How to Handle Multiple Job Offers - By https://www.market-connections.net
How to Handle Multiple Job OffersYou’ve interviewed with a company and things went well. The next step is to receive the job offer. In most cases, it’s a simple process — they offer you the job and you must already know how to evaluate a job offer before you accept. But sometimes there are circumstances surrounding the job offer(s) that complicate the process. So, what is a job seeker to do when more than one job offer is on the table? Here are strategies for handling the situation when multiple job offers are being considered. Multiple Job OffersQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: I’ve been interviewing for several jobs simultaneously. What if two companies offer me a job? ANSWER This is a great situation to be in! It feels wonderful to be wanted, doesn’t it? Sometimes, it’s an easy decision to make. But it can be a difficult decision if you like both companies. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to each job and that can help you make your decision. A “pros and cons” list can be a good way to objectively evaluate which position is the best fit. First, consider how to evaluate a job offer. Possible categories to assess can include:
A more likely scenario, however, is that you will receive one job offer before the other. So what do you do if you receive a new job offer AFTER you already accepted a job offer? New Job Offer After You Already Accepted A Job OfferQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: What do I do if I accepted a job with Company A, but Company B offered me a job after I started my new position? ANSWER If you’ve already started working at Company A, this puts you in an uncomfortable position. Your current employer has invested time and money in the hiring process, and has put resources towards training you and getting you up to speed with the company. So don’t make the decision to leave lightly. Again, assess the pros and cons of both positions. It's important to know how to evaluate a job offer. But if you are going to make a change, make it quickly. You will be burning bridges, but you don’t need to make it any more difficult than it needs to be. Offer your resignation to your new supervisor in person. Don’t put it in an email or text message. Be gracious. Thank them for this opportunity. You may even want to explain that you Are surprised to be offered your “dream” position, and it’s an opportunity that you just couldn’t pass up. Offer your two weeks’ notice (Two Weeks Notice Template), as you would if you were a long-time employee. Letting your new boss know right away also holds true if you have accepted the job at Company A, but haven’t yet reported to your first day of work. If you are going to revoke an accepted offer of employment, let the company know as soon as possible. Don’t wait to let them know — and don’t just fail to show up for your first day of work. While the company may be disappointed with your decision, the sooner you let them know you’re taking another job, the better. And what do you do if you let your current boss know you’re accepting a new position, and they tell you they don’t want to lose you? A Job Offer Counter Offer is not to be taken lightly. Be sure to look at all angles before you consider moving forward. Waiting for Job OfferQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: I’ve interviewed with two companies. I’ve been offered a job with Company A, but I want to see if I get an offer from Company B (which is the company I really want to work for). How do I handle this? ANSWER Do you have an idea of when Company B will be making a hiring decision? That can influence how you handle your response. If you’ve interviewed with both companies, and are waiting for job offer from Company B in the next 48-72 hours, you may be able to strategically “stall” Company A by requesting the offer in writing so you can review it “before accepting.” You can also take this opportunity to negotiate the offer, which may buy you some additional time. Consider the resources offered in this article: How to Negotiate Salary. Chances are you have not already discussed when to follow up after interview with Company B. So, if Company B hasn’t told you when the hiring decision will be made, you can contact the Hiring Manager and ask about a timeframe. You may even mention that you have been offered another position, but theirs is the job you really want, and you wanted to follow up to see what the timeframe is for making a decision before you let the other company know if you were going to accept their offer. However, there’s that old saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” You may not receive a second job offer. And if you put off Company A for too long — or don’t act “interested enough” — you may even lose that job offer. In some cases, you may be better off taking the job with Company A and then seeing what happens with Company B. Prepare your Job Offer Acceptance email. In the "Job Offer" SeriesHOW TO EVALUATE A JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Evaluate-a-Job-Offer WAITING FOR JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Waiting-for-Job-Offer JOB OFFER COUNTER OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Job-Offer-Counter-Offer CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Conditional-Employment-Offer HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Handle-Multiple-Job-Offers About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Job Offer Counter Offer - By https://www.Market-Connections.net
Job Offer Counter OfferYou’ve interviewed with a company and things went well. The next step is to receive the job offer. In most cases, it’s a simple process — they offer you the job and you must already know how to evaluate a job offer before you accept. But sometimes there are circumstances surrounding the job offer that complicate the process. When you submit your resignation Letter (Template for Resignation Letter), your current employer may surprise you with a counter offer... Here are strategies for handling the situation when a counter offer from a current emploer is on the table. Counter Offer from Current EmployerQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: I was offered a job, but when I turned in my resignation at my current company, my boss made me a counter-offer to stay. What should I do? ANSWER This is a tricky one, because EngageScientific.com has a solid list of reasons for not accepting a counter offer. One of the reasons listed clearly states the following: "Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six (6) months, or being let go within one (1) year, is extremely high.
