MiddletownJournal.com

Dear J.T. & Dale: My company just announced that it will be closing our facility in 18 months but that our jobs are secure until then. My challenge is this: I've been interviewing with a local company, and they've offered me a job. However, I've learned that the last two people who had this job left within six months because management didn't support them. What should I do? — Kevin

J.T.: My first reaction is to advise you not to take the job. This company sounds like bad news, and your current employer has given you guaranteed employment. Why not stay with it till you find a job that you feel more certain about?

DALE: Well, let's consider that "guarantee." I'm sure the company is sincere in its plans — now. But it isn't difficult to envision the company making an announcement like this: "Our business has deteriorated faster than expected, so the plant will be closing three months from today." Is that alarmist? Yes. Don't get complacent, thinking there's no hurry. In fact, there's an inside joke among people who work in the outplacement business — those who deal daily with people being laid off:

EMPLOYEE: "How long will it take me to find a job?"

OUTPLACEMENT COUNSELOR: "How long is your severance?"

The reason the outplacement folks find this funny is that most people wait till near the end of their severance to get serious about looking for a job, and then they leap at any job offer. Which doesn't mean I'm arguing in favor of your jumping at your first offer; I simply want you to think through whether there's a way to make it work.

J.T.: Here's what might make it work: Go to them and have a tactful yet honest conversation about your concerns. If it is a smart organization, managers already will have been thinking seriously about what has gone wrong with this position and how to fix it. If you can tell them you want to work with them on the position/problem so that you can stay for the long term, and they respond well, you might move ahead with confidence.

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Dear J.T. & Dale: What do you think about "slash careers"? — Angela

J.T.: For those of you not familiar with the term, "slash careers" refers to those people who actively split their working hours between two or more careers, like investment counselor/aerobics instructor. There's a book I'd suggest to you, Angela: One Person/Multiple Careers, by Marci Alboher, a lawyer-turned-journalist/speaker/writing coach who interviewed hundreds of folks who feel they've found the secret to work-life balance with the use of the "slash" approach.

DALE: However, while there are plenty of reasons to love the diversity and flexibility of pursuing multiple interests, there is a downside. The people who are most likely to thrive in typical organizational cultures are those who devote themselves to the organization. (What's another name for a "workaholic"? Employee of the Year.) Those with a second profession will be treated with skepticism: "Are they really committed to the job?" Therefore, "slashing" works best when the output of the work is visible, while the work itself is not. For instance, if your primary job is freelance graphic design but you also have a side business of carving duck decoys, you will be judged solely on your output, not on your loyalty to an organization.

J.T.: Nevertheless, in this current economy, I think "slash" careers of every kind are going to become more popular — out of necessity. Entry-level jobs are scarce right now, as seasoned professionals opt not to retire, and stay in the work force. So, new graduates find work that provides a paycheck and then make time to pursue a career path that excites them. Doing so, they get an early education in how to manage two careers as a means of professional development.

Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten's latest book is (Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.