With the record number of unemployment filings, much attention is focused on people who need to find jobs. (And yes, you can find a job in a down market.) For the gainfully employed, you may be content to stay where you are—grateful to still have a job, too risk-averse to look right now. (If that describes you, check out these tips on increasing your job security in uncertain times.)
However, some employed professionals may be considering a career move even now. Maybe the disaster implications of the pandemic have spurred a deeper self-reflection. Maybe the distance created from being out of the office gives you space to re-assess. Maybe the time saved from the daily commute gives you that extra time to ponder what’s next.
The best time for career exploration is when you still have a job. This way, you’re not in a rush and can build a solid foundation to launch a thoughtful job search. It’s certainly easier to network when you’re employed since people will not immediately assume you’re reaching out for help. Even your unsolicited applications will be more persuasive, as employers favor candidates currently working at their competitors.
But is now the right time for you to make your next career move? Here are three questions to help you decide:
1 - If you were offered your current job now, would you still take it?
When you weigh a job offer, there are always decision factors that you consider, and some take priority over others. Over time, the top factors might change. Your priorities might have changed to the extent that this job, which was a good match before, no longer fits. In addition, the job might have changed, such that your new responsibilities and objectives may no longer be aligned with your interests, values or goals. if you’ve been in your role for years, your job has almost certainly evolved in some way.
Take your time to objectively assess the job you have now. Write up a new job description if yours has changed substantially. Write up a new list of decision factors and prioritize these for the person you are now. Review your compensation (total compensation, not just salary) in light of the responsibilities and objectives you carry now. Would you still take this job?
2 - Think of where you’d like to be five years from now. Is there a path from this job to get there?
I once coached a client who aspired to be Chief Marketing Officer of a fashion company. Up to this point in her career, she was a high-flyer in her field and had amassed the required experience for a C-level, marketing role. Yet, when we looked at her CMO goal, it became apparent that she needed international experience, and her current employer was US-focused. While she loved working at her current employer, and they treated her well, at some point she would need to leave or readjust her target.
My client opted to focus on getting a new job because she realized she wanted that international experience and now was a good time in her career and life to go for that. She could have also decided that being in a US-centric company was enough for her and focused on adding challenges to her resume other than an international tour. How about you? A career is not a random sequence of jobs but rather a path to a specific destination. That destination can change over time (I did a career change at 40), but if you’re not managing your career deliberately, you may end up with a set of options you don’t want. The longer you haphazardly move through your career, the less time you have to carve out the path you want.
3 - Freeform, brainstorm, data dump everything you can think of that isn’t a “Hell Yes, I’m satisfied!” Is it a career move or some other change what you need right now?
Career is a big part of our lives, but so is relationships, health, wealth, service, spirituality, where you live, or personal passions. That malaise you’re feeling may be career-induced, or it may be a sign you need to reassess a relationship. You may have neglected a longtime interest and need to invest some time there. Or maybe you’re feeling anxiety about the latest stock market gyrations, and it’s not your compensation but your personal money management that needs tending.
Career moves are disruptive, and you don’t want to undertake one if you actually need to make some other change. You may change jobs, and if the root problem is with some other area of your life, you made a disruptive move for nothing and still need to solve your problem. Take your time to make a list of everything that you want to change – even if it’s a small change. Group your changes by category (e.g., career, relationships, health, etc.), and see what area you need to prioritize.
This internal self-reflection is different from an external look at whether your job might be in jeopardy
Sometimes practical considerations, like an imminent management shuffle, warrant a reassessment of your career (use this 10-point checklist if that describes your situation.) However, if there isn’t a specific issue, but rather more a general notion that you might need to make a move, then start with these three broader questions.
I have met many talented, hard-working professionals that work so hard in their day-to-day job that they forget to take a higher-level view of their career. Are you climbing up the right ladder? Is the career you started still the one for you? Invest some time to explore, and let me know what you find!