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How are your weekends? Do they provide well-earned breaks from a fulfilling week of work? Or, are they shrouded in a cloud of dread knowing that Monday morning you go back to a job that is no more than a daily grind? If your weekend is being dampened by negative thoughts about Monday morning, then it may well be time that you consider changing jobs. But how do you know whether it’s really time for a change? Just feeling that it’s time to change your job doesn’t necessarily mean you should. After all, your feelings could be emotional responses to circumstances unrelated to the question of whether your job is right for you. So, it is essential that you take an objective look at your current job to get a better fix on what may be prompting your negative thoughts about work. By doing so, you will get a better indication about whether a job or career change is in your best interest. You may want to start by taking an honest look at the following areas as they relate to your current job. Professional Perspective How does your current job fit in with your long-term career plans? If you don’t actually have a long-term career plan, then it’s time to develop one. Determining your career goals and putting them into writing will help you decide whether you should change jobs , since knowing where you’re headed professionally is crucial to assessing whether the job you have is a solid stepping-stone on the way there. Without a career plan, you may belatedly or never learn that the job you think you is exactly the one that will serve you best in the long run. Ask questions like: - Where do I see myself with this employer in a year?
- Does my work challenge me in a positive way?
- Am I advancing at regular intervals?
- If I’m not advancing regularly, why not? Can I improve my performance to earn advances , or am I literally stuck?
- Have I reached my peak with this employer?
Financial Perspective How much money do you need to maintain your current or desired lifestyle? Don’t just consider your current financial needs, but also consider what your future needs will be as well. If you’re a younger member of the workforce, take into consideration such things as marriage, starting a family and buying a house. Will the salary that you’re currently earning allow you to do these things comfortably? If you’re already married and have children, you also need to consider future financial concerns. Can you buy a bigger house and send your kids to college on your current salary? Regardless of your age and the length of your career, you always have to plan financially for your retirement, as well as for emergencies. Life can bring unexpected events our way. Could you manage financially if your spouse died or if you became disabled in an ? Make certain that you know the compensation advantages and disadvantages of your job. Do you have stock options, a retirement plan, bonuses, and other financial incentives that increase the value of your job? These should be included in your assessment. Also factor in additional benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation time, sick time with pay, and paid training opportunities. Remember, it’s not only the amount of your weekly paycheck that counts here, but the entire dollar value of all the benefits you receive. If you determine that your current job places you at a serious disadvantage in respect to your financial goals, then it may be time to put your skills and experience to work for an employer who offers you the potential to reach those goals. As questions like: - Does my current salary meet my current financial needs?
- Will my current salary at a fixed annual percentage raise support my financial needs over the next 5 years? The next 10 years?
- What’s the total dollar value of my employee benefits package?
- What are other employers paying new or experienced recruits for jobs like mine?
Balance Perspective Does your current job make it a constant struggle to balance work and life? Making a long daily commute can involve many wasted hours spent driving and sitting in traffic … and that time is lost at your expense, not your employer’s. If this doesn’t seem like a fair trade-off for your current job, there may be other options available to you. Many employers have taken a family friendly approach to doing business. They offer options such as flextime, job-sharing and telecommuting, to name a few. Find out whether these options are available at your current job. They can make it much easier for you to balance your work and life responsibilities. If the employer for whom you work doesn’t offer these options, you may be better suited for employment with one who places a higher value on the personal lives of employees. Beyond making an assessment of your current job, you should also assess your value as an employee. What exactly do you bring to the table? Taking a thorough inventory of your value as an employee may result in a more balanced view of your work situation and could prevent you from switching jobs on the basis of feelings that can’t be logically supported. Ask questions like: - How many hours do I invest weekly in my commute to and from work?
- Does the employer for whom I work offer any alternative to regular 9-5 business hours?
- Could I be more productive in my job if I had the option to work alternative hours?
- If telecommuting is an option, would it make it easier for me to balance my work and life?
No doubt it’s important to do some homework and thinking before changing jobs. Basing such a decision on carefully considered reasons, and not mere feelings that could easily change with circumstances, could prevent you from making a professional and personal mistake. It would be disastrous to change jobs for the wrong reasons only to end up in the very same situation at a new location. Few things in life are more important than finding the job that’s right for you. And, the level of success throughout your career will probably be directly related to your level of personal fulfillment in your work. So, carefully determine if you currently have the right job; if not, find the right one and do it well. ______________________________________ By Angelina Jordan
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