The best job advice I ever ignored

Once, when I was preparing to change jobs, I sought advice from colleague. When I explained I wanted to move out of my sector (financial services) and try something else like biotech, he advised against it. As an IT manager, he explained, my “value-add” to my next company was in understanding their business, customers, etc. By “starting over” in a new sector, that was lost.
I ignored the advice and it didn’t take long before I realized my mistake.
I knew nothing about my new business even though I thoroughly understood the technology, people and process sides. As a result, I had no way of completely connecting with the other senior managers or my business partners. And, worst of all, I found the new business boring even though the business model had much in common with my past experience. As a result, I was frustrated because I could have no impact to the degree I had in past jobs. My guess is that my peers, managers, and staff probably felt the same way.

The lesson is this: your job is to help your employer run their business and unless you are, for example, a technologist working in the technology sector or a marketing person in a marketing company, you are less valuable if you don’t know how your company makes money and what your customers’ problems and opportunities are.

Sure there are exceptions. If you just entering the workforce or are coming to a company that is specifically seeking a particular expertise, you have less to worry about. Nevertheless, you better make it a priority to get up to speed as quickly as you can.