遇到職業平臺期怎麼辦 What can I do if I hit a career plateau
We often expect that our careers will contain constant excitement and will always be an upwards climb. However, this simply is not true. There will be times when work is a little less than exciting and it is not just about climbing the career ladder. What can you do when you feel that your career progression has stalled?
我們常常期望自己的職業生涯始終令人興奮，並且總是向上攀升。然而，這並不現實。有時候，工作並不那麼激動人心，攀登職業階梯也並非工作的全部。如果你感到職業發展陷入停滯，你能夠做些什麼呢？
How long must I wait before I move on?
我必須等多久纔有可能繼續前進？
Generally, you will spend time learning the job, mastering it and looking for your next position. The time for each of these phases is dependent on your competency, the dynamics of the position and your organisation. Often you will be able to get a feel for the ‘residence time’ of a position from looking around your organisation. You will see whether people generally spend two or three years or longer in a position. In more complex roles and industries, the residence time may be longer.
通常情況下，你需要花時間去學習如何做好你的工作，直到熟練的程度，然後尋找你的下一個位置。每一個這樣的階段會持續多久取決於你的能力、職位的流動性和你所在組織的情況。通常，你可以通過觀察組織中周圍的人的情況，瞭解某個職位的“停留時間”。你可以觀察人們通常會在一個職位上停留兩年、三年還是更久。如果職位和行業更爲複雜，停留時間可能會更長。
You can then objectively assess whether you are following that rate. It may be that there are outliers in the organisation who are promoted quicker than this general rate. However, expecting to be promoted quicker than this norm may only lead to disappointment.
然後，你可以客觀評估你是否也符合這樣的晉升速度。組織裏或許有一些異數，他們比通常的情況升遷更快。然而，期望比常規速度更快升遷或許只會讓你失望。
You might also like to tap into your business school careers service. They may be able to guide you on the general rate of advancement and what positions you can expect after a number of years.
你還可以利用商學院的職業服務。這些服務或許能夠指導你瞭解晉升的一般速度，以及幾年後你有可能坐上何種職位。
What can I do about a lack of progression?
如果一直止步不前，我能做些什麼？
If you think you are starting to have outstayed your residence time in a position, you need to start searching around for new opportunities. Talking to your manager about opportunities coming up is a good start. Try to also have a frank conversation about what the barriers are for you taking up new positions. This will help you develop a plan to overcome these deficiencies and will assist your manager in supporting your move.
如果你認爲你在一個職位上停留的時間已經超出了一般情況，你需要開始四處搜尋新機會。與你的經理談一談即將到來的機會，是一個良好開端。你還可以嘗試開誠佈公地與經理談一談阻礙你擔任新職位的障礙有哪些。這將幫助你制定一個計劃，以克服這些不足之處，也有助於你的經理對你的升遷給予支持。
A mentor is always invaluable in this space. Talking to people about how their careers have developed and what positions they have taken on will give you valuable data on which to base your expectations. You will also gain an ally for advancement if required.
在這方面，職業導師總是極爲有用。與人們談論他們的職業發展路徑和他們擔任過的職位將爲建立你自己的預期提供寶貴信息。有需要的話，你還能獲得一位晉升的盟友。
Another option is to look for leadership opportunities outside work — rotary clubs, charity work, trustee or unpaid directorships. This will assist you in being able to demonstrate leadership and it can be invaluable on your CV.
另一個選擇是在工作之外尋找擔任領導職位的機會——扶輪社、慈善工作、託管人、無薪董事。這將幫助你展現你的領導力，成爲簡歷上的可貴的一筆。
You might also gain some opportunities from your business school. Faculty may be able put you in touch with others in your field, contacts for a mentor or external leadership opportunities.
你或許還可以從商學院獲得一些機會。商學院教師或許能幫你接觸到與你相同領域的人、與一位職業導師取得聯繫或者幫你獲得一些外部領導職位機會。
What about a sideways move?
橫向移動怎麼樣？
A career is not always upward. This is an absolute truth. If we only moved upward then we would not be able to understand all the different facets of complex industries. A chief executive who did not have a couple of sideways moves will have a shortlived leadership career.
職業生涯並不總是向上的。這是絕對真理。如果我們只向上移動，我們就無法理解複雜行業的各個方面。一位未曾經歷過幾次橫向移動的首席執行官，其領導生涯是無法長久的。
If there is not an upwards move available, there may be an avenue that you can use to broaden your experience. This is important for general management positions as you will be able to gain a diverse knowledge of the organisation.
如果沒有晉升的機會，或許你可以另闢蹊徑拓寬自身經驗。對於綜合管理職位來說，這一點很重要，因爲你將獲得有關組織的多方面知識。
If you wish to work in other areas of a company, then explore options such as secondments, job shadowing and taking on new projects. Also, ask your manager if it is possible to undertake some training if you have gaps in your knowledge.
如果你希望在公司的其他部門工作，你可以尋找借調、工作見習或者承擔新項目等機會。此外，你可以詢問你的經理，如果你的知識有一些欠缺，你是否有可能接受一些培訓。
What will turn a plateau into a slide?
什麼會讓職業平臺期變得更糟？
You are guaranteed to prolong your career plateau if you believe your own hype. We all know what this looks like: no longer putting in the effort and lacking a positive attitude. It can be hard to keep professional, but it is very important to do so. Even if you have mentally checked out, you need to be positive as your colleagues will remember negative behaviour.
如果你相信自己心中那套言過其實的說辭，你的職業平臺期勢必變得更長。我們都知道這是什麼樣的一種情景：不再付出努力，缺乏積極的態度。保持專業素養或許很難，但這樣做卻十分重要。就算你精神上已經心不在焉，你需要保持積極，因爲你的同事會記得你消極的表現。
If you are in a bit of a lull, look outside the workplace to recharge yourself — try a new skill or sport. Always have energy as you never know when you will need a favour from your colleagues.
如果你有些低落，尋找工作之外的機會給自己充電——嘗試一種新技能或者運動。永遠保持精力充沛，因爲你不知道什麼時候，你需要得到你的同事的支持。
What happens when you do not move on?
無法前進的時候該怎麼辦？
Sometimes there are simply no opportunities for advancement in your company. Your boss may be new to their role, which will mean a significant wait before any upwards move. Or your company may be downsizing.
有時你的公司的確沒有晉升機會。你的老闆或許新近上任，這意味着任何晉升都要等相當長的時間。或者你的公司正在精簡。
Either way, it might be the time to move on to another organisation. If you have maintained your professionalism to the end, your colleagues and manager will respect your move to a role with more room to grow.
無論是哪種情況，你或許是時候跳槽到另一個組織中。如果你一直保持自己的專業素養，你的同事和經理會尊重你轉至一個發展空間更大的職位的選擇。
Angela Ogier is manager of land access and portfolio at Santos GLNG, an Australian oil and gas exploration and production company. Previously, Ms Ogier was a manager of supply planning and optimisation at the same company. She is also an MBA 2004 graduate from the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School in the UK.
本文作者安傑拉攠吉爾是澳大利亞石油和天然氣勘探生產公司Santos GLNG土地獲得和投資組合經理，她此前在同一家公司擔任供應規劃和優化經理。她還是英國劍橋大學(University of Cambridge)佳奇商學院(Judge Business School)2004級MBA畢業生
