THE SMART GUIDE to Moving Job

All jobs carry responsibilities and tasks that we don’t particularly enjoy. We accept that. It’s life and we get on with it. But there’s a balance. And when we reach the point where we’re deeply unhappy in our job, we need to take action to protect our emotional and physical health.

Warning signs of job dissatisfaction include:

·        You lack passion for the work and see no possibilities

·        You dread going to work

·        You REALLY dislike your boss or someone on your team

·        You’re constantly stressed, negative and unhappy at work

·        You don’t believe in the company’s values anymore

·        Your work performance is suffering

·        You no longer have a work/life balance

·        Your skills are not being tapped into and you feel overlooked and undervalued

·        You’re doing more work for the same pay

·        Your ideas are not being heard

·        You are experiencing bullying, verbal abuse or sexual harassment

Some problems can be remedied by sharing your feelings with your manager, members of your team or the HR Department but when you’ve exhausted these options, sometimes the only way forward is to move job.

Roadmap to Work Life Happiness

First off, sit down with a piece of paper and ask yourself ‘What’s my ideal job?’ In Richard N. Bolles ‘What colour is your Parachute?’, he suggests. ‘Begin not with the job market but with yourself. Figure out who you are and which gifts you most love to use. Look for organisations and jobs that match YOU.’

SMART Goals

Once you’ve established what kind of job or career you want, start setting some goals. Divide your goals into timescales. Like what you want to achieve by: the end of the month, after 3 months and by the end of 2017. According to S J Scott’s ‘Smart Goals Made Simple’, SMART goals work best.

Specific – Write down the goal ie I want a New Job, Career

Measurable – Checking job ads, talking to recruiters, researching sectors, companies, people, attending interviews and connecting with colleagues in that organization or sector

Attainable – Ensuring you have the qualifications, experience, personality for the specific job or career

Relevant – Is this job, career opportunity relevant to you? Will you get to use your talents?  

Timeline – When do you want to achieve this goal by?

WRAP

Chip and Dan Heath in their book ‘Decisive’, advocate the WRAP approach to making decisions.

Widen Your Options

When looking at job ads consider other industry sectors, join networking groups, use LinkedIn, other digital forums and upskill.

Reality Test Your Assumptions about a job or a company by seeking advice from friends and colleagues working in the sector or company. Do some online research or hire a career coach

Attain Detachment before Deciding

It is vital to not let short term emotion overrule your decision about which jobs you’re going to pursue and which job offer you will accept. Evaluate fully how this job will impact you career-wise, financially, emotionally, work-life balance and spiritually. Write down a list of Pros and Cons for each job option. Be detached and avoid ‘confirmation bias’.

Prepare to be Wrong

Sometimes we get excited about a job or career opportunity only to discover that we’ve got the wrong impression or been misinformed. Don’t let this deter you. 

Don’t Burn Bridges

Finally, when you’ve found a new job, don’t burn bridges with the people you’re currently working with. The business world is small and you may meet or need these people again. If you feel you’ve been badly treated, remember it’s a valuable lesson learned and move on. If you’ve outgrown the job or career path you’re on, be gracious when saying goodbye. Offer to help train your replacement or be available to take a phone call after you’ve left. Good karma will always help you in your next job and in your life.