People who are winning at working know that. They know they're not going to instantly appear at top of an organization or be text-messaged a significant salary. They know what happens to them, is up to them. Just like a house is built stone-by-stone, they know they build their own work success step-by-step. They know it takes time, and they use that time wisely.

People who are winning at working practice and develop their skills while others remain tourists in workplace. They do, while others think about doing. They achieve goals while others contemplate them. They execute ideas while others are still discussing them. They step out of their comfort zones to try things and learn from them while others stay trapped in repetitive sameness. They bet on themselves by nourishing their talents through hard work and efforts, knowing like Beethoven, that's only magic to be found.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

The portfolio career puts responsibility upon you to ensure that you make right career choices. In effect, you are now a contractor. It may still be case that you are employed on a permanent contract but relationship is just as it would be if you were there for a short term project or interim position; you’ve been employed for skills you have for as long as those skills are required.

What do you want from next employer in terms of career development, lifestyle accommodation, experiences and training? It’s up to you to identify what your requirements are and either look for a job that offers them it or ask for them. You need to be able to look back over those two or three years and feel you have developed in some way. If you can you’ll have something up to date and valuable to offer next employer.

Another interesting feature of modern workplace is that vast numbers of people follow careers with a lateral or matrix path (a mixture of sideways and upward moves) rather than climbing a ladder. With fewer opportunities for promotion this is not surprising. It’s not uncommon to see people move from a job where they managed a team to one where there is either a smaller team or none at all. In other cases, people move to jobs where they can do new things in order to widen their skills set. This may even be a downward step in terms of seniority.

HANDLING THAT QUESTION In spite of these fundamental changes to way we work and massive increase in corporate change and therefore redundancy, many people still feel ashamed about being made redundant. The greatest fear is that they are seen as having failed. “If I was any good they’d have kept me in some capacity” is often way thinking goes. Not so. Granted, some large employers have room to re-deploy some staff, but not all have capabilities required for new roles. Where mergers have taken place and there are two candidates for one position it is often politics rather than talent that dictates who will be offered new job or else it comes down to which personality is most likely to fit new organisation. Again, this is no reflection on quality of individual who loses out. For vast majority, however, redundancy is part of a cost cutting exercise in which roles and functions are considered to be an unnecessary burden on organisation and are therefore removed.

It’s true that some employers may have concerns and doubts about taking on people who have been made redundant, but these people are rare and above all, an apologetic response to questioning around issue is only likely to reinforce whatever prejudice may be present.

Be prepared to answer question “Why did you leave your last job?” Be up front and truthful about it. What were reasons for redundancy? If it was corporate change or cost cutting, tell them that organisation underwent a change programme and give reason. Explain that as part of programme a number of positions were identified as no longer being required including your own, and that redundancy was offered. If you lost your position after a merger, you can talk about how you were considered less suited to new culture compared with your rival for position. You might be asked to expand upon this so do prepare for this possibility: How has culture changed? How do your values and those of organisation differ?

Always be positive about your previous employer. Nobody wants to think that when you leave them there is a possibility that you might bad mouth their organisation. Explain that while you might have been disappointed you understand and accept situation. You might say that you consider outcome to be right for both parties and that you see it as an opportunity. Whatever you decide to say, be truthful and don’t be ashamed – don’t stop looking interviewer in eye, and don’t go about it on too much! Treat issue as if you have no problem with it and therefore you see no reason for why other person should have a problem with it.

Remember, redundancy is just one of ways that people leave organisations. Too many highly talented people leave by this route for anyone to consider that it is only weak that are made redundant. It simply is not case.