New Year, New Career?

Top 10 Reasons to Make a Job or Career Change:

How do you know when it’s time to go?

When the StarTribune interviewed me for the article below, the first question was: how do people decide when it’s time to make a switch?

I answered: reasons vary, but many of my clients share one thing in common – They were unhappy with their work (or lack, thereof) for a long time before they contacted me.

Here are ten reasons my clients say they started looking:

1. I’ve been with my company 20 years. If I don’t change now, I’ll be here until I retire.
2. My boss is unpredictable/won’t advocate for our team/doesn’t see the value I bring or understand what I do.
3. I want to play a more strategic role but am stuck in a position more about keeping the lights on.
4. There’s nowhere to go – I’m already at a high level, and the positions beyond are either not of interest or unlikely to open up soon.
5. My role shifted and I no longer enjoy what I’m doing (e.g., added sales or management responsibilities when I want to be an individual contributor.)
6. I keep getting passed over for promotions. My boss has favorites and I’m clearly not one.
7. My organization is being acquired. I’m not sure what my new role will look like (or if I’ll have one.) I want to find something of my own choosing.
8. I’m not growing. There’s no one here to mentor me and there are no opportunities to learn new skills/technologies.
9. My work/life balance is out of whack.
10. I fell into an entry-level job here years ago and kept getting promoted. Now I’m wondering: why am I doing this kind of work? I never “chose” this.

Do any of these reasons sound familiar? Is there something else about your work (or lack, thereof) not feeling right? And importantly, how long have you felt this way?

Keep in mind: your situation is unique, and you deserve to be happy.

If you want tips on conducting a job search, please take a read:

Here’s a link to the article:
StarTribune: Career advisers say tight job market could be good time to switch companies

And here’s a pdf in case the article link is no longer live:
PDF of StarTribune article

Are you longing for more engagement, fulfillment, and joy in your work? Would you like an experienced, strategic partner to help you? Then please be in touch!

Best –