Many times, it’s because the employee was fired, not because they received another job offer. Moreover, there is BusinessInsider's advice in "Why You Should or Shouldn't Take the CounterOffer When Resigning" If you are in the midst of working on a key project when you get another job offer, your boss may offer you more money to stay so that the project can be completed. However, when the project ends, you may not be assigned to another key project because you’re seen as “disloyal” or a “flight risk,” or you may be asked to train other employees on your major responsibilities and tasks in case you do get offered another job — because the company doesn’t want to be caught in that same position again. From a personal perspective, there was obviously a reason why you were considering or looking for a new job. Once you have submitted a Resignation Letter (Two Weeks Notice Example), it may be too late to request to get the raise you deserve. Often, a higher salary isn’t the only reason why people accept a new job offer. Even if your current employer matches the salary offered by the new employer, the counter offer won’t address other reasons why you were considering a job change or career change. In the "Job Offer" SeriesHOW TO EVALUATE A JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Evaluate-a-Job-Offer WAITING FOR JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Waiting-for-Job-Offer JOB OFFER COUNTER OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Job-Offer-Counter-Offer CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Conditional-Employment-Offer HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Handle-Multiple-Job-Offers About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Waiting for Job Offer - By https://www.Market-Connections.net
Waiting for Job OfferYou’ve interviewed with a company and things went well. The next step is to receive the job offer. In most cases, it’s a simple process — they offer you the job and you must already know how to evaluate a job offer before you accept. But sometimes there are circumstances surrounding the job offer that complicate the process. When job searching, one might feel the jitters; it's "waiting for job offer anxiety"... Here are strategies for how to handle the situation when waiting for a job offer. Waiting for Job Offer AnxietyQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: I’ve been led to believe that I’m getting a job offer — the Hiring Manager talked about salary and benefits, and even showed me which office would be mine … but I haven’t heard anything from him in two weeks. Now what? Answer: There are many reasons why a job offer might be late-arriving. Most of them are out of your control. For example, the Hiring Manager might have had an unexpected project or emergency come up that delayed the job offer. Or the Human Resources Department may have had difficulty connecting with the individuals you listed as references. And sometimes, the hiring process is simply put on hold. This is why it’s important to ask in the job interview about the timeline. If the Hiring Manager says you can expect to hear back in one week, be sure to follow up after a week and ask if there is anything he or she needs from you to move the process along. If the answer is NO (they don't need anything from you to move the process along), ask if it’s okay to follow up again if you haven’t heard anything in another week. This way, you will know when to follow up after interview. By getting permission to follow-up, you don’t have to worry about imposing. But what if you didn’t ask about a timeline, or get permission to follow up? Unfortunately, sometimes you may think you’ve received positive feedback that signals that a job offer is forthcoming, and the offer never comes. In this case, the follow up call might yield the information that the position has been offered to someone else. In the "Job Offer" SeriesHOW TO EVALUATE A JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Evaluate-a-Job-Offer WAITING FOR JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Waiting-for-Job-Offer JOB OFFER COUNTER OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Job-Offer-Counter-Offer CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Conditional-Employment-Offer HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Handle-Multiple-Job-Offers About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Conditional Employment Offer by https://www.Market-Connections.net
Conditional Employment OfferYou’ve interviewed with a company and things went well. The next step is to receive the job offer. In most cases, it’s a simple process — they offer you the job and you must already know how to evaluate a job offer before you accept. But sometimes there are circumstances surrounding the job offer that complicate the process. Below are strategies for job seekers to handle the situation when there is concern about a background check. Job Offer Contingent Upon Background CheckQUESTION A job seeker recently asked: I interviewed with a company yesterday and they mentioned that a background check is a standard part of their hiring process. I’m worried what a background check will reveal. What should I do? ANSWER Don’t wait until you’ve been offered the job to address significant negative issues, such