How Do I Know When It's Time To Move Job?

Professionals like accountants, lawyers and management consultants spend up to 90,000 hours at work - a third of your life is spent in the office! It is therefore disappointing to find out that, according to the Deloitte Shift Index, an incredible 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs, and only 12% of people say that they are happy at work.

Furthermore, 59% of people admit to checking into work via email or phone during holidays. So put simply, you can’t get away from work, and so if you're not happy at work, then it’s going to be difficult to be happy outside work!

It is no surprise then, that a recent UK survey suggested that 67% of people will consider moving jobs in 2018, but how do you know when it’s time to move? No workplace is ever perfect, but there are some important questions that you should ask yourself about your current role and employer in order to decide whether or not you'd be better off working elsewhere:

On balance, do you feel positive or negative about work? Perhaps it’s unrealistic to expect people to feel excited about going in to work on a normal Monday morning, but you should feel positive about what you're doing on more days than you feel negative. You should feel that you are having a positive impact on the business, your clients and colleagues.

Do you feel valued? You should be getting positive feedback from your firm's appraisal process and informally on a day-to-day basis from managers, colleagues and clients. What does your reward package tell you? Are you getting pay increases that are more or less than the rate of inflation? Has your annual bonus increased in size over the past few years? The old Oscar Wilde quote that, "no good deed goes unpunished" can be true in your career - loyalty is often not rewarded with pay increases. New joiners are regularly brought in on higher base salaries than existing staff. If your employer values you, then this should be evidenced by your pay cheque!

How do you rate your own performance? Are you positive, energetic and enthusiastic? Are you applying yourself, or are you just going through the motions? You must have the desire to be the best professional that you can be, otherwise you're wasting your time at work. You can't have this desire if you're unhappy with your role or your working environment. Do you need to regain your desire and enthusiasm elsewhere? Sometimes people simply need a change of environment in order to refresh a stale career.

Are you developing as a professional? Do you find your job too easy? Are you learning new skills? Is your firm investing time and money in you? When was the last time that you attended a training course? These are all vitally important questions. If you are in public practice, then professional development is the most important factor to consider. If you are not learning new skills on a regular basis, then your value to your clients does not increase. If your value to your clients does not increase, then neither does your value to your firm or to other potential employers. Your employability and earnings will stagnate.

Do you have the opportunity for career progression? Ideally, you should be working for a growing, thriving business that will continue to challenge you as a professional and provide you with the chance to move to the next level. A growing and profitable organisation is more likely to be able to look after you and support your career aspirations. How is the business performing? Is there room above you to progress into? How has the business treated people with slightly more experience than you? The evidence around you will tell you what to expect over the next few years.

Does your firm create a positive working environment? Do you understand the goal of the business and your role in achieving that goal? Do they look after your well-being as an individual? Workplace stress is a common sign that your employer is placing undue pressure and demands on you. Do they look after your needs as an employee, providing you with a constructive, inclusive and flexible workplace? One clue to this is whether or not you talk positively or negatively about your job and your employer when you’re outside work. For instance, ask yourself if you would recommend your workplace to a friend or family member. The answer to this could be instructive!

What does the above tell you about your current job? Is it time to consider moving? Perhaps it is worthwhile looking at other opportunities, perhaps not. It can be time-consuming and unsettling to actively pursue other jobs, and so, there's no point doing it unless you've decided that you do really need a change, but if you really are unhappy with your current situation, then what have you got to lose?

Rob Thomas is a partner at Cavendish Stuart in London. He is an executive search consultant specialising in partner and team acquisitions in the professional services market in the UK and internationally. Please feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn to receive future articles and insights. Your likes and comments on posts and articles are also greatly appreciated.