2022-April-27

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Should Your Career Strategy Include a Job Rotation?

BY PRAPANCH RAMAMOORTHY· PRINCIPAL ENGINEER, TAC · INDIA

4 MINUTE READ · 6 MINUTE LISTEN

“Where do I see myself in three years?’’
“What do I need to do to get there?’’
“How is what I’m doing now contributing to my company's vision?”

Many of us have these questions. In the middle of 2021, I did too.

I had worked in the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for almost 12 years. The thought of what was next in my professional journey constantly circled in my mind.

So I started discussing these questions with my peers, mentors, leaders, and mentees.

Prapanch speaks to students about the challenges in cybersecurity at the annual inCTF event by Amrita University in 2019.

Coincidentally, a couple of exciting things happened around this time.

First, Cisco shared its corporate strategy for the next three years. Shortly after, there was an opportunity for a rotation with the Technology Office within my organization. I took these as signs.

I put together a slide deck with my strengths, achievements, and aspirations. After a few weeks of interviews and conversations, my six-month stint began.

The months that followed were eye-opening and inspirational in many ways. Rather than list everything I achieved during this time, I’ll focus on what I learned during my rotation.

Building relationships with the team was essential to my work.

Projects and initiatives come and go, but the people you work with and the connections persevere. Right from the beginning, the team was welcoming and open to collaboration.

The team is highly diverse in experience, background, geography, etc. Everyone's opinion is respected. Even for someone who had just joined, I felt completely comfortable speaking up and contributing.

The Technology Office has innovation at its core.

During my short stint, I was taught about innovating the right way.

Is there a wrong way? Not really. But there are ways to approach the process to get you further, faster.

For example, creating a customer perspective and working backward using the FAQ tool. It's a tool not just for pitching innovative ideas but also for personal or professional goal setting. (Thanks to Nathan Sowatskey for the tip.)

I also learned how the innovation process on this team is always outcome-focused. Things are never left in limbo. There is a clear plan to ensure that any innovative idea the team works on has a path to production and realizes its full value.

How my role aligns to Cisco’s big picture

A Cisco priority — and CX’s specifically — is not only coming up with new offers and services but making them simple for our customers to consume As-a-Service.

An example is the "Optimized Application Experiences" initiative and the four workstreams that are part of it.

I feel incredibly privileged to have been a part of three of the four workstreams and contribute directly to idea brainstorming, architectural discussions, developing proof of concepts, and creating content for potential whitepapers.

While this is just one example, there are multiple others in progress. In fact, I’m pitching an idea around security compliance and hope to see it come to life.

I’ve been in the network and cybersecurity space all of my career at Cisco. This rotation opened the door for me to combine and add, in a complementary way, my past strengths with this new leadership strategy.

A triple win-win-win

As my rotation came to an end, Carlos Pignataro, CPX CTO reached out.

“You have facilitated a triple win-win-win by moving outside your comfort zone,” he wrote.

“A win for the receiving team with your diverse thinking and concrete contributions. A win for yourself by gaining education, experience, and exposure. And a win for the sending team with new knowledge you brought back. Ultimately a Cisco win.”

I couldn’t agree more.

My personal prize? I had my answers.

Many of you may have similar questions rattling around your brain just like I did. Keeping these questions to yourself rarely helps when contemplating your next move.

So I’ll borrow something that Carlos often says: "Don't hesitate to be vulnerable.”

To me, his message means to never be shy when asking questions and to never let fear of embarrassment take over. Reach out and talk to others who have recently gone through a career transition. Get different perspectives and have an open mind.

I’m so grateful that I did.

The official rotation is over, but the momentum it created continues. Both for the projects I’m part of and for my career.

I can say I now have a better idea of what my next level is. And the people I met in my rotation have given me an extended team to work with to help get me there.

It’s only a question of execution now.