Monday, March 25, 2013

When Should I Leave My Job?




This is a hard question to answer with general remarks so in this response I'll share what has prompted me to leave jobs that I have held in the past.

  1. Consistent high performance for two years or more without a resulting promotion.
  2. My mentor that brought me into the company was fired (with much animosity) shortly after I had taken the job. I requested and was granted a severance package.
  3. A change in management resulted in reporting to someone that I did not respect.
  4. Poached by a head hunter for a much more lucrative and challenging position. Although still successful I was bored and needed to move to grow.
  5. Relocation to an area to be near family.
As you can see not once did I leave a job for more money although I would not have left a position until I found a position that offered a significant increase in income and responsibility.  I took only one lateral move and that was to move closer to family when my children were young.

If you do decide to leave here's some advice. Do not accept a counter offer.  They know you are discontent and it will make future advancement difficult.  Do not tell anyone that you are looking.  I once shared this confidence with a coworker that reported it to our manager.  The irony was I was not ready to leave at that time.  I am of the mind that you start looking for another job the day you start a job. Be it either within or outside of your firm.  If you are not ready to leave you do this by keeping a network of potential employment decision makers and headhunters close at hand.  

Hope this helps!


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