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Is It Time for a New Job?
By Ellen Corsi
Since the 80's, downsizing has become a catch-all for moving employees out of companies for whatever reason a company sees fit. It's become the way to move not only high performers and their high salaries, but the "dead wood" as well. However, if you have been working in the same job for five to 10 years, when is it time to look for a better one?
The job market has become so specialized; it almost takes a rocket scientist and much patience to get through job requirements and really understand what an employer wants. The only good thing about it is that when you read job requirements, it becomes very easy to weed out a large selection of what jobs are available. When you have specific job experience, it's fairly easy to find a career path that will move you up and onward in your career. These facts are pretty easily understood as you look through job listings on the internet to see if you have the experience and education that it takes to merely apply for an open job.
If you have been in a job for an extended period of time, it can be pretty comfortable. If the company is doing well, and everything is status quo, should you stay there indefinitely or look for something better? Many career counselors will tell you that you should look for a new job in order to continue moving up the ladder.
With our technology today, it is very easy to see what jobs are available on a world-wide basis. In the last twenty years, people have relocated on a regular basis to continue to move up the ladder. So what is holding you back?
Have you been in a job for at least five years, and haven't started to look elsewhere? Human nature comes into play looking for the path of least resistance. Do you deserve a better job, but you are so comfortable where you are that you are afraid to take a risk to move up another notch on the career trail?
This is a tough question, because it warrants a good amount of self reflection. What are your ultimate aspirations for your career? Have you met them? It's all about what makes a person happy with their stead in life and their sense of accomplishment.
Many people in the workplace are just happy to have a job. Why would they look elsewhere? However, there are many, many talented people that sell themselves short on what they can achieve.
This question of whether to stay or move ahead can either take a minute, or several months or a year to answer depending upon an individual's particular circumstance. If you are not content with your current job situation, it's worth investigating.
Take some time to self reflect on what your ultimate goals are, and look for ways to attain them. As you go through this process, make sure that you can honestly say that this is what you want and what will make you happy.
After assessing your ultimate aspirations, take this information and apply it to the job market. What types of jobs are the most compatible with where you want to go in your career? By researching your specific field, you can get more information on where you can rise from your current position. This includes specific jobs, rates of pay and locations. By researching specific job openings, you will find answers as to what requirements are in place, and what you need, if anything, to meet them. I wouldn't advise applying for a job where you are deficient in any job specification because it is virtually a waste of time. The job market is so competitive today that the majority of those applying for positions will already have all of the qualifications before they apply.
Another question at this point, is now that you know what it takes to get where you want to go, will you take the risk to reach your ultimate goals? It's gut check time, again. It's easy to become comfortable in a current job. However, you need to ask yourself the question: Is this it? Is this as far as I ultimately want to go in my career? Many years in the future, will I regret the fact that I didn't take a chance to further my career? It is an individual decision, and it's one that we all need to make when it is early enough in your career to do it.
At one point in my life, I made the decision to start a business from the ground up. It's something that I had always wanted to do. It became an adventure, a scary adventure and there were many sleepless nights as I got it off the ground. However, I can say this with an honest heart. I am so glad that I took a chance and followed my dream. I can also say that I will never look back and still wish that I had taken that chance. I was able to do things that I never thought I would ever be able to do. It was something that made me happy and still makes me happy. I have no regrets. Make sure that you don't, either.
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