The things you should consider before you look for a new job.

While I am in the business of getting people new jobs I also firstly explore the motivation and reason for someone seeking a change.

Humans are emotionally driven and often look to fix or change things, wanting to explore a new job can often be driven by a reaction to something that often has nothing to do with your job. It’s not easy getting a new job and people often go into this process without proper consideration.

Leaving your job and starting a new role isn’t always easy. I often advise people on the below to understand the why.

• Is the decision to look elsewhere based on assumptions? Often this can be: I don’t think they’d give me any more money, I want a little bit of flexibility, I don’t think there is any progression. This can be based on a colleague’s experience rather than their own. I would encourage you to explore these fully rather than make an assumption. If the main reason you want to find a new place to work so you can have more flexibility to take every Weds off from 3pm to play cricket during the season, just ask. 

• Is a move purely money driven? Almost everyone wants a pay increase with a move and rightly so. A lot of people don’t explore this with their current employer as they think it will be pointless or awkward or both. It’s much more costly to hire your replacement than increase your salary when you take into consideration time and resources spent.

• “It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me”. Have you disengaged from your job because of something else? Often, because we spend so much time at work, it can bare the brunt of our dissatisfaction. Is your job really the problem? People often slide into a self-perpetuating cycle of negativity at work, if you feel you are hard done by, you will only see and interpret events that support that. Are you going through a difficult life experience? Of course, this will affect your job and job satisfaction, but is it really fair to attribute this to something outside of your control? You can only control what you can control, It’s ok to have time off work or not be able to fully commit to your role sometimes; you are dealing with a serious life event, and work will not always be your priority.

• If in doubt, apply anyway- well, yes and no. Depending on the skillset of your role, don’t apply for a role as Head of Finance if you have 1 year’s experience in Accounts Payable. Many job seekers think it’s a numbers game and if you want to change to a new career you have to just apply for the job you want. But why would you waste your time putting in an application for a role you have less than 10% of the key, required experience for? I can only imagine it would be quite demoralising and time-consuming to keep applying and keep getting rejected. Some careers and role types will focus more on the personality/culture fit, which is really hard to get across on a 2-page document. Those candidates who follow up their application with a call (please do not 2 minutes after applying) stand out and often for the right reasons.

• Have you spoken to both your professional and personal networks? One thing we most have in common is we all have a job, perhaps you are not very curious about what your friends and families do in their day to day work but speak to them, find out what they like and dislike about their jobs, find out more about the companies they work for etc. These conversations may help you in your own decision-making progress and/or even lead to new opportunities you hadn’t considered or thought about. Think about it now, do you know what your friends even do for their jobs? Often, socially work is only discussed in a negative way, to vent or to complain, ask your friends the top 3 things they love about their job and talk to them about their path to date.

• Can the issue be changed? You can’t move your office location, but your communication and professional relationships with your colleagues could potentially be improved. As in life, problems tend to arise due to misinterpretation through lack of clear communication. Do you dislike your boss or your team or your role because of this, have you taken steps to improve this yourself? Sure, situations can often become untenable, but exploring this first is important.