Everyone you know – your friends to your work colleagues – have opinions on the best way to switch jobs. But with lots of differing opinions on this subject matter, who can you really trust now that the market is constantly changing? Recent research by experts on job switching have highlighted 3 vital things employees/job seekers need to note when the desire to switch jobs starts brewing in them.
1. Stay on the job at least for two years: There are different reasons why employees switch jobs. Most of these reasons are serious and unplanned like taking time out to care for a family member or relocation because of your spouse’s job re-assignment or leaving to get further education. As long as you can give good reasons why you had to switch on three jobs in two years at the interview for a fourth job, getting a new job shouldn’t be that problematic. What is problematic is the fact that on a new job, you have to start all over again, make new work friends, try to prove yourself again and again for every job hop you do and that is emotionally draining. So if you don’t have a really good reason why you need to switch jobs, then you should probably think about staying back until you do.
2. If you’ll leave, leave on good terms: If you are a valuable employee, the idea is that the company still wants to get as many years as possible out of you and those years might not be in a row because to be at the top of the pack in your industry, you might need to gain a new skill or have a life-changing experience which leads to you taking time off. This is why if you have to leave, you need to leave on good terms. It is probably unwise for you to tell your work colleagues that you are planning to leave before you get another job placement, but if you have good reasons such as the examples explained under point one, then telling your boss might be a great idea. I have a friend who was able to find a new job in another city because she confided in her boss that her husband got a work transfer. Her boss made a few phone calls and that was how she got her new job.
3. If you’ll leave, be sure you really want to leave: If you are a valuable employee and you announce that it is time for you to leave, there is a possibility that you will be offered a reason to stay on which may come in the form of an increase in salary or flexibility with work which you may accept if you don’t really want to leave. Statistics have shown that employees who announce that they want to leave a company but accept a counter offer to stay on, leave eventually. They eventually leave because they start working sloppy, or they end up deciding that leaving is what they truly wanted in the first place. So, if what you want is a raise, then ask for it instead of creating unnecessary drama about you leaving.
Have you ever quit a job before? Why did you quit? What were the things you did to ensure a smooth transition? Share your opinion with us below.
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