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Should You Take a Short-Term Assignment?
John Sullivan is a working project manager who writes and speaks on project and career issues.
While many people travel as part of a job, an increasing number of people are traveling to jobs beyond the reach of a daily commute and staying away from home longer--but not long enough to relocate. Going too far to commute but for too short a time to relocate is called a “short-term” assignment and is no longer limited to consultants; a growing number of employees are doing it.
“It’s when an employee lives away from home for more than 12 weeks but less than one year,” says Sherry Harsch-Porter, founder and principal at The Porter Bay Group, a human resources consulting firm.
Short-term assignments are increasing because employers don’t want to pay relocation costs and dual career couples don’t want to jeopardize one of their careers by relocating. Most parents don’t want to interrupt their children’s education with a move and families with older parents may have caregiving duties they cannot abandon.
To Go or Not To Go?
Should you take a short-term assignment? Harsch-Porter suggests you ask yourself a few questions:
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Is this really voluntary?
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Will it have no impact to your career if you decline?
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Have those who declined been demoted or dismissed?
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Have those who accepted been promoted?
If the assignment will make you a…
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