How to Change Your Job Before Your Employer Does It for You

Posted on August 08, 2013 by Curtis Songer, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

The average person today changes jobs every 3 years. They go through a complete re-tooling and change careers every 10 years. Some of this is by choice. Unfortunately, some is not. For those who choose to change, the most common reasons are to get better pay, to leave a “bad boss”, to get out of a toxic environment (e.g., bad relationships with co-workers), to seek better work/life balance and less stress, and seek a more fulfilling job. For those who are forced into unemployment, the reasons given by management are economic downturns, poor performance, and the need to replace older, more costly employees with younger, cheaper employees. Some of these reasons are bogus. But whatever the case, this is becoming more common every year with layoffs at some major companies as frequent as every 3 months.

Do any of these sound familiar:
1. Do you feel your talents are not well utilized and you’re not as productive as you would like to be?
2. Do you need more time in the day or do you need better work/life balance?
3. Do you lack well-documented long-term goals that you consistently achieve?
4. Is there room for improvement in your relationships with your supervisor, and/or co-workers?
5. Do you have difficulty influencing and motivating others to your way of thinking?
6. Does your life lack purpose and meaning; are you disappointed in the way it is turning out?
7. Are there rumors of cost reductions and potential layoffs at work?

These are all signs that it might be time to change your job before your employer does it for you. But how do you know if you should change jobs? The following are some pros and cons to changing employers.

Why you should change employers:

1. You can move up faster and command a higher salary. Sometimes the best way to move up is to move out. In the Experience.com study, 54% believe that career advancement opportunities are more important than salary. The number one reason they are changing employers is because they aren’t advancing fast enough. In addition, millennials expect their average annual salary at their first job to be between $50,000 to $75,000, a sum few entry-level employees can command. It could take at least a year to get a raise because you have to wait for annual performance reviews.

2. You want to change careers altogether. If you decide that you want to go back to school to pursue an entirely different career, then it makes sense to quit your job if you’re financially able to. This is especially important if your company doesn’t have open positions in your new field because you won’t have a future there if you make the change.

3. Your relationship with your boss is toxic. If you and your manager don’t get along and you’ve tried everything possible to create a strong working relationship, then it might be time to leave. This can happen if they are untrustworthy, are taking credit for your hard work or just don’t show you any respect. Your manager has a major impact on your career success at work so if you can’t get along after an extended period of time, it’s going to hurt you.

4. Your life situation has changed. You could get married, have children, buy a house or want to start your own company. Your current salary and position at work might not support your life changes and aspirations any longer. For instance, your wife might have to move to a different state or country for work, and if you’re unable to do remote work, then you will be searching for a new job.

Why you should stay with your employer:

1. You need to give your employer and job a chance. It can take about six months for you to go through training in a new job. If you depart after a year, you haven’t received much experience at all. If you don’t give yourself enough time at your job, you’ll never be trusted with more important projects that can help build your career.

2. It looks bad to switch jobs every year. Companies won’t invest in you if they know that you’re going to be a job hopper. They are looking for loyal employees who could become the next generation of leaders. Employers look down on resumes that depict job hopping for this very reason. ”Even in a focused search through recruiters I’m always looking to eliminate the job hopper,” says Mark Suster, a Partner at GRP Partners. “You’re probably disloyal. You don’t have staying power.”

3. It’s going to be very challenging finding a new job. Sometimes you just need to be happy with the job you have because so many people are unemployed. Many companies aren’t hiring now and the amount of time you spend job searching could be better utilized becoming a better and more valuable employee.

4. You will have to rebuild an internal network. When you work for a company for several years, you start to become well-known and highly connected there. You work with people in different departments, geographies, age brackets and positions. By formulating this network, you become more valuable and more productive. You learn about who inside your company can help you solve problems or accomplish projects. When you change employers, your network resets and you have to start investing time and energy in new relationships.

If you decide it is time to change your job before your employer does it for you, you need to do some serious career planning. You may be in a situation where you are fully committed at work and but your gifting may not be the best fit. This may call for a new professional position, consistent with your skills and abilities, either inside or outside your present organization. In addition, this position may, or may not be, related to prior industries or functional areas you have worked in. What is important is that the new position be consistent with your Core DESIGN in order to guarantee long-term fulfillment and success:
D = Driving Motivators
E = Experiences: Life Lessons Learned from Life Experiences
S = Specialized Skills & Strengths
I = Interests & Passions
G = Unique Gifting (talents)
N = Natural Personality

Mr. Songer can assist you with a simple 12-step process to navigate this journey, identify your Core DESIGN, develop and implement a career plan, and lead to a very positive outcome.