Thinking About Changing Jobs? Here Are 5 Tips
According to research conducted by Gallup, around a third of European employees are watching out for or actively seeking a new job or career opportunity. That number rises to almost fifty percent in the US - that’s a lot of people who are ready to find a new job!
But finding a new job - especially one that you love - can be difficult. It can be hard to know when to make the leap or what type of roles to go for.
5 tips if you’re thinking about changing jobs
1) Stay career focussed
When you're not actively looking for a job, it can be quite easy to take your foot off the gas with all things careers related. Letting your CV get a little bit rusty is only natural when you’re bogged down with the day-to-day of your job, but the truth is, the longer you're out of the loop for, the more difficult it is to break back in. If you’ve got a long list of things you need to do before being able to apply for a new job, chances are you’ll stay plodding along in a role that isn’t right for you for longer than you should.
No matter how happy you are in your current job, it's always worth keeping a focus on your career and where it may lead. Read some books related to your industry or self development, and keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. You don't have to spend ages on it, but keeping your head in the career game will make things easier when you decide to start the search.
2) Don't wait until you're desperate
That leads nicely onto the second top tip, which is don't leave job hunting until you're desperate to leave your current role. The perfect time to start your search is when you’ve started to become a little bit complacent in your current job, but you're not so bored and disenfranchised that you're dying for a change.
The reason for that is by the time you're desperate for a change, you'll probably accept the first thing that is offered for you, rather than fully considering the different options that are available. So much of career success is down to good timing, so if you shorten your job search period, you'll limit the number of opportunities that come your way, and probably cloud your judgement too.
3) Be open to opportunities
Sometimes the best career moves aren’t the ones you actively seek out, but the ones you’re open to exploring when they come your way. Keeping an open mind and being ready to spot opportunities can make all the difference when it comes to changing jobs, so be careful not to put your blinkers up.
Let people know (discreetly if needs be) that you’re open to new opportunities and don’t dismiss cold emails or LinkedIn messages from recruiters or headhunters - they get a bad rep but sometimes it’s worth putting up with the totally irrelevant propositions so that you don't miss out on the gems when they come along.
4) Trust your gut
Sometimes a job looks perfect on paper - great company, a substantial salary rise, brilliant learning opportunities - but doesn’t feel quite right for a reason you can’t describe. Perhaps you don’t fully gel with the hiring manager, or perhaps you have some reservations about the company culture. Whatever it is, trust your gut.
Changing jobs is a big upheaval, one that requires a huge energetic outlay, so you want to be confident in your decision. Plus, remember that the start of a job is probably the most enthusiastic you’ll ever be about it, so if you’ve got a niggle about it right from the off, chances are that things will only get worse. Follow your intuition and have faith that something better will come along.
5) Be willing to take a risk
Finally, be willing to take a risk. When you speak to people who have had successful careers, they have all had at least one wildcard role - the one that maybe felt a bit random, but catapulted them to something bigger and better. It’s good to have a plan for your career, and of course it’s sensible to think strategically, but sometimes you have to put the pros and cons list aside and throw yourself into something that might not make complete sense on paper.
There’s so much growth that comes from putting yourself in a new environment, from taking a leap and trusting that you’ll figure it out on the other side. It doesn’t have to make sense to everyone else, it just has to feel right for you! Remember: fortune favours the brave.