Have you ever wondered how to elevate from an individual contributor to a leadership position? Well, it's all about picking the right elevator.

Imagine your current position as an elevator, and it has stopped at the seventh floor.  Despite pushing all the buttons, that elevator just will not go up.  So, what do you do?

Likely you would get out of the elevator, which represents your decision to make a job change.  But notice, you are still on the same floor that you're exiting.

A common misconception is that someone stuck in an individual contributor role can move out of their company and up a functional level. The rule that I've seen apply in nearly all cases is:

If you want to move up a functional level, you almost always have to do that within your company.  If you want to move out of your company, you almost always have to do that at the same functional level.

There is not some Wankavator that can move you up and out in one diagonal move. So, a person has to get out of the elevator on the seventh floor and enter a new elevator on that same floor. Yes, a lateral move, but you're entering an elevator that is going up.

As you evaluate the bank of elevators to see which one can take you to that next level, how can you know which one to choose?  This is where partnering with an executive recruiter who is an industry expe rt can help.

Here are two things I look for:

1. Look for a team or department with layers of management missing. For instance, if a VP is managing a team, but that team is typically managed by someone at the Director level, then eventually, the VP will eventually hire a Director to lead the team.  It's highly probable that the first place they will look is internally. If you're that internal person, you have a great shot at elevating into that role.

2. Be the first one in. People who make lateral moves, but who are the first person in a department or team, tend to elevate faster.  As new people come onto the team, it is likely they will be hired underneath you, lifting your elevator organically.

Changing elevators to try to move up comes with a measure of risk, but that might be what it takes to elevate into a leadership position.  I hope that helps!

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, and if you've liked this content, you can find more on our YouTube Channel @ThePharmaversePodcast or my TikTok page @TheInterviewCoach.

Thanks,

Michael Pietrack

More About The Author: Michael Pietrack is the leading Medical Affairs recruiter in the US. Also, he hosts a leadership podcast called The Pharmaverse Podcast (Leadership Topics) and has a recoccuring collumn on BioSpace called Leadership Lab. You can see all of Michael's Medical Affairs positions by following the private group called "KBIC Jobs - Medical Affairs"