Should I Be Looking For a New Job

Should I Be Looking For a New Job

Did you get up this morning dreading having to go into work?  Is this how you feel most days you are working?  Look, I get it.  Sometimes work weeks seem to go on forever.  There are days when I’ve walked out of work feeling beat up.  I’ve been know to cut my Friday afternoons at work short because I’m ready to get out.  I like to think that this is normal and I am not the only one who feels like this.  Outside of the typical ups and downs we all have at work sometimes you get to the point of saying enough is enough.  You think to yourself, should I be looking for a new job?

Well, being in recruiting for 15 years I’ve heard lots of reasons why people are interviewing.  Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you be asking should I be looking for a new job.

You Dislike the Actual Work

Let’s kick off the conversation of should I be looking for a new job with maybe you don’t like the work you do.  This is more common than you might think.  When I used to oversee a large college recruiting program I heard this numerous times.  Unless you know you want to be a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant most people don’t know what they want to do early in their career.  Heck, I’m not sure now!  So early career folks would try something for a few years and decide they don’t like it.  And that’s fine, this is how we learn what we like and don’t like.  By trying different things.

It’s also quite common for people to re-career.  I was a retail manager for 11 years after college.  Then about 15 years ago I completely re-careered.  I went into business development and recruiting.  They are very different.  For me I got burnt out on being a retail manager.  I tried a few things and really fell in love with recruiting.  More people than you might imagine do one thing for 10, 15, or 20 years then flip a switch and do something else.  The reason is they wind up not liking the day to day work they do.

My Boss is Terrible

Unfortunately this happens all too often.  Just because someone is a good worker doesn’t mean they make a good manager or boss.  It takes a certain set of skills to be a boss.  Things like understanding, empathy, and availability are super helpful.  For some reason I can never understand a lot of bosses are terrible at communicating.  They don’t provide feedback.  They are hard to get in touch with.  Little direction is provided on a new project.  The list goes on and on.

The best bosses are people you respect.  Someone that you look up to and is a good mentor.  A person that you know is in your corner, not someone you have to watch your back around.  I’ve worked for great bosses and I’ve worked for crappy bosses.  It can make all the difference in your work experience.

Here’s an interesting tidbit of information.  People typically don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses.

The Industry is Dying

Technology is changing many industries.  It’s not that jobs are going away, they are morphing into different ones.  How many people work on an assembly line today compared to 40 years ago?  Exactly.  If a company does not stay on top of industry trends it won’t last long.  The world of business and consumerism changes rapidly.  Companies have got to stay on top of what’s evolving in their industry.  If they don’t, you should keep your eyes peeled for new job opportunities.

In the city I live in there are numerous companies that people have worked for that make them ask themselves should I be looking for a new job.  H&R Block headquarters is here.  Think about how much the tax filing industry has changed.  Turbo Tax anyone?  Hallmark cards is about 20 minutes from my house.  How many birthday, valentines, holiday, etc., cards do you buy now compared to 10 years ago?  That’s what I thought.  They are both still in business and making money however their revenue is significantly down.

They Don’t Pay Me Enough

We all feel this from time to time.  Heck, I think many of us think this ALL THE TIME.  In every profession there is a fair market value.  Whether you are a doctor, an accountant, or in construction.  There is a fair wage to be paid.  It’s on you to ensure you are getting paid according to the work you do and the value you bring.  Every company is a little different.  Be sure to adjust for where you live.  Also make sure you take into account all the components of how you are compensated.  Let me give you a short example.

2 people both make $100,000 a year.  Pretty good right?  Let’s look at these 2 people who get paid the same amount in more detail.  Person #1 works in New York, NY, person #2 works in Wichita, KS.  Also consider that person #1 works 80 hours a week.  Person # 2 works 35 hours a week.  Person #1 commutes 2 hours a day to and from his job while person #2 works from his home.  Now who actually makes more money?  Exactly.

Finally one more item to consider.  People who work at the same company for a long time tend to wind up being paid under market value.  This really isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just how it works.  It is in your best interest to look at what the market value is for what you do from time to time.  If need be, ask for an adjustment.  Or more vacation or something that helps.

There’s No Next Step

Career growth is important to a lot of people.  Not everyone, but a lot.  I think you tend to see this earlier in careers but it’s also true no matter what part of your working life you are in.  Some people really thrive in a true corporate environment.  The kind where you have a crystal clear ladder to climb.  Other people, myself included, aren’t big on that.  Personally I don’t care if I have a next run on the ladder to climb.  I am much more interested in my ability to impact the organization.  Can I make a real contribution?  If so, great!  Let’s rock and roll.  Now I also like to know that if I make a good contribution I can continue to do more and more.  In a way that’s a next step for me.

My Company Sucks

Sometimes a company just sucks.  Could be that the systems are all backwards.  Maybe your company doesn’t give a crap about it’s customers.  Heck, maybe you are a sales person and they just changed the compensation plan…..again.  There could be any number of factors.  One of the cool things happened when I started my 2nd career 14 years ago.  I went into sales and recruiting.  One of the huge advantages to that was I got to figure out who the great companies were in my city.  I also found out which ones sucked.  Sometimes their reputations weren’t very good and once I talked to people who worked there, they verified it.  It was a great way for me to figure out which companies were great and which weren’t.

Resources

If you decide you should look for a new job here are are some resources for you.  Feel free to contact me directly as well, I know a thing or two about this subject!

Lose the Resume, Land The Job – by Gary Burnison

50 Ways To Get a Job:  An Unconventional Guide to Finding Work on Your Terms – by Dev Aujla and Lodro Rinzler

101 Job Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again – by James Reed

15 Minutes to a Better Interview:  What I Wish EVERY Job Candidate Knew – by Russell Tuckerton

How To Answer Interview Questions:  101 Tough Interview Questions – by Peggy McKee

Many Reasons You Ask Yourself Should I Be Looking For a New Job

I’ve decided I like this topic so much I am going to write another post on it.  There are many more reasons you might ask should I be looking for a new job.  Keep your eyes peeled for my next post, I’ll provide more reasons.

Remember, nobody is responsible for your career happiness except you.

Go get it Tiger!

Mat A.