Time For a Change?

One of the most important decisions you can face in your working life is the decision to switch jobs or change the direction of your career. Because it does have such a major impact on your future life, it's a good idea to have some solid criteria to use when you are making the decision.

I don't like Mondays
All of us have had the experience of going to work and thinking, "You know, I really don't want to be here." Sometimes the feeling is just the result of the Monday morning blahs, and it goes away. Sometimes, however, it not only doesn't go away, it gets bigger. And the question, "Is it time to make a move?" gets bigger as well.

Because frustration or boredom with a job is such a common event, just feeling that way occasionally isn't really a signal that it's time to make a change. It's only when you feel that way more often than you feel good about what you're doing, over a long period that a change may be justified.

Examine the cause
Be sure that the negative feelings you have about your job aren't really the result of some dissatisfactions in your personal life. It's easy to displace some of those problems onto your job. Sometimes the frustration you feel at work is really due to frustrations with your spouse or a difficult relationship. Maybe you are coping with a child's illness or a difficulty with a parent. Just do some checking to clarify which stresses are coming from your job and which have other sources.

In some cases, thinking about moving to another job may not be a result of dissatisfaction with the job itself, but with some of the surrounding conditions. For example, the pay may be just too low, or the benefits not what you need. Maybe the commute is too long now that you've moved farther away, or you just keep being bypassed for a promotion you really deserve. It can even be a boss or supervisor that you're finding too difficult to deal with. You need to sort these issues out in order to make the best decision.

Decision time
In either case, whether it's the job itself or the conditions surrounding the job that have you frustrated, there are some steps to take before you decide to make a move. First, try to analyze exactly what it is that you don't like about the present situation. Why are you bored? What is it about your job or the whole work situation that you would like to have changed? Putting these things down on paper is probably a good idea. Make a list of everything that bothers you about your job, from minor irritations to major problems.

Next, go over your list and see if there's anything you can do to solve any of those problems without leaving. Can you talk to Human Resources about a better benefit package, or take on some extra challenges if you're feeling unfulfilled? Try to put some energy into looking for creative solutions. Even if you don't normally like to confront people directly about problems, now is the time to take the risk. After all, you are thinking about leaving. You might as well go all out before you take that step.

You may not be the only one who is having difficulty in a certain area; for example, a difficult boss may have impacted coworkers as well. Sometimes a joint approach can be very effective in making changes. Not all problems can be solved, of course, but you'd be surprised at how many situations can be improved if you put in some extra effort. Before moving on, ask yourself if you've done everything possible to make it better where you are.

Is a revolution the solution?
Let's suppose that you've done all this, but you're still not satisfied. The next step is to determine exactly what you want to get out of your new situation. Is it a whole new career you want, or is it just this job in this company that's the problem? Is there a specific salary you need, or a location, or a new work schedule? Spend some time examining your feelings about these issues. You definitely don't want to jump into a new job only to find that you're not any better off than you were before.