Want to Know When’s the Perfect Time to Change Jobs?
I’m going to let you in on a professional truth that you should always keep in mind: the best time to look for a new job is ALWAYS.
Even if you are currently in your dream job, you just never know what the future holds. The truth is: the company you are working for might sell or layoffs may happen at any moment.
So I want to make sure you are armored with the support of HOW to always be on the lookout for new opportunities and new roles.
This blog is going to be all about when you should look for a better work opportunity and the different types of job seekers out there.
BEING A PASSIVE JOB SEEKER VERSUS AN ACTIVE JOB SEEKER
Think about these two situations:
Without warning, your department has suddenly lost half of its funding. Unfortunately, you are the highest paid team member and they can no longer allocate that much of their budget to one person. You now have two weeks to find a new job. You now have to spend a lot of your time after work sending out resumes and trying to line up interviews asap.
Without warning, your department has suddenly lost half of its funding. Unfortunately, you are the highest paid team member and they can no longer allocate that much of their budget to one person. You now have two weeks to find a new job, but you’ve been building your network. You already know of several opportunities where they are looking to hire someone with your skills.
What’s the difference between these two situations? One is infinitely less stressful than the other!
There are two types of job seekers out there: passive and active job seekers.
In situation #1, that individual is an active job seeker. While they were in their current job, their focus was just on that job and how they’re performing. They weren’t keeping their ear to the ground to learn about new potential opportunities.
When an emergency situation happens, they suddenly have to switch into active job seeking with a tight timeline and the threat of not having income if they don’t make it work.
In situation #2, that individual was involved with their workplace, invested in their team, and progressing through their career, but they were continually fostering the relationships within their professional network.
While they may not have been gunning for a new job, they have been keeping an eye out for new opportunities. When placed in the stressful situation of losing a job, they won’t need to scramble as much as the person in situation #1.
That’s because passive job seekers have opportunities coming to them even though they are not actively searching. A passive job seeker is someone who’s already employed and not actively looking for a new job. Nonetheless, that person kept their options open for a new job if it presented itself.
While it may seem like more work to always keep your options open, becoming a passive job seeker will allow you to constantly make progress even if you face a surprise setback.
SO, WHEN SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR A NEW JOB?
Now that you know that you should always be on the hunt for a new job as a passive job seeker, here are some more specifics about when you should know for a fact that you need to change things up:
When the expectations of the role that you were hired for are no longer what you are doing in your position
When your vision of the role has changed from your direct manager
When your team does not support you
When you know you’ve hit the glass ceiling and have no potential to move up
When you feel sick to your stomach before walking into your job
When you dread Mondays
Really, the best time to look for a new job is when you are happy in your job. I know it sounds weird. But only then will you be more likely to be transparent with your skillset and only accept a position that is aligned with your future goals if you aren’t in a rush.
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