3 Insights to Help New Hires Get Passed the 18-Month Job Hurdle  

I am in awe of lifetime employees who find satisfaction or mere survival at one company for years on end. How do they learn to manage career status quo and find ways not to disturb it? Are they happy, content, or just numb? Do they know something that the rest of us unsettled rebels don’t? After 30 years of working in the corporate world, climbing the ladder, stepping off the ladder, and stepping back on, I have learned that this breed of employees have learned to accept change, absorb good and bad decisions, know when to fight the good fight and when to surrender.

For bright-eyed, new hires, about a year and a half into their new roles can be a difficult time. After you’ve land what you think is a dream job—good commute, good salary, good people, good company—you realize it is like every other position you have had; reality sets in, and budgets need to be curtailed, stock prices need to be managed, priorities need to be addressed, every great idea you think you have had may not be as great as you intended, and you start to become frustrated. Indeed, you have seen the grass, and it is, in fact, just a different shade of green. It’s known as the 18-month itch. So here is the tipping point: Do you convince yourself that your talents will be better suited elsewhere or do you adjust your own sight to the view in front of you?

Most companies pride themselves on recruiting great talent; some even pride themselves in retaining that talent. If you happen to be that talent, take a loyalty pill and see how you can manage your career within that company past the 18-month mark. Here are three tips for doing so.

• Help create your own goals. Most managers need to establish goals to each of their direct reports that cascade in such a way that they roll up to the company objectives for that year. Each member of the team has a role to play in delivering their component of the bigger plan. Scripting effective goals is not always easy. Many managers do not take the time or have the time to drill down on what your unique contribution should be. I would argue that this is one of the most important functions of a manager, but you would be surprised at how few make this a priority. Take advantage of this as an opportunity. Establish goals for yourself that align with not only the company’s objectives but that influence your development as well. If your company (like every other one) wants to grow profit this year, determine what you can do that will grow sales at your level—find new clients, increase wallet share, discover new revenue sources, etc. In addition to defining what your position is supposed to contribute, add in a new element that will expand your own role in related or new ways within the company. Take this time to clearly identify what you want and partner with your manager to create a roadmap; communicate specific measures on what success looks like and on what it can be with additional rewards and tiers leading to the next level.

• Listen to your earnings calls. If you work for a public company, make it a point to listen to your CEO’s quarterly earnings calls. Sure you can read the report, but it is critical to hear what he/she is saying and with what enthusiasm he/she is sharing this information to the street. If you know what is important to the leadership of your company, you can better align your efforts and career path with those and ensure greater support for your own efforts. This should be obvious to every employee, but so few actually take the time to hear the report in real time and observe what questions are being asked and how they are answered. There is so much valuable information in just listening. As an example, if you are spending your time and energy in developing new revenue sources, and your CEO is focused on organic growth by expanding contributions from existing sources, you may not get the support and approval you need to be influential and grow within the organization. You want to always be working parallel to the company and not against it; this will make you more valuable and more recognized.

• Write out your dream job spec on paper. Of course, it must be at least related to your current industry to grow within, but be honest with yourself. If you are in a financial role and long for more creativity, perhaps consider embedding your skills within the brand or marketing teams. It would be one step closer to your ideal. If you are on the right course but want to refine your role into a discipline, then focus on expanding your knowledge in that area and look for opportunities and voids within your company that can use that particular skill set. Want to learn social marketing? Volunteer to be a Facebook live personality. (For free, who could resist?) Want to get into product development? Network within your firm and send ideas to your new friends, offer to help them or join in to observe some meetings. Find ways to apply your current skills toward your established career direction and start to not only identify where these skills can be utilized but how you can expand them in the areas that bring you closer to your dream job. You will get there sooner if you see what is in front of you rather than looking elsewhere for it.

Careers are tricky. New positions are tempting, and frustration wherever you are is real and common. While there is no perfect way to manage your future, embracing your situation, identifying what you want and finding a way forward will help to scratch the 18-month itch.