Is a Lateral Career Move Right for You?

Bruce is the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers.

  Career Development  

Careers don’t always move in straight lines, one promotion after another. That reality can be frustrating for project managers who generally like to create a plan and execute that plan.

This reality doesn’t invalidate planning. As Eisenhower once observed, “Planning is everything: the plan is nothing.” The thinking that goes into planning your career—reflecting on what you want to achieve—is well worth it, even if you don’t fully execute the plan.

I often think about the above quote when planning a career. It’s important to reflect on what you want from a career—including income, skills and projects you’ll deliver. Setting these intentions and areas of focus gets you started. At the same time, retaining flexibility and keeping an eye open for opportunities is essential.

Sometimes, pursuing a lateral career move is wise rather than exclusively focusing on promotions. To explain the value of a lateral career change, it’s essential to take a step back and define this move.

What is a Lateral Career Move?
There are two kinds of lateral career moves to consider:

• The first version is when you move “at level” within your current organization. For example, let’s say your position is “Senior Project Manager,” and you’re in Division A. Moving to Division B while …

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