Superstar or Role Player?

It's an article of faith that the last thing to recover after a recession ends is employment. Companies don't want to commit to long-term relationships with employees until they have long-term commitments from those who provide revenue. The challenge for those in need of employment, whether they are currently working or not, is to make themselves as attractive as possible to the companies they'd most like to work for.

But what is it that defines "attractive"? The answer is sometimes more complicated than you think.

If the company you'd most like to work for is one on the bleeding edge of anything, you generally have to show you are an innovator. You lead. You're aggressive. You get results. You can juggle multiple assignments. You build networks and relationships that help you succeed. You take risks if the payoff is high. You're a superstar and you want everyone around you to know it.

And you could be among the last group of people to get hired.

It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it? What company wouldn't want to hire someone like that? The truth is when revenue streams are still recovering, most companies won't jeopardize what they've got by taking risks. They'll spend more time and money optimizing what they already have to ensure future gains in efficiency and productivity.

This is where the role player comes in.

A role player isn't flashy. They don't take risks. The networks and relationships they build are all about acquiring information to get the job done faster and better.  They don't have to lead except by example. They don't multi-task well, preferring to focus on one or two things at a time and get them done before moving to the next assignment. Most are just happy to have a job, and if you treat them well they'll stick around a while.

A superstar? Show them the money baby, or they're looking for the door that leads to the next high-profile gig.

The challenge for the role player to beat out the superstar is to do something that is very unlike a role player: You have to sell yourself. Employers won't know you're out there unless you're shouting "Look at me!!" from the rooftops. Trust me on this. The superstars are already doing it and they'll drown you out unless you're up there with them.

But when a company is starting to recover from the ravages of a recession, they don't always want - or need - a superstar. They need someone to come in and stabilize the foundation. They need role players. In this day and age, that's not such a bad place to be.

The Continued Decline of the 4th Estate