You have been with the company for several years, having made some friends along the way. You have learned some new tricks and stayed current with both functional and technological trends. Your performance reviews have always been good, and in many cases, exceeded expectations. You enjoy most of your coworkers, and you genuinely like your boss. Your work is gratifying, and you take pride in your contributions.
But somewhere in the back of your mind, despite the favorable job conditions and relationships, with change in the wind, you’re a bit unsettled. You’re beginning to feel the itch to move on.
Should you scratch?
It may give you some comfort (or raise your eyebrow) to know that you aren’t alone in your thinking. One recent survey indicated that 66 percent of us would consider new job opportunities, while the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 20 percent of us saw fit to actually change jobs.
When you weigh your employment options, your time horizon is most relevant.
You should consider leaving if
Your current role doesn’t meet your professional needs or expectations, there is values dissonance, or you’re “stuck” in a stage of your job with no signs of progression or rejuvenation on the horizon.
You aren’t having fun anymore. Your energy has faded, and there’s no gas in the tank. You don’t have the fortitude or appetite for playing some needed politics. The stress level is too high.
You don’t believe in the future of the organization. Repeated efforts to bring positive change have failed, and your hopes are diminished. Your frustration is inhibiting your view.
You don’t want to be in a position where your decisions will impact the careers and potential livelihoods of others.
Your relationship with your boss or coworkers is unhealthy and beyond repair.
While easier said than done for most of us, your options include looking for a new job, starting a new career, working for someone else, working for yourself, going back to school, doing temporary or contract work, or picking up roots.
You should consider staying if
You welcome the thought of being consulted on matters of strategy and business planning before the decisions are made. You’ll have a real impact upon the future of the organization.
You have the chance to make the change agenda your agenda by developing new skills and expertise.
You’ll learn about a new way of business thinking or perhaps help create the organization’s new culture.
Your personal future looks secure and bright. You see the possibility for enhanced contribution or a promotional opportunity down the road.
You trust the senior management team, and they have a track record of success.
You are capable of leaving any and all selfish interests behind, embracing a genuine approach of servitude.
If these latter reasons (or others) resonate, put your seatbelt on!
While recent trends such as extended life expectancy, eroding retirement benefits, expanded training and educational opportunities, and other social and economic factors may keep you working longer than what you expected on the day of your high school graduation, your professional life still spans a finite period. Over this time, you’ll have multiple careers (concurrent or sequential) and numerous jobs.
Despite what you may think, it isn’t too soon to identify your long-term professional desires and what you should be doing now to achieve them, particularly if your organization and role are changing. Here, you’ll consider your motivation, your likes and dislikes, your skills and competencies, and your desired legacy.
You can find some reflective questions in Appendix A, “Career Reflections,” which is available on the book’s Web site.
Yogi Berra, baseball immortal, is credited with saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” When it comes to career options, Yogi would likely add that education, progressive experience, proficient functional skills, and a good network should increase the number of “forks” coming your way. The probability for making the right choice in employment matters increases exponentially when you have more information and personal awareness.