Caution! Corporate Nirvana Can Turn Into a Nightmare

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

It's human nature to be seduced by what sounds like the ideal job. It's especially true when jobs--any job--are hard won. Even PMs with extraordinary credentials may have the wind knocked out of them when recruiters aren't jamming their phone lines trying to reach them. No wonder job offers are lauded as career salvation. Initially, they may be just that. But that could quickly change. The mortality rate for companies is considerably shorter than it was in the past. Most startups won't last beyond two years for a host of reasons. Topping the list is lack of adequate financing followed by incompetent management.

Job nirvana could be more temporary than you imagined. If things turn bad, you could find yourself back on the street peddling your resume. If we learned anything from the brief dot-com era, it's that things are seldom what they seem to be, pointing up the importance of looking for weak beams in the corporate infrastructure and having one foot out the door.

That means an updated--like every week--resume on a floppy disk (never on your hard drive) and a portfolio of accomplishments buried, not locked, in you attache case. It also means keeping an eye on the marketplace and knowing what's happening at your company at all times. Don't be naïve and let fate determine your path. That's a copout for laziness.

First, caution signs …

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