How To Know When It Is Time To Make A Career Change

We have all had situations at some point in our careers where we are uncertain of the next steps. It could be loss of a job, or you could be split among multiple opportunities. The struggle comes into play when you don’t know what to choose. Do you stay, or do you go?

Analyzing Your Situation

If you are like me, I want to analyze what the situation is before making any big decisions. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with my career. In a recent struggle, I am in a dilemma of needing to know what to do about my current job and employer. There was a potential need to leave due to an impending consolidation of departments. There is a possibility it might never take place, or it could happen mid-year. Both situations come with their own difficulties. So, I am left with the option to stay and hope for the best, or be proactive and look for a new job.

Taking Action

The best thing I have learned to do over time is to not wait. So, I would start to look for a new position. If I am comfortable in my current role, I should be able to make a lateral move fairly easily into something locally. Thus, LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter are good options to begin. Updating my resume would be first, followed by uploading it to all of the major job posting sites for easy application. Then, start applying.

Understanding Next Steps

Applying to jobs and getting call backs can take awhile. Creating a pipeline of applications will allow a resume to be saturated in the market. Once the applications are submitted, it typically takes a few days to a few weeks to start getting responses back. Hang in there, you’ll hear something!