Jenn, a career coach at Indeed, presents tips for strategically planning and executing a successful career change even without prior industry experience.
Your job should offer a sense of contentment and the feeling that you're on the right path. Whether someone likes their job or they're feeling dissatisfied, moving on to something new might be beneficial. If you're contemplating changing jobs, there are important things to think about.In this article, we give six signs that it might be time to change jobs, explain important things to consider first and describe seven steps for how to decide whether you should make a switch.
Signs that it's time to find a new job
Here are six signs that it might be time to find a new job:
- You're not excited about coming to work. Your job should offer you a level of contentment. Loosing that feeling could be a sign that you need a change.
- High stress levels are affecting your personal life. Challenges at work can sometimes be stressful, but it shouldn't pervade your personal life.
- Your ideas and contributions aren't being valued. If you are putting your best ideas and best effort into your work, you want to feel valued for it. If you are consistently lacking this feeling, you might need a change.
- Friends and family regularly suggest that you should find a new job. Your friends and family likely know a lot about you. People who care about you regularly reach out when they think something isn't quite right. If multiple people in your life are saying that they think you should find a new job, it might be a good idea.
- Low wages are making it hard to support your cost of living. Cost of living represents how much money a person needs to pay for their basic needs. If your salary or wages do not cover your cost of living, you should look for something else.
- You often fantasize about having a different job. Regularly imagining that you have a different job or career, could be a sign that you need a change.
Related: Finding a Career You Love (With Tips)
8 things to consider before changing jobs
Here are eight things to think about before you decide to change jobs:
Personal career goals
Your personal career goals represent your aspirations at work—this could be what you want your daily routine to look like or your hopes for your career trajectory. To help reach your career goals, the work you're doing should align with your desires. You might want to stay in your current job, if keeping it could lead to the next step in your desired career path.
Professional development opportunities at work
Companies often offer training sessions, courses, and webinars to help their employees grow their interpersonal and technical ability. They also typically conduct reviews and offer personalized feedback to further supplement that growth.Professional development and regular feedback reflect a company's ability to support and invest in their employees. If you aren't receiving helpful training or constructive feedback, it may take longer for you to reach your professional potential and you might feel under supported.Read more: 20 Professional Development Topics That Can Help You in the Workplace
Upward mobility at work
Upward mobility at work refers to the ability for employees to rise from one position to another. Movements should be vertical, and provide more benefits—which can include an advanced job title, higher salary, greater insurance or retirement benefits, or a more flexible schedule.If there are multiple senior roles or leadership opportunities at your job, then the potential for upward mobility is high. If the position you hold isn't giving you fulfillment, then working for a company with limited opportunities for leadership or advancement might not be the right fit for you.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance represents the amount of time and energy a person spends on work and work-related tasks compared to the time and energy they can spend in their personal life. 40 hours of work per week is typical of full-time jobs.If someone's total commute is less than an hour per workday, then each week they have a little over 120 hours for rest, leisure and fulfilling personal obligations. If you are experiencing long hours or long commuting times, your work-life balance may suffer.Read more: 10 Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance Now (That Actually Work)
Recruiting offers
Professional recruiting is a big industry. You may find that people are contacting you with job offers in your field. Receiving recruiting offers can tempt you to leave your job, especially if the offer includes a new title or better compensation.Getting multiple offers from recruiters likely means that you possess desirable skills, qualities or credentials. If you like your place of employment, you might want to consider speaking with someone at work about how to move up in rank or how to earn higher pay.
Work environment
Ideally, your work environment should promote emotional well-being and professional growth. A positive workplace can encourage high work performance, friendly relationships and collaboration. The overall culture at work should be inclusive, supportive and team-oriented. When a work environment is less than ideal, it can leave people feeling left out or undervalued.Read more: How to Identify and Deal With a Hostile Work Environment
Employee turnover
Employee turnover is the rate at which people leave the company. It represents a loss of talent in a workplace, and it can result from resignations, layoffs, terminations or retirements. Turnover rates vary by industry and region, but there are averages.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2.2% of people quit their jobs per month, and 1.4% of people experience layoffs or terminations. A higher-than-average turnover rate can be an indicator of an unstable workplace.
