Job switching is very common these days, however, many people do not put in much thought while switching jobs and end up regretting their decisions. However, job switches are beneficial sometimes and, in some cases, may even be necessary. Following are discussions at the different circumstances when it is a wise decision to look for a new job and quit the current one.
Company direction
The general direction a company is headed toward can be a major cause of dissatisfaction even though all other aspects of the job are fine. A person's career is pegged to the company's direction and must align for full satisfaction. If the company's direction is not in line with an individual's career aspirations, it can lead to dissatisfaction in the workplace and loss of confidence in the company's strategy. In such a case an individual should look for a company whose strategy aligns with the individual's goals. It must also be noted that a company might temporarily go through misalignment due to changes in strategies decided by the top management. Hence, the employee must also exercise patience and not rush to a decision based on short term misalignment.
Lack of growth
The strongest sign one should look for other jobs is when there is no scope for further growth. Many people reach a plateau in their current positions beyond which progress seems unlikely. Knowledge and skill accumulation may also be stagnate at this point. Clearly, one should look for other opportunities where growth and learning is possible. Closely related to this is when people are not stretched by their role. Everyday job seems too easy and does not require much effort. It is easy to slip into one's comfort zone and when that happens growth is curtailed. Becoming too comfortable in the early stages of one's career is risky. Individuals should be keen to take on challenges in their early days.
Unmanageable stress
Some jobs are tougher than others but some can be physically and/or mentally draining. Other employers dump inhuman workload on their employees, to say the least. Even though some people love to take on challenges one must know one’s threshold. Working beyond one's capacity is bad both mentally and physically in the long run. Such inhuman workload may be coupled with long, drawn out working ours leaving no time for personal and family life. It is very important to maintain a healthy balance among all spheres of life and sacrificing all else for work may be a regrettable decision in the future.
Toxic supervisor
A congenial working environment is an essential part of the workplace. There should be mutual respect among colleagues and the work culture should promote growth and recognition. Workplace should not be a source of negative energy in one's life. If so, it will adversely impact the other aspects of your life and lead to an overall feeling of negativity and despair in your life. Negativity in the workplace can stem from a bad work culture, conflict with line manager, or bad relations with colleagues. There is a saying that employees do not leave an organisation; rather they leave their reporting boss. Lucky are those people who find a good leader, in the form of their line managers, who patronises learning, growth and eagerness to take on challenges.
Skill mismatch
One can be driven to be in a professional role to grow a career, pursue a passion or just to keep a job for livelihood. However, to deliver in a role it requires relevant skills. Moreover, a job should add some value to life and should be a good fit for someone's skills, education, and ambition. However, that is always not the case. Even though a job is a mean of sustenance it must also contribute to the overall development of a person's career. So, when a job is not a good fit it is best to look for alternatives. Another variation of this problem is when one does not have line of sight for the work one is performing, this could lead to a loss of meaning in one's workplace.
Switching jobs is definitely a big decision and could permanently change the course of someone's career. Hence, it is advised to think carefully and critically when taking such decisions. Everyone experiences discomfort at work from time to time and that should not be a reason to switch jobs. However, when such thoughts arise one should introspect and take time to think clearly as this decision could have profound impacts.
The writer has completed BBA from the IBA, University of Dhaka and is currently working in a leading telecommunication company of the country. He can be reached at [email protected]
