You hate your current job or boss. You’re ready to jump ship. Many times it’s not about leaving the company, rather, it’s about moving out of your current role or department; doing that can make all the difference.
If you are at a point in your career when you are considering leaving your current employer, think twice before you do. Ask yourself these five questions – who, what, where, why and how – before you give notice.
Who would you rather work with or for?
Often, the reason workers become unhappy or disillusioned in their job is because of the people they work with. How important are your coworkers?
According to Peter Bregman’s July 1, 2010 Harvard Business Review blog, “Why Friends Matter at Work and in Life,” a Gallup Organization study of over 5 million workers 35 years of age and older showed that 56% of the participants who have a best friend at work were engaged, productive, and successful. Plus friends at work can help you live longer.
In Rachael Rettner’s May 11, 2011 Business News Daily article, “Friendly Co-Workers May Increase Your Life Span,” she suggests that the results of a recent study showed that social support at work was associated with “a reduced risk of death from any cause over a 20-year period.”
If the reason you are considering leaving your current job is because you can’t stand a coworker or your boss, consider whether it's possible to move to a different position under a different supervisor or in a different group. Why give up working for a good company because of one or two jerks?
What are you not doing now that you want to do?
A chief reason for wanting to change jobs should be to try your hand at something new. So if you are currently in a position that prevents you from performing some task such as supervising or putting your college education to good use, then perhaps it is time to consider a change.
Otherwise, re-examine your current role and see how you might be able to adapt. Can you stay put for now and work on building the skills you need that will take you to your next career level? Perhaps the company has in-house management training, offers mentorships or can help defray the cost of further education with an education assistance program.
Before you jump from the frying pan into the fire make sure you have exhausted all your options with your current employer.
Where else can you move in the organization?
Running away from a bad situation or job doesn’t necessarily mean you have to leave the company. It might just mean moving to another area of the organization. If you work for a large enough firm, you might find that you can take the skills which you’ve developed and transplant them to another department, division or subsidiary.
One of the best selling features you can offer to the new manager is the fact that you’re a current employee and, therefore, already know a lot about the business, have a proven track record and job stability, and a ready-made reference in your current boss.
Why are you unhappy at work?
The first question you should always ask yourself when you begin thinking about quitting your job is why leaving is the only way out. It may not be.
In the January 5, 2010 CNNMoney article, “U.S. job satisfaction hits 22-year low,” writer Julianne Pepitone reports that the Conference Board polled 5,000 households and found that only 45% of respondents were satisfied with their jobs. Fear of being laid off or fired and lack of new challenges were just two of the reasons why employee engagement appears to be dropping.
When you consider why you are unhappy, you also might want to consider what needs to happen for this to change. Fixing things where you are might be a whole lot easier than starting over. Plus if you don’t know what’s bothering you now, you could easily get stuck in a vicious cycle which will have you repeatedly pursuing jobs with the same problematic qualities.
How can you improve your current work situation?
Sometimes when workers decide to move on they haven’t fully thought through possible solutions to their current situation. Even though some say the economy is on an upswing, job hunting is likely to still be difficult. You might want to try some other steps before heading out the door.
For instance, you could find that changing your negative mindset and being thankful for what you have, understanding how your unhappy attitude helps to contribute to the low morale and negative work environment, and dealing with those difficult work relationships you’ve been unwilling to confront might improve your current work situation.
Before you pack up and move to a new employer, make sure you’ve carefully considered all your options at your current place of employment and be sure that you've fully considered these five questions. Otherwise, you just might be dragging your baggage along with you.
Sources:
- Bregman, Peter. “Why Friends Matter at Work and in Life.” July 1, 2010. Harvard Business Review. Accessed September 26, 2011.
- Hill, Bob. “5 reasons half of U.S. employees hate their jobs.” January 12, 2011. BusinessBrief.com. Accessed September 26, 2011.
- Pepitone, Julianne. “U.S. job satisfaction hits 22-year low.” January 5, 2010. CNNMoney. Accessed September 26, 2011.
- Rettner, Rachael. “Friendly Co-Workers May Increase Your Life Span.” May 11, 2011. Business News Daily. Accessed September 26, 2011.
- Wolgemuth, Liz. “How to Survive When You Hate Your Job.” July 8, 2009. U.S. News and World Report. September 26, 2011.
Deborah S. Hildebrand - Deborah S. Hildebrand is a freelance writer & HR consultant with 20+ years in human resources & a Bachelor's degree in Business.
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