as a DUI or a bankruptcy. You don’t want any issues to “surprise” the employer. If you know a background check is part of the hiring process, you will want to disclose information during the interview process (or on the application form, if it asks you about current or previous legal or financial problems); otherwise, you risk having the job offer rescinded when the background check reveals an issue. The most common reasons for not passing a background check are errors of omission, misstatements of facts, and financial and legal problems. Also, your job application is a legal document, so all information on it must be accurate. If a background check identifies a discrepancy you cannot explain, you may lose the job offer. Another important consideration is that if it's a conditional employment offer contingent on a successful background check, do not give resignation notice to your current employer until you’ve passed the background check. Otherwise, you might find yourself without a job entirely, if there is a problem with the background check at the new company, and you’ve already given your two-week notice at your current job. Let your new employer know that you will be giving your current company your resignation letter once their offer has been finalized — meaning, when you’ve cleared the background check. According to a survey conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 69 percent of employers conduct a criminal background check as part of the hiring process. You will be asked to provide permission to conduct the background check, and you likely will have to sign a release form. If a conviction is revealed through a background check, the employer must consider the nature of the crime, its relevance to the proposed job, and the time that has passed since the offense. In the "Job Offer" SeriesHOW TO EVALUATE A JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Evaluate-a-Job-Offer WAITING FOR JOB OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Waiting-for-Job-Offer JOB OFFER COUNTER OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Job-Offer-Counter-Offer CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OFFER https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/Conditional-Employment-Offer HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS https://www.Market-Connections.net/blog/How-to-Handle-Multiple-Job-Offers About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Photo by Alla Serebrina of DepositPhotos
Reach More Goals with an Accountability PartnerYou’re not where you want to be in your business or your life. You have goals, but you’re inching toward them. It feels like every step is a struggle and you’re just not seeing the results you want. You don’t feel motivated. You feel stuck and helpless to change. You’re not alone in this feeling. Many people experience feelings of being stuck with their goals. You probably started out with plenty of energy but within a few days or a few weeks, your energy fizzled out. Weeks and maybe even months have passed and you’re not any closer to achieving your goals. An Accountability Partner Might Be the Answer for YouAn accountability relationship is a simple way to get back into gear and start moving toward your goals. It’s easy to set a goal for professional development and make no progress when no one is looking over your shoulder. But when you have an accountability partner slacking off is much harder. This is because we usually work harder to honor commitments we made to other people than we do the commitments we make to ourselves. Think of Weight Watchers. It’s a weight loss program with accountability built right in. From the weigh-ins to the weekly meetings, members are accountable to each other. The meetings are filled with people that support each other in the goal to better their health and fitness. An Accountability Partner Will Help You Shape Your GoalsAn accountability partner can help you shape your goals so you set ones that are achievable. For example, you could set goals to go back to school for your degree, turn your side hustle into a full time job, and/or spend more time with loved ones. An accountability partner would gently point out that those are good goals but will be difficult to achieve at the same time. An Accountability Partner Will Help You Breakdown Your GoalsIt’s good to set ambitious goals that are conducive to leaving your comfort zone because you will be inspired to you grow. But ambitious goals have to be broken down into smaller steps. That’s where an accountability partner comes in. A smart partner can help you focus on taking one step at a time until you reach your big goals. An Accountability Partner Will Help You Deal with RoadblocksEveryone encounters roadblocks at some point when they go after their goals. But an accountability partner can help you figure out how to stay motivated after a setback and will brainstorm ways to get around your obstacles and find success. For example, if your goal is to use your hobby to advance your career, but the tech stuff has you feeling confused, then your partner could offer both moral support and fresh solutions. With the support of an accountability partner, you’ll be able to figure out how to leave your comforst zone behind. or how to get out of a career rut. You’ll also feel more energized and be able to tackle your goals once again. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Notebook Photo by Pexels of Pixabay;
