In the recent times, there has been a post hamster wheeling the LinkedIn walls featuring a rodent munching on some fodder filled in a glass jar. While in the picture adjacent to the filled jar, the rodent is seen at the bottom, with less food to munch on; importantly, no way out of the jar. This picture is very often associated with a caption indicating a “career trap”.
Yes, a career trap!
What is a career trap in the first place? Do only dumbest of the people fall into it? Is there a way out?
Let’s take stroll down.
But before we hike down towards the crux, let’s have a grasp of something contrasting. We all would know the characteristics of a lion, wolf, and a fox. While a lion often faces the wolves, scatters and defeat them with uncompromising valour; a fox is well aware of the traps and defeats the wolves with its cunningness, often used interchangeably with smartness in the modern world. This case is usually pondered upon when facing the question of survival; we discuss it here as career has become a question of survival from when the wheel was invented, or from when the mass production began.
Yes, the tea is over. Let’s walk.
Who makes the career trap?
Career trap is more often not set by any visible or palpable enemy. It is an outcome of various aspects and situations when
- You understand that your organisation is about to let you go.
- You get that you have the least chance of making to another company with a pay hike.
- You see a sudden barrier erupting on your path stopping you from moving elsewhere.
- You have to either step down within the organization to survive or move to next company with no hike.
- You feel your skill is relevant no more.
However, there is a flipside to these factors.
The noose of a career trap could even be you:
- Getting promoted quicker
- Getting huge increments soon
- Picking higher designations on a rapid pace.
The upside of career trap seems sensible over its flipside, right? Yes, obviously growth can’t become a trap is what everyone of us perceive. However, while taking leaps and bounds, experts say as long as there be exposure, experience and knowledge addition on your growth path, growth will be growth in the plain sense. However, usually people are blinded by the gloss of growth as well as by the comfort it cushions with. Whereas, when the growth is gradual all these ingredients fall in place making your lofty steps fortified and well-founded.
So, appreciate gradual growth and grow steadily to stay long at the top and have a better view of the future.