Creating a space for yourself

Creating a space for yourself - writing a job proposal

Iv’e always been interested in creating things but in 2012 I’m going to be creating something that I haven’t really created before. From idea to reality. Its a new job. I say creating because it is a position that doesn’t exist in my organization and one that seems to be relatively new in my field. 

The Headmaster has decided to call the position the ‘Director of Teacher Development’ and there is no job description, no key performance indicators, not even an existing set of positions to draw from. To make matters even more interesting - I have created this position. I created it by way of a formal job proposal I wrote in mid 2011 after a discussion with a trusted colleague where I vented my career frustrations. It seems I had become an ‘all rounder’ and, like most fields I suspect, an all rounder is always employable but not always promotable. I felt like I didn’t now how to move forward.

Having specific skills, particularly where a standard set of career growth avenues are in existence can be the best thing for moving forward. The path is clearer. In education the career progression for a high school teacher will generally go; teacher, year co-ordinator (or sports co-ordinator, assistant Head of Department etc...a small move) then a move to a Head of Department (a key move), from here a move in to an assistant deputy type role in curriculum or student welfare etc..then a deputy role and finally a Principal/Headmaster. It can be a little more flexible in private schooling but I felt that my road block was the ‘Head of Department’ position. It felt like a closed gateway. I had taught across so many areas in my ten years of teaching that this milestone seemed well beyond me as this is a subject specific role. I had been a year co ordinator previously. 

My solution was to try and create a space for myself. These are the steps I went through:

1. I assessed the current school situation, looked at the direction the Headmaster was currently moving the school.
2. I considered my relative strengths. I had discussed these with two other colleagues.
3. I wrote a position proposal. I asked these two trusted colleagues to read over my proposal and tell me if they thought the concept had merit. I based my proposal on selected criteria from other positions that I researched as being advertised at the time as well as from the research I had done in to the area. There was a wealth of information on accreditation and training in education and I applied this information where I could.    
4. I booked in a time to see the boss and ‘pitched’ my idea. 

I waited a few weeks for him to consider the idea and he asked me to change some things about and clarify some areas. I had indadvertedly ‘usurped’ a small part of someone else's job (quite unintentionally) and he was concerned that the new position not disempower any existing staff. Once we had polished it...he offered me the position, on the senior executive. 

My feeling at the time was that I may or may not be successful. I would not have tried if I knew my leader were not open to new ideas (but then again I would not have stayed in this situation either, I would have left the school). I felt that I had nothing to lose. In particular I felt that the position had merit with or without me so in that I would benefit from the Headmaster considering this important area even if I was not to be the one to drive it forward. I believe that being pro-active in this regard is a valuable thing anyway. 

If your feeling trapped in your position but like where you work I recommend this strategy.