Job CraftingDo you wish your work was more enjoyable and meaningful? Job crafting could help you transform your experience without having to change careers or even search for a new position. Whether you’re a senior manager or an entry level clerk, job crafting is a technique you can use to boost your satisfaction and engagement. Countless polls have shown that the majority of US workers aren’t emotionally or cognitively connected to their work. This unengaged population usually shows up from 9 to 5 and does the minimum required. This takes a toll on the bottom line, as well as employee health and happiness. While many companies try to address this situation from the top down, job crafting is a proactive process that you can do for yourself. It all begins with reshaping your overall environment (including people and things), ultimately leading you to transform your job into a calling. The key here is to break your job down into blocks that you can rearrange to suit your passions and strengths; step-by-step. Forget about feeling stuck from 9 to 5. Study these tips for redesigning your work day and creating a more fulfilling career. Job Crafting Steps to Take Yourself
Job Crafting Steps to Take With Your Coworkers
Job Crafting Your TasksOrganizational behaviorists started talking about job crafting about 20 years ago. Reviewing your job description and daily activities is usually the first step. Use these strategies:
Job Crafting Your RelationshipsWho do you interact with at work? Maybe you can reach out to new contacts and strengthen your current connections. Positive relationships make your workday more pleasant. Try these techniques:
Job Crafting Your AttitudeLike any positive change, job crafting begins in your mind. While tasks and relationships may sometimes be beyond your control, you can take charge of your own thoughts. Practice these activities:
SOURCE: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/job-crafting About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Career Development Planner
Career Development PlannerIt’s estimated that 90 percent of our daily lives is spent doing routine tasks. But habit can be a bad thing, because “if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to keep on getting what you’ve always got.” One of the most important things you can do is to take the time to plan your career roadmap for 2023. Whether you are thinking of a job change or career change in the new year, or simply get more out of your current job, a career plan is essential to helping you reach your goal for professional development. This exercise may take you 20 minutes, or you might devote a few hours to planning where you want to be on New Year’s Day 2023. If you want your life to be different in 2023, especially your career, take the time to work on your career roadmap. You may decide to use multiple planners including a success planner and a CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNER. Step 1: Take StockThe first step is to assess where you are. To figure out where you’re going, you must first look at where you’ve been. Here are some questions to help you assess where you are: ¨ What are you most proud of this past year — personally, and professionally? ¨ What went right this year? ¨ Did you receive any awards or recognition this year? ¨ Did you take on any additional responsibility this year? If so, what? ¨ How did you take initiative in your job this year? ¨ Have you learned any new skills? ¨ Did you earn any certifications or licenses? Record this information in a success journal. This can be a Microsoft Word file on your computer, a note in Evernote, a series of emails you send to yourself (be sure to use email tags so you’re able to find the emails again!), or even a physical notebook. And in the coming year, take time to record your accomplishments as you go through the year instead of waiting until the end of the year. Next, look at opportunities for improvement in your career. How does your salary stack up against your peers? Is your current position in alignment with your priorities and your core values? Where is change needed? This is when it helps to use a detailed career planner. Step 2: Articulate Your GoalDecide what you want. What is your goal for professional development? Spell it out: What does it look like; what does it feel like? You have to really want it to invest the time and energy to follow your dream. Describe your ideal job:
