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2005-11-30 Careers
Determining the right
time to change jobs and doing it
Take into consideration the many factors that affect a decision to change
jobs before actually jumping ship.
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In the old days, people stayed with a company for anywhere from 25 to
50 years and then retired with a nice little nest egg and a small pension.
In today's ever-changing and dynamic job market, people are seen changing
jobs at the drop of a hat. I assume the volatile nature of the job market
today has forced us to continuously look for and change jobs whenever
we find something that pays a little more or offers what we believe to
be a little security.
Should you consider jumping ship?
There are many factors that affect a decision to change jobs. Some of
them are: lack of security, not getting along with coworkers, low salaries,
no chance for advancement, company doing poorly, layoffs expected or abysmal
benefits. Do you fall into one of the categories? Do you have another
valid reason for wanting to change jobs?
If so, it may be time to consider looking for a new job. Twenty years
ago, if you changed jobs more than every five years, you were considered
untrustworthy and you would find it difficult to get hired. Today, it
is not unusual to change jobs after a year or two. So, if you have been
at your current position for a minimum of 12 months, preferably at least
24 months then changing jobs should not impact your reputation or the
look of your resume. It could look bad if there's a pattern of staying
at jobs for only a year or two, but if it happens occasionally in your
work history, it's ok.
What are the factors to weigh?
If you decide that you fall into one of the categories above that indicates
you are ready to leave your job, there are several factors you should
consider. First, how is the job market? Has anyone close to you recently
changed jobs or is everyone battening down the hatches and doing everything
possible to keep their job? If the job market is tight you may want to
consider waiting to jump ship.
Another factor to consider is whether you are ready to start looking
for a job. Is your resume in tip top shape? Do you have references lined
up that will help you get a job? Are you financially able to be out of
work or at least without a paycheck for a few weeks?
As you can see, there are a multitude of factors to consider when considering
a job change. My goal in pointing out that leaving one job to search for
and start another is that it can be an overwhelming task. Once you decide
that there is absolutely no way you are going to stay with your current
job, then you need to start making a plan and methodically implementing
it until you have your new job.
Make a plan and implement it
First off, check your status at your current job. Do you have any time
off? Do you think your supervisors might let you go any time soon? How
has your work performance been lately? In essence, you need to tighten
up your act at your current job so that you do not lose it while looking
for a new job.
Next, check your resume and references to make sure they are up to date
and will help you get a new job. Your resume is the key to getting in
the door and getting an interview. For some sample resumes and information
on how to get your resume rewritten professionally, visit this web address:
ResumeEdge.com
Then, get your resume out to all prospective employers including recruiters
and placement agencies. Also, post your resume on all job sites. If you
can not dedicate yourself 100% to finding that new job you may as well
not even try. The ResumeArrow service will do a lot of this work for you.
When you sign up and enter your resume on their site, they will post it
for you on over 90 job boards including Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder,
etc. Your resume will be seen by up to 1.5 million recruiters and employers
daily. To find out more, visit this web address:http://www.resumearrow.com/def.php3?pc=13CS756
Finally, secure interviews and knock the socks off your interviewers.
Prepare carefully for each interview so that the prospective employers
will want to invite you back for additional interviews and ultimately
offer you a job. To help you prepare for interviewing, there is a list
of frequently asked interview questions and some model answers at this
web site: http://www.jobwerx.com/resources/jobsearchhandbook-id=947197_585.html
Jumping ship and looking for a new job can seem like an insurmountable
task at times but if you plan accordingly and don't get discouraged, it
can be very rewarding: monetarily and also for the sake of your sanity.
So, review your current situation and decide if it is time to leave. If
it is, plan how you are going to get a new job and implement your plan.
Finally, remain professional, don't burn any bridges and go out there
and get that new job.
For the Complete Job Interview Guide, visit this web site: http://www.jobwerx.com/interviewdownloads.html
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