The JobSyntax Blog is currently participating in BlogSwap with other bloggers interested in recruiting-related issues. Each week during BlogSwap, another blogger will post to JobSyntax about topics that should be of interest to our readers, and we'll write posts for different audiences on other sites. It should be a fun experiment, and we hope you discover fun new content!
Our fourth guest blogger is Michael Dragone of the Mikerochip blog. Unlike a lot of BlogSwappers, Mike doesn't work in the recruiting industry. Instead, he's a Systems Engineer who finds recruiting issues interesting. (odd, huh?) :) We're really happy to have Mike guest post here since he represents JobSyntax's core audience. So take it away, Mike! |
At several points in your life, you’re going to be presented with countless opportunities that you’ll have to decide to take advantage of or not.
For the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on job opportunities, not on the sweet deal that your local car dealer is having.
At some point, you’ll want to switch jobs. There can be a litany of reasons why you’d want to do this. Maybe you’re not being adequately compensated. Maybe the corporate culture has changed. Or maybe you feel like you’ve hit the ceiling where you are and want to move on to a place where you have a better chance of growing professionally.
Put simply, as Zoë would say, you and you’re current employer are no longer a good match.
Here’s what I would encourage you to keep in mind as you begin to explore new job or career opportunities: remember that the grass isn’t always greener. You have to consider the whole picture of where you are now and the whole picture of what will be where you’re thinking of going.
For example, if your primary reason for switching jobs is to make more money and you get an offer from someplace else for $10,000 more than you make now, don’t simply take the offer without thinking it through a bit first. Maybe it isn’t as great as you thought. Will it take you longer to get there? Are the benefits the same? When do they start? Are there more or less paid holidays? Will you be working alone or with a team?
What about the work environment? Is it more formal than where you are now? If you have to wear a suit everyday and you own zero suits, you’re not going to be making $10,000 more the first year.
The next time you have to decide to take advantage of an opportunity or not, don’t just jump into it. Ask for a day or two to think it over. Then do a comparison. It doesn’t have to be a ten page document; a quick back of the envelope comparison is fine. Just make sure that the grass is greener where you’re planning to go.
Michael Dragone is an MCSE: Messaging who spends more time exploring technology than even he thought possible. You can reach him over on his Mikerochip blog at http://www.mikerochip.com/.