The beginning of a new job in manufacturing is often the time when plans for building a career and a future take hold. The early days are often punctuated with excitement, a steep learning curve, and discovering things you enjoy about your new role.
However, the reality is that sometimes, somewhere along the way, your plans can go awry. It is essential to know how to identify when your career has hit a speed bump, and how to deal with issues when they arise.
Lack of Recognition
The feeling of not being valued is one of the most common reasons why employees in the manufacturing field become dissatisfied with their current roles.
With the dynamic nature of the work and the pace at which accomplishments quickly pass by, in manufacturing, in particular, employees can feel their peers and superiors do not appropriately acknowledge their achievements.
Lack of recognition can also take other forms, such as being passed over for promotion or taking on higher duties, such as managing a project team.
Poor Managers And Office Politics
It is a common thread on many forums that individuals leave managers rather than organisations. Though you may have ‘tried’ your best to get along it is fair to say that some managers are not suited to the role and consequently unless they move, often unlikely, you are potentially stuck in a working environment that is not enjoyable or satisfying to work in.
Closely related is the problem that some manufacturing professionals have with office politics. These environments can range from mildly irritating when co-workers take long lunches and don’t contribute reasonably to shared work goals, to downright toxic workplaces where bullying and harassment are concerns.
Misalignment
This is a hard problem to put your finger on, but it occurs when you realise there is a gap between your expectations of the role when you applied for it, and the reality of day-to-day work. This may be because the position is entirely different to what you thought it would be, that it was misrepresented, or simply that you have outgrown it.
So what can you do when you identify that you are faced with one of these problems?
What Next?
If there are issues with the culture that are affecting your ability to do your work, ask for a meeting with the manager who can address the problem.
However, there are times when simply addressing the problem is not enough. This is when it is important to remember that you are a professional with skills that can add value to a business, and these should be recognised appropriately.
Outgrowing a role, being limited in your ability to progress your career or dealing with situations that cause your happiness to be affected are all situations where a move sideways to another role, or applying for a new manufacturing role should be seriously considered.
The fresh challenge and stimulation that comes from setting yourself new goals in a new environment will serve many more of your career objectives as a manufacturing professional than stagnating or spending your workday dealing with blockers and irritants.
So when you come to the end of the road in a particular job, remember that moving on isn’t such a bad thing, and can be the smartest move for your career in the long term.
Best regards
Rhys Williams
About Sigma Recruitment
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations.
This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
