Director at age 35 - Really? Me?
Discussion
I have just been offered an external junior director position outside of my current industry for a huge consultancy.
I am 35, and unsure on accepting.
Reasons being do I want the responsibility? Family life balance?
Did I mention the responsibility? Living with the knowledge I will probably be hated on the floor. Probably won't be able to have proper banter as I currently do as people would think I'm unapproachable.
For me it was a purely spurious opportunity to gain experience for interviewing for the next step up the food chain. I prepped and approached the process with a lot of due diligence.
Little did I know I would be offered the role.
I am 35, and unsure on accepting.
Reasons being do I want the responsibility? Family life balance?
Did I mention the responsibility? Living with the knowledge I will probably be hated on the floor. Probably won't be able to have proper banter as I currently do as people would think I'm unapproachable.
For me it was a purely spurious opportunity to gain experience for interviewing for the next step up the food chain. I prepped and approached the process with a lot of due diligence.
Little did I know I would be offered the role.
HannsG said:
23! Is that in your own company.....
Impressive nonetheless
Arguably more impressive in his own company, ceteris paribus.Impressive nonetheless
35 is by no means young, though. Your approach to responsibility and work life balance isn't really something an anonymous internet forum can comment on - to speak plainly of it.
Edited by iphonedyou on Thursday 6th August 13:30
I wouldn't worry about the job title. There are many other people out there with 'lesser' or grander titles at the same or younger age with responsibility spanning some of many countries, headcount into the several 1000's, targets or budgets in the multi-millions. I am the same age bracket as you and have been at the top levels of my past few companies for a good few years. That does not stop you from having relationships at different levels of the organisation.
What is your current role and industry?
I'm lined up for a Director role within the next 18 months and I feel perfectly up to it. In fact, having spent the last 4 years as a senior manager, I don't think it will be any worse in terms of work/life balance than what I already do. Currently working 7-5 anyway, with a couple of late nights as and when.
To be honest, I think management is something you get or you don't. Rather than focusing on a single task, you spend most of your time juggling 4/5/6 issues and delegating out the best course of action. Responsibility is par the course, but as long as you are confident that you know your stuff, you will grow into the role.
I'd definitely take it in your situation. 35 is a good age (not too young, not too old). At 28, my concern is getting my promotion quite young and not being taken seriously (I work in construction, where everybody has 30+ experience).
Go for it and good luck!
I'm lined up for a Director role within the next 18 months and I feel perfectly up to it. In fact, having spent the last 4 years as a senior manager, I don't think it will be any worse in terms of work/life balance than what I already do. Currently working 7-5 anyway, with a couple of late nights as and when.
To be honest, I think management is something you get or you don't. Rather than focusing on a single task, you spend most of your time juggling 4/5/6 issues and delegating out the best course of action. Responsibility is par the course, but as long as you are confident that you know your stuff, you will grow into the role.
I'd definitely take it in your situation. 35 is a good age (not too young, not too old). At 28, my concern is getting my promotion quite young and not being taken seriously (I work in construction, where everybody has 30+ experience).
Go for it and good luck!
Terminator X said:
Each step up the ladder usually results in you having to give more of yourself to work eg longer hours etc. Just be aware that work life balance can suffer so make sure you're ok with that and the salary makes up for it of course.
TX.
Completely agree with that. Looking back I wish I had stayed lower down the pecking order a bit. More salary is great but the added stress really isn'tTX.
Being a Director does not have to change you as a person.
It does not mean that you have to treat other staff differently all of the time, except when you really need to do so.
It does not mean that everyone has to hate you.
It just gives you more responsibility and sometimes you have to make decisions that not everyone will like.
It does not mean that you have to treat other staff differently all of the time, except when you really need to do so.
It does not mean that everyone has to hate you.
It just gives you more responsibility and sometimes you have to make decisions that not everyone will like.
What does the title "Director" mean and entail in this case?
In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
The other thing to consider is, if & when you move on, and your CV contains the D word, you may (depending on what your role entails then and what you want to move to) find it difficult to get interviews unless you massage your CV, because people will see, for example, IT Director and think you want to head up the entire function rather than "just" a team within that function. I know this from bitter experience.
In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
The other thing to consider is, if & when you move on, and your CV contains the D word, you may (depending on what your role entails then and what you want to move to) find it difficult to get interviews unless you massage your CV, because people will see, for example, IT Director and think you want to head up the entire function rather than "just" a team within that function. I know this from bitter experience.
swerni said:
Titles are ridiculous these days.
Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
My favourite is "Associate Director" which is basically any monkey who's worked at the place for 3 years.Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
I'd rather avoid the title of director. Internally people know who you are. Externally, it means you will get less grief from recruiters wanting to hire into your team, cold/sales calls in general as even with 'director' you may have no real influence on buying decisions but external people think you do. Personally, I prefer the external anonymity.
CAPP0 said:
What does the title "Director" mean and entail in this case?
In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
This^^^In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
In buckets full.
Before I moved into a consultancy firm, I was with a huge (2nd largest private company on the planet) company where no one was a director unless they really were running the show.
My boss was a director of a business function for EMEA and had upwards of 400 people under him across 11 countries.
His boss was a functional VP and had several thousands under him.
However, I also know someone who has a VP job title in another business and the way he describes his role, I don't think the title would have even included 'manager' at my previous co.
As others have mentioned, I wouldn't get too hung up on the title, they must feel you are up to the role and you obviously wanted it so get stuck in!
swerni said:
Titles are ridiculous these days.
Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
Definitely this! Empowerment via job title! Start a business you a mate and one employee one of you gets to be CEO! The other a director woo hoo. Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
In all seriousness only the OP knows what he wants out of life if that's money, promotion etc... And how that will affect his WLB.
Having offspring will change your view of what's important I'd take more time with the family over work and money any day.
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