What Would You Do? A Career Move?

By John West Hadley

The Stepping Stone, November 2024

Here is our next entry in the “What Would You Do?” series. Write to me at SteppingStone@JHACareers.com to tell me what you would do. In a future issue, I’ll compile the responses received (preserving your anonymity, of course), along with what actually happened in the real-life situation.

Help me craft future case studies. Write to me about your own challenging, surprising or nightmarish situations involving business, leadership, management, or any of the topic areas covered by The Stepping Stone, and what lessons you learned from them. I’ll collaborate with you on turning your situation into a simple case study, being careful to ensure no one is identifiable. And share your own thoughts (pro and con) on the series as a whole at SteppingStone@JHACareers.com.

A Career Move?

Carolina is an FSA running a pricing operation at her company. There is a corporate reorganization, and she is moved into a planning role within a different product line, without having any discussion, input or forewarning from her boss.

Carolina loved pricing, had been excited to come to work each day, and had made it clear for some time that she hoped for an expanded role across additional product lines. Instead she finds herself in a position she doesn’t like, where she lacks confidence in her abilities for at least half the job, feels overwhelmed and now dreads coming to work. She also feels somewhat betrayed by her boss.

She wonders if there might be a better opportunity elsewhere, but with her extended family in the local area, and her husband firmly opposed to moving, feels she might be severely constrained in her search.

If you were Carolina, what would you do?

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries, the newsletter editors, or the respective authors’ employers.

John Hadley was an FSA for many years, and now works with job seekers frustrated with their search. He can be reached at John@JHACareers.com or +1 908-725-2437 or via LinkedIn. Find his free Career Tips newsletter and other resources at www.JHACareers.com.