Poor old Kanye West. If it’s not bad enough that billionaire Mark Zuckerberg spurned his request to give him some of his hard earned cash to invest in his projects, furniture retailer IKEA don’t seem that interested in ‘allowing Kanye to create’ either. In spite of West’s belief that there is no reason why a multitalented fellow like himself should stick to music, and indeed fashion, it would seem that flat pack furniture is a step too far for our favourite creative genius.
Nonetheless, maybe we can all learn a thing or two from Kanye’s attempt to transition from music to fashion to flat pack. Changing jobs is a big deal for most of us. How are we supposed to know when is the right time to start thinking about a move? And what happens then, do we update our LinkedIn profile and hope for the best, or should we take a leaf out of Kanye’s book and start relentlessly tweeting the CEO of B&Q about designing a range of robust boiler accessories?
Of course, the grass is always greener… a situation which one person deems unacceptable would be a typical day at the office for someone else. Some of us might yearn for a new, challenging project while others might shudder at the idea of change.
Have you asked yourself the ‘should I stay’ question recently? Perhaps you’ve been asking it for a while, or maybe you’ve only just begun to wonder whether it’s time for a change. Either way, we recommend you read our Top 5 things to consider before you look for a new job – you might find that the grass isn’t greener after all.
- Am I comfortable, or stuck in a rut?
Being comfortable in one’s job brings with it a strange sense of guilt, even though there may be nothing to feel guilty about. On a daily basis, we speak to candidates whose reason for looking is simply that they don’t feel challenged anymore. They’ve mastered the requirements of their role, nothing has changed for a while, and they can’t see themselves doing the same thing, day in day out, for much longer. These people are stuck in a rut – they have outgrown the comfort of a stable role. Most likely they have lost motivation as well.
If this sounds like you, you first need to evaluate whether you have exhausted the possibilities of what your company could offer you. Have you had a conversation with your manager to see whether you can take on more responsibility, or change direction slightly? If you haven’t, and you like the business and the people around you, then you should have this conversation before you go any further.
- What’s important to me at work?
What makes you happy about your job at the moment? It might be that although the job itself doesn’t excite you greatly, it has several perks that you’d rather not sacrifice in pursuit of a new challenge. Maybe you’ve been taking advantage of an easy commute, flexible working hours, or a generous holiday allocation you’ve accumulated.
So, now you need to weigh these things up against your current feelings of dissatisfaction with the job – would you be willing to sacrifice any of these in pursuit of a different job? If the answer is ‘no’, then perhaps you should sit tight, and again, have that conversation with your boss as a priority.
- Would I accept a counter offer?
If the answer is yes, you should not look for a new role. If the outcome that you want is for your employer to offer you more money, then you’re in for a nasty shock either way. Having resigned once, if you stay, they’ll be watching you closely, and inevitably treating you with some suspicion. Your relationship with them will change for the worse and you may end up wishing you’d just taken the other job. Also, why should it take your resignation in order to get a pay rise if you really deserve it? This isn’t the right way to go about it – either have an honest conversation or commit to moving on.
- Will I be able to give my job search the time it requires?
Changing jobs requires your full attention. If you are resistant to taking time off for interviews, or fail to put time aside to complete any task that arises as part of the recruitment process, it will not matter how good you look on paper, the client will quickly lose interest. If you are serious about the job, you need to demonstrate to the employer, or the recruiter, that you want to come and work for them. Be certain that you are able to commit to your job search 100%. As recruiters we can usually predict which candidates will be successful – the characteristics they tend to have in common is that they are committed, focused, engaged and determined to get the job.
- What’s the market like?
There are lots of ways you can get a feel for what the market is like. You can talk to people in your industry, talk to recruiters, read articles about local businesses, talk to friends, view careers pages, look at job listings online. If you’ve got a highly desirable and versatile skill set, you’ll probably find there are lots of jobs you can apply for, but if your skills are quite niche or all your experience is in one industry, changing jobs might require slightly more forethought. Think about contacting agencies that recruit in your particular sector – remember they may have jobs that they are not advertising yet, or be open to sending a speculative application on your behalf. Think about organisations you would like to work for, and plan your approach.
Oh and one final tip. Ask yourself, what would Kanye do? And then do the opposite…
Still thinking about changing jobs? Blues Point is an IT recruitment specialist working with clients in the Midlands and London. For more job seeking tips, competitions, salary surveys, industry news, and access to vacancies not advertised elsewhere, join our mailing list.
