Wrong person for the wrong job

* Published: 11/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: Life

Dear Khun Munthana: I am in my late 30s and hold Bachelor's and Master's degrees in law from reputable universities. I have worked in an international business unit for a large company for around 10 years. In my early years I was able to apply my legal knowledge to my job but recently the company has taken to changing the organisational structure and job functions of its work units, including my department. The result is that I hardly get to use my legal expertise any more and I feel undervalued.

Most recently my roles have involved job deals with customer services and I am used more like a sales representative. I thought about moving to the law department but I can't because the organisational rules don't allow me to. According to the rules, personnel in the sales and marketing department cannot move to other supporting departments such as legal. At my age I cannot simply resign from the company. What should I do?

Thank you & Best Regards,
Minni

Dear Khun Minni: I truly understand where you are coming from. To set personal career goals and to consistently make the right decisions to achieve those goals over time is difficult. First you need to select the right degree course at the right university, then you need to earn a good GPA. If you love your chosen field, as you obviously do the law, then you push yourself further and earn a higher degree.

Given all this study and effort it is understandable that you want to apply your legal knowledge and learning to your job. Unfortunately, because of your company's restructuring you seem to have been transferred to work in a role that simply doesn't suit you. A case of the wrong person for the wrong job. What concerns me most is that your company's rules prohibit you from moving to the legal department, despite your having BA and MA degrees in law. This is horrible.

I think you should consult with your superior and tell him/her that you are not happy with what you are doing at work and that the company would be better off making use of you by transferring you to the legal department. Ask your superior for assistance. Your superior may talk to the legal unit head and bend the rules - there are always loopholes in such cases and I'm sure your boss will understand your view point and appreciate the obvious benefit of a sensible move. That you are wasted in your current role is plain and by engineering your transfer everyone benefits, so it should happen.

However, if your superior cannot help or the company is unable to bend the rules, you should find a new job. I'm not sure why you think that a professional with strong qualifications in their late 30s is unable to change jobs. Says who?! In practice, professionals at that age are very employable because they have solid experience and maturity going for them.

So, why not be proactive in this case - prepare an updated CV and send it to recruitment firms who specialise in filling positions in the legal field. If your transfer doesn't come off, it may not matter because you could be looking at new opportunities to work in those functions for which you have the training and the passion. Go for it!