into the job search process due to circumstances beyond your control, making a lateral move may be the fastest way to adapt to your changing environment.
3. Our Professional Goals Change
Throughout my entire residence life career, I’ve heard from mentors and supervisors that working in residence life opens up so many doors to other experiences in higher education. From advising to assessment to conduct and beyond, residence life has given me exposure to so many different functional areas! If your experience in one position sparks a passion for a different functional area or type of work, it may be in your long-term best interest to make a lateral move. While your salary and position in an organizational chart may not change much, gaining a greater amount of experience in the area you are passionate about can help you stand out as a candidate when it is time to move up.
4. Some of Us Just Love Change!
No matter how many times I take the CliftonStrengths assessment, Input and Learner have ALWAYS been in my Top 5. Learning and collecting information, especially as they pertain to my passion areas, are things that bring me great personal joy in my day-to-day work. I believe that knowledge is power! For other professionals like myself, making lateral moves can be seen as an exciting opportunity to contribute to an ever-growing library of knowledge, which makes you more and more of an asset with each position you hold.
5. Reframing “Lateral” Moves
As a final note, I wanted to challenge some perceptions about what a lateral move is. Through conversations with colleagues, I’ve found the most common definition of a lateral move within higher education is a move that results in a similar positioning on an organizational chart and similar pay. As I alluded to previously, sometimes making a lateral move is a wise long-term career move. Gaining more opportunities to do more of what you enjoy can open up more opportunities to continue down your chosen career path in the future. Additionally, not all organizational charts are equal! With my most recent lateral move, I was able to gain a position that couldn’t be compared to anything else on my former organizational chart. It may not feel like a move up at first, but by taking a bird’s eye view you might find that you’re taking significant steps towards your career goals.
If you’re still reading along, I hope I was able to offer you some new perspectives on lateral moves. At the end of the day, we all need to make our own decisions about what is right for us, and we all have different personal and professional values playing into those decisions. However, if you’re feeling stuck on the fence about a lateral move, here’s hoping that reading this helps you get unstuck and moving in the direction that is right for you.
