A lateral career move: 5 reasons to welcome the opportunity

This post originally appeared on careerrev.com

If your next career move isn’t a promotion, isn’t it basically tantamount to a demotion? No way! 

The desire to move forward is human nature. This is why lateral promotions and lateral transfers are sometimes frowned upon.

Of course, we all want to move up in the world, make more money, improve our social standing, and even increase our power.  In a world so focused on being upwardly mobile, why would anyone waste her time making career moves from side to side?

Why lateral career moves matter

Lateral career moves or lateral transfers describe a situation wherein an employee might stay at the same level of pay or authority while changing roles. If you were to ask ten successful veteran corporate professionals about their career paths, you might be surprised by the trajectory or career path they have navigated so far.

We are inundated with news of promotions, snazzy job titles,  career development wins, new opportunities, and professional achievements on social media. It can feel like everyone is experiencing exciting job opportunities and increased pay grades. It feels like everyone is scaling that so-called corporate ladder while you are stuck on this one rung.

Let me remind you that LinkedIn is often a highlight reel. Folks post news of new roles and new skills because they are proud. Don’t be fooled. It’s often a very long road to get to these wins.  Every employee navigates times of career dissatisfaction, burnout, or unmet expectations. Life events, unforeseen circumstances, and even career missteps play into almost everyone’s personal journey toward success.

One common element among those most successful people is understanding the difference between pay grade increases, promotions, and career progression.

Here’s the secret: You don’t need the first two things to achieve the third.

1. Lateral career moves can better position you for the future

It’s easy to get caught up in short-term wins and forget about the big picture. Moving laterally can help you acquire new knowledge, skills, and experiences that will round out your personal tool kit.

When looking toward your next career move, you’ll be a stronger candidate for a wider variety of roles, higher salaries, and new experiences.

The adage that “success is where preparation and opportunity meet” is particularly true for people who take opportunities to learn. Especially in a small or medium-sized organization, make it your business to know the ins and outs of…everything.

For instance, if you’re in a product-facing role, try to spend some time in a customer-facing role and a vendor-facing role.  Having experience in all three will make you the most capable person in the room when it comes to articulating solutions to common pain points and improving overall business performance.

2. Lateral career moves demonstrate strong learning agility

Hiring managers have overwhelmingly reported looking for employees with a demonstrated history of obtaining new skills. Whether it’s learning new technologies or strengthening current skills, an employee who shows that they are open to learning is extremely attractive to many employers.

“Learning agility” is one of those HR terms your current company uses to identify people they think are “high potential.” These are the employees that organizations want to keep long term.

To join that elite group of individuals, you need to demonstrate a high level of learning agility. Folks with high learning agility are successful in almost any role. Your internal mobility describes your unique ability to learn and apply new concepts quickly.

It can be challenging to secure promoted roles with increased responsibility in the time frame you want to move your career, and lateral moves are often more freely available, and just as rich in learning opportunities and challenges. Try to find more peace and some excitement in the unknown.

3. Moving laterally improves your exposure with a broader group of leaders

We all hear it, but we all forget to do it. Yes, I am talking about networking.

Who has the time or resources to network when trying to stay afloat at work and in your personal life?

Especially in large organizations where leaders can be less accessible, you want to make a name for yourself.  Make time to have important (and career-changing!) career conversations whenever possible.

When it comes to review time, and leaders are comparing you against your peers, be a known person. As an employee, you never want to be a name on a paycheck. Make sure that folks know who you are and what you can do.

Lateral career moves allow you to work under a new set of leaders who will be able to firsthand vouch for your capabilities and can become very strong advocates for your career advancement.  All good leaders have a “short list” of talent they want to grow, and your goal is to be on as many of these lists as possible.

4. Lateral promotions show leadership and willingness to work hard

A lateral career move does not translate to failure.

In many cases, initiatives, projects, or even teams have fallen off track and require new focus.

People who can build reputations as “fixers” are invaluable to organizations. Jumping in with a positive attitude to help solve a business need. Show leadership and your commitment to organization-wide success.

Potential drawbacks:

Of course, you don’t want to turn into your organization’s puppet. As someone open to a lateral move, you wouldn’t want to appear flaky.

When discussing lateral moves, make sure to highlight why the functional or departmental change works for you, your skill set, and your career vision. Be mindful of your reasoning before saying “yes” to any internal career move.

5. Lateral moves help keep engagement high

If you’ve ever experienced prolonged boredom at work, you know that it’s a real slog. Why look for more responsibility in a department and job function that (let’s be honest) you hate?

Even in the most exciting jobs, things can become rote once you’ve mastered your role.  If you like the company, and the role you want is not yet available, choosing a lateral position can often be just the tonic you need. This could be your “in-between job” that keeps you interested in your work and engaged with the company.

Of course, before you take a lateral role, discuss your goals with leadership. Make it clear that this move will be a useful step toward that goal.