Think about the person that you want to be, and imagine the possibilities. If a career change is in the horizon, it helps to take a career change quiz. Then, identify 2-3 goals you want to tackle. Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal system to articulate your goals — goals should be “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Oriented.” For example, let’s imagine you have worked as an Accountant for the past three years, but you really want to work in marketing. Your goal might be: “By Jan. 1, 2023, I will be working as a Marketing Assistant in a Fortune 1000 company” You should also write down why you are interested in making the change. In other words, what is your motivation for taking this path? Another good question to ask yourself is, “How will I know when I’ve achieved my goal(s)?” Step 3: Make a PlanTake time to prepare a game plan and use a career planner for how you will reach your goal. But don’t use planning as an excuse to procrastinate. You want to get to Step Four as quickly as possible because actions create momentum. Take each of your goals and write down the list of steps under each of them that you will need to take to make the goal happen. The more individual steps you can map out, the easier it will be for you to reach your goals. The steps should be practical tasks that will lead you to achieve your goal for professional development. For example, with our goal of making a career change from accounting to marketing, here are some sample steps:
Give yourself milestones so you can measure your progress. How will you know when you’re on the right track? Include specific dates and numbers in your milestones. Step 4: Take ActionThe tasks you’ve outlined in Step Three, give you a checklist of items to use to take action. If you are working through the steps and discover you need to add additional items, update your task list. You may also discover additional projects that need to be completed to make the next step — and the overall goal — easier to accomplish. You may also find that you need to make adjustments to your timeline. For example, if you discover that a six-month program to learn about professional social media marketing would help you land your new marketing job, you might adjust your goal deadline to March 1, 2023, if the program won’t be completed until late December 2022. This would give you time to put some of the new skills into practice before you put them on your résumé. As you work your way through your task list, focus on the actions you are taking, realizing that if you are taking the right actions, these should eventually lead to the results you seek. If you’re not getting the results you want, change the plan, not the goal. Re-examine your tasks and see if there is something you are missing. It can also be helpful to get outside feedback. Enlisting the help of an accountability partner — a friend, family member, career coach, resume writer, or therapist — can provide valuable perspective on your progress. This individual can also keep you on track, making sure you are working through your task list. And if there is a specific area where you need help in order to cross the task off your list, make sure you ask for assistance. For example, writing a resume to support a career change can be difficult. Enlisting help from professional resume writing services can help you cross that task off your list. Step 5: Measure Your ProgressWhen you’re on a journey, it can help to periodically assess where you are to make sure you’re on the right road. If you miss a step along the way — or take a “wrong career path” — you can find yourself a long way from your intended destination. So, plan periodic assessments of your progress along the way. This can be a monthly “check-up” where you review your plan and make any necessary changes or a quarterly review. Taking the time to think through — and plan out — your career roadmap is an important step in helping you create the career you want for yourself. If you don’t, you may find your career stuck or stalled. Or you may wake up five years from now and wonder, “How did I get here?” If you want to achieve more in your professional life, invest the time and effort in completing the Career Roadmap Worksheet below. CAREER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEETUse this worksheet with your career planner TEP 1: TAKE STOCK Current Job Title: Start Date of Current Job (month/year): Current Salary: What I Like Most About My Current Job: What I Would Want to Change About My Current Job: STEP 2: ARTICULATE YOUR GOAL What Is Your Goal? STEP 3: MAKE A PLAN What Are the Specific Steps (Tasks) You Need to Take In Order to Achieve Your Goal? STEP 4: TAKE ACTION What Help (Outside Assistance) Do You Need to Reach Your Goal? Who Is Your Accountability Partner? STEP 5: MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS How Close — or How Far Away — Are You To Reaching Your Goal At This Moment? Do You Need to Make Any Adjustments in the Goal, Tasks, or Deadline? SOURCE: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/career-development-planner About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” 
Career Change Quiz
Career Change QuizThis Career Change Quiz is designed to serve as a Career Change Self-Assessment. Rate each of these job or job or career change reasons (internal and external reasons) on a scale of 1 to 5. It starts with 1 being “does not apply to me or doesn’t affect me” to 5 being “affects me greatly.” As you rate your answer from 1 to 5 for each of the items below, write your answer for each item and then add up your score.
23-46 points: You’re starting to see reasons to make a change, but there’s no urgency. 47-69 points: Look for opportunities to make little adjustments and see if that helps. 70-92 points: You probably need a change. Start thinking about what you want to do. 93-115 points: This ship is going down! It’s time to take action. About the AuthorMandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes. 
