When and Why to move jobs...

This is a new take on an old article. So, you have avoided the cliché of jumping ship during the summer? In actual fact time of year is irrelevant but there tends to be more movement around the summer and then again at new year. You’ll spend two weeks at home and your over achieving siblings, friends or pet were there too – everyone lavishing them with praise. You on the other hand feel stuck in a job you don’t hate (don’t love either), that hasn’t really progressed from this time last year and you’re feeling you have been dealt a less than desirable hand. The end of holiday blues kick in and the fear of returning to work on that fast approaching ‘Monday’ is almost paralysing…

All is not lost. You really do have a wide variety of options, here are three;

·        Buck up and get yourself together – you’re a professional not a monkey in a suit, rally the internal troops and remember why you took the job in the first place. Talk to your manager and tell them why you are unhappy, be constructive and only talk about the things that are possible to change within the company. If the reason you are unhappy is because your manager is terminally rubbish at their job and their black-hole personality makes it tough to be around them – then choose your words carefully.

·        Pack up your shell and crab, move sideways into another department of the business. Sales to marketing, marketing to sales, operations to commercial. Many of your core skills will be transferable and many companies would rather keep a great personality than lose one. Be proactive and carefully consider this before you set the process in motion, you will need to make an impression quickly and you may need to put in your own time whilst training.

·        Pull the plug and get out of dodge, hand your notice in “mic drop” moonwalk out! Perhaps not, you should serve your notice period you need that pay-cheque and you want a good reference! If you do just pull the plug you should have a few things in place first! Work with a recruiter, looking for a job is time consuming and they will do the hard work for you, they can also have conversations on your behalf that you can’t necessarily have. Only go forward for positions you really have a connection with. Set out clear dates for moving and take a week or so between positions. This allows you to decompress and see your friends, family and start fresh in your new position.

I am keen for this to not move into a sales piece. Whoever you use to recruit for you or to find you a position, make sure you are working with someone who;

·        Has a good knowledge of the market/ industry!

·        Earns your trust

·        Can prove they have placed candidates in positions like yours before

·        Can qualify how well they know the client

·        Allows you to research the company online, to make sure they are reputable

For example, myself and my team put a heavy influence on culture and cultural fit, this is to ensure a long lasting and secure work environment. We have found conclusively that a good cultural fit is a better indicator of how long a prospective employee will last, compared to just a match up from skills, that being said you don’t have to use us but be informed, with whichever company you use.

Should you wish to move currently please do not hesitate to contact us;

07793458779// [email protected]