Job satisfaction
Job satisfaction represents a person's overall contentment and fulfillment at work. Personal satisfaction varies from person to person, but there are some universal ideals. Job satisfaction is divided into two parts, which are intrinsic satisfaction and extrinsic satisfaction.Intrinsic job satisfaction is a person's fulfillment with the type of work they are doing. Extrinsic job satisfaction is reliant on work conditions, interpersonal relationships and compensation. A lack in one or both of these elements suggests a need for change.Related: 12 Jobs With High Job Satisfaction Rates
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How to decide whether you should change jobs
Here is a step-by-step list for how to decide if it's time to change jobs:
1. Make a list of long-term and short-term goals
Your short-term professional goals have to do with your objectives or quotas and your daily routine. For example, you may want to have more time in your day or less stress. Your long-term professional goals represent your ideal career and lifestyle. For example, you may want to become a professor or a corporate executive. Ideally, your current job should be in line with either your short-term or long-term goals.To see whether your current job aligns with your long-term goals, briefly outline the steps you need to take to reach them. Then try to generate a rough timeline for how you intend to accomplish your goals. Consider how staying at your job for an additional year or two affects your timeline.
2. Consider your feelings
How you feel about your job is important and should be a part of your decision-making process. After listing your long-term and short-term goals, ask yourself probing questions regarding the atmosphere at work, your compensation and whether you feel valued and supported. Here is a list of questions to ask yourself to help organize your thoughts and feelings:
- Will my current job help me reach my long-term career goals?
- Am I getting enough professional development and constructive feedback?
- Is there potential for me to get a raise or promotion at work?
- Do my current job responsibilities leave me with a comfortable amount of personal time?
- Are my unique talents, qualities or abilities being recognized at work?
- Do I feel physically and emotionally safe at work?
- Are there many people at work who have been with the company for a long time?
- Do I feel happy with my job functions?
- Am I satisfied with my compensation and benefits?
3. Identify your primary concerns
Sometimes a person's dissatisfaction with one or two elements of their work or workplace can feel overwhelming. It is important to fully evaluate what is going on at work, so you can identify what your primary concerns are.Review your answers to the questions above. If you answered no to any of them, then that is an area of concern. If you answered no, to most or all of the questions, then a job change may be the right decision.
4. Voice your concerns
After properly identifying your concerns, it is important to let someone at work know how you're feeling. Whether you want to stick with your current employer, or you're thinking of departing, speaking up about your experiences can help you reach your goals and help improve the overall culture and environment at work. Here are two examples of concerns to speak up about at work:
- Job role and salary: Imagine that someone is happy with the overall culture and work-life balance at their job, but is unhappy with their level of responsibility or compensation. Then that person might consider talking to their boss or supervisor about promotion opportunities.
- Physical and emotional well-being: If a person is content with most aspects of their job and workplace, but lacks a sense of emotional or physical safety, then that person should voice their concerns to a superior or someone in the human recourse department.
5. Prioritize your wants and needs
Your professional wants and needs to represent your personal ideal for work. Consider your compensation, benefits and professional career goals—and evaluate personal fulfillment and happiness that stems from your professional life.Assess the work-life balance that your job affords and think about how that affects your health and relationships. Try to determine how important each of these factors is to you personally. The items that are most important represent your needs, and the others represent your wants.If your current job satisfies all of your needs but doesn't include your wants, you may choose to say. If your needs are not being met, then you might consider changing jobs.
6. Consult a trusted friend or partner
A trusted friend or partner is likely to know a lot about you and your professional history. Explain your goals to them, and describe your primary concerns or challenges. Speaking with someone about your feelings can organize your thoughts and help you gain clarity. That person may also have helpful insights for you to consider.
7. Decide and take action
After logically reviewing your goals and objectives, weighing in on your emotions and consulting friends or family, you should have a pretty good idea of whether you want to change jobs. If you decide that you want to stay at your current job, then take the necessary steps to try to find satisfaction and contentment at work.This might mean talking to a supervisor, reaching out to the human recourses department or taking on new responsibilities. If you decide you want to change jobs, start the search for something more ideal and send out your resume.
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