Job Change Or Career Change
Job Change OR Career Change?There’s a saying in the careers industry that you’ll know it’s time to make a job or career change when you start asking yourself if it’s time to make a change. While there is truth to that, there’s more to making your decision. Below are tips to help you identify some of the reasons why you may want to make a job change or career change and give you practical strategies to use as you make your decision. Reasons for a Job or Career ChangeThe first step is to assess the reason — or reasons — why you may desire a change. Change can be difficult — it usually is — so you want to make sure that the reason you are considering a switch isn’t something temporary that will fix itself, if given enough time.  INTERNAL reasons for a job or career change Some of the reasons why you may be considering a job change or career change are INTERNAL REASONS. These can include:
 EXTERNAL reasons for a job or career change EXTERNAL REASONS — that you have no control over — can also impact your decision to make a job change or career change. These can include:
Remember, you want to assess whether the INTERNAL and/or EXTERNAL reasons that are prompting you to consider the change are temporary (short-term) or something you would be permanently affected by. You should also assess the “temperature” of these reasons and how they affect you. Some of them may be more of a “minor inconvenience,” while others may feel “unbearable”. For example, while you may be working in a declining industry, as long as you have a job, you may not be interested in switching jobs or changing careers. But that’s almost like being a frog in a pot of water that is slowly heating up. The question isn’t “if” you will eventually be affected by changes in the industry, but “when.” If you take charge of managing your career, you will be in a better position to handle career change, not just react to it when your boss summons you into his office sometime down the road to let you know your services are no longer needed. Change Jobs Or Change Careers?Do you want to change the company you work for, or change your career path entirely? Take a look back at the assessment you just completed. Ask yourself if making a change to a new company would fix the issue or issues you identified. Or are they issues that are embedded within the industry itself, and would only be fixed if you changed industries entirely? Also, think about how you feel about the actual work you’re doing. Do you still have a passion for the type of work you’re doing, but maybe not in this particular work environment? If that’s the case, changing jobs could improve your situation. You might not need to change careers. Things to Consider Even if you’ve identified that there are internal or external reasons that you may want to consider making a change, ask yourself this: “Is there an opportunity to improve my current situation?” As previously mentioned, some of these things may be temporary and the issue may resolve itself. But the other piece of the puzzle is you. Is there some way that you could make a change that would improve the situation? For example, could you transfer to a similar position in a different part of the company? Could you talk to your supervisor and see if there are opportunities for additional responsibility or advancement that you may not be aware of? Could improving your skills (for example, pursuing additional education, training, or certifications) help you? If you feel your current situation can’t be improved, the next thing to do is develop a plan. Make sure you have a plan for what you want to do next before you decide to make a change. Think before you act — don’t be impulsive. Change can be difficult — the bigger the change, the more difficult it may be. Also, you want to make sure you’re running towards something you want to do, and not running away from something you don’t. Being impulsive may lead you to do something you may later regret — like one of those viral “I Quit” videos that are fun to watch, but may lead to long-term ramifications when prospective employers Google your name. Assess your marketability at another company or for another career path. What skills, education, and experience do you have to offer? Inventory your accomplishments. In the next section, where we address practical strategies, we’ll talk about the value of having your résumé professionally written so you can see how you stack up on paper for your desired next job or new career. Consider the timing of making a change, if you decide that’s what you want to do. For example, you may not want to leave your job in November if you’d earn an annual bonus if you stayed another month. The same is true for things like vested options in a stock plan or retirement account — make sure you manage the timing of your departure to maximize your benefits. Basically, don’t leave money on the table if you can help it. Along with considering the timing of your departure, do you need to do some things before you change jobs or careers? Perhaps you need to take some classes or earn a certification before you’ll be prepared to make a job or career change. Create a Personal/Professional Development Plan (PDP) for yourself, outlining the steps you need to take to bridge the gap between where you are now (skills, education, and experience) and what you need in your new job or career. Checking off as many of those items as you can will help make the transition smoother. Finally, it’s easier to find a job when you have a job, so don’t just quit your job. And don’t burn bridges at your former employer, if you can help it. Give ample notice, offer to train your replacement, prepare a checklist or cheat sheet for your replacement, etc. |
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