Pros and Cons with moving on from your Current Employer
Is it time for a career change because you’ve about had it with your current boss. Or maybe the learning curve in your current position flattened out a while ago and you are beginning to feel like Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day. Or perhaps for one of a 1,000 other reasons people move, you are thinking about leaving your position. How do you make sure you are doing the right thing for the right reason? Books could be written on this subject, but here are a few helpful guidelines.
How long has it been?
Every day, I see resumes of people that have exhibited ‘highly mobile’ behaviors in their careers. A pattern is evident at a glance. Every year or two, they are moving on. From the employer side, that pattern gives one pause. A calculus emerges and it goes something like this: ‘it will take Susie or Tom 6 to 8 months to become fully effective in their role in my group. Based on their track record, I’ll have maybe another year or so with them before they move. Do I really want to do this again so soon?’
If you haven’t been in your role three or more years and don’t have a compelling reason, try to hang in for a while longer. Perhaps the job/company surprises you. At the very least, this approach will help you avoid a job hopping pattern which may hurt you down the line. Perhaps it’s not the job or company; perhaps it’s you. Perhaps it’s time for a career change.
What is the value add to my career goal(s)?
Do you wish to climb? Do you have a career goal? What is it? Is it written down somewhere? What is the plan to get there? If you have a plan and you fully believe the value add of your current role (which you have been in for a while) for achieving your goals has been largely exhausted, perhaps it is time to seek the next step. Time is precious. Don’t waste it lingering too long in a role just because it is comfortable.
Do you know yourself well enough to understand your limitations?
If you wish to climb, there are two primary avenues to achieve that pursuit. Subject Matter Expertise (SME) is a great way to gain visibility, influence and compensation growth within an organization without necessarily taking on management responsibilities. The other track of course is leadership/management.
This can be a great way for natural leaders to maximize their positive impact on the company. Unfortunately, most of us are not born leaders. In fact, many new leaders find themselves wholly unprepared to positively motivate people for the achievement of company and person goals.
Is it time to move into a leadership role? Other than the fact that someone else is willing to give you a chance, why?
In our experiences we see plenty of examples of people who have stepped into leadership, mostly believing they were up to the task ahead. How are they doing in your estimation?
Do you wish to be a leader? If so, ask yourself why? Do you fully understand the risks to yourself and those you serve?
Perhaps this is worth considering further. Perhaps it’s just time for a career change.
Good luck!
