Is it time to move on? If you are considering a career change you might find it helpful to examine the answers to the following questions:
1. Has your salary stagnated or decreased as a result of your job performance or as a result of company culture issues?
2. Has your area of responsibility changed, limiting your earnings or growth potential for the future?
3. Are you excited about getting up for work every day or do you feel overwhelmed by anxiety?
4. Has your position in the company changed resulting in a step in an opposite direction?
5. Are there big organizational changes on the company’s horizon that will affect your compensation package or standing?
6. Has the company experienced a serious decline in sales or loss of a significant number of core customers?
7. Have you been excluded from discussions that you would have normally been included in the past?
8. Is workplace stress affecting your family life?
9. Have your contributions gone largely unnoticed?
10. Has your area of responsibility increased without any form of additional compensation?
11. Do you enjoy the work environment?
12. Are your bored with your job?
After thinking about these questions you may wish to consider if this is a short-term problem or a long-term problem. If you feel some of the issues raised by these questions are long-term problems you should definitely consider looking for new job opportunities.
Before you look at new career options you may wish to conduct a self-assessment to find out what kinds of skills, experiences, and job expectations appeal to you. There is a big difference between randomly leaping from job to job and planning a career move. Most interviewers will try to uncover whether you are committed to a career or looking for a short-term job early on in the interviewing process. If you are not sincere about your intentions it will most likely be uncovered as an issue during the interview process.
If you are interested in changing career paths you can often “test the waters” by working on a volunteer basis, applying for temporary positions, or working part time in the evening hours. This will not only give you some insight on the working climate but also serve to illustrate your commitment to a new career direction.