24 Feb 3 Signs It’s Time For Your Next Career Move

Is it time for you to make a career move?

Today’s employee-driven market is different from anything our working world has ever seen before. With ample jobs available for hire, job seekers have the power of choice – and the power of negotiation – on their side. But if your current role feels “good enough,” how do you know if you are ready to take the leap and actively begin the job search?

When you are early on in the process of transitioning from employee to candidate, it can be difficult to know if the time is right.

Maybe you’re worried that you’re leaving something good behind, and may not have the means to land in a better role. You might be wondering whether better pay is truly possible for you, or facing some imposter syndrome when it comes to your ability to advance into a higher-level position with better pay.

Today, we will share some “red flag” signs that it’s time to move on from your current role, and move into your future!

Sign #1: The company doesn’t prioritize professional development.

When it comes to employment, you can tell a lot about a company simply by looking at its culture… and you can tell a lot about a company’s culture by looking at whether or not professional development is a priority!

Reflect on how your current place of employment treats professional development. Is it a cornerstone of the workplace dynamic, or is it an afterthought? Is it viewed as a ‘must-have’ or just a ‘nice-to-have’? How do your employers react when you approach them with professional development opportunities you’d like to partake in to advance your skillset? 

Whether or not professional development initiatives are embedded into the framework of the organization, or addressed on a case-by-case basis, the key question is this – are they valued?  If not, it may be time to seek out your next opportunity… one that will nurture and uplift your professional growth.

Sign #2: You are not receiving competitive compensation for your industry and/or location.

Do you feel stagnant in your current workplace, without any sign of professional or monetary growth? 

In a recent article, we discussed why it is so crucial for employers to understand competitive compensation, and ensure that they are doing their due diligence, compensating their employees fairly, relative to the job location and the industry/role they are hiring for.

In the same light, it is crucial for you to keep your finger on the pulse of your own monetary worth as an employee in your respective industry. If you are unsure of where you currently stand in your industry from a compensation perspective, it may be time to do some research. 

As you go through the process, reflect on the following questions:

• What would being fairly compensated in my current role look like?
• What would being competitively compensated in my current role look like?
• Where does my job currently fall? 
• If my job falls on the low end of the spectrum, am I able to start a conversation with my employer? Why or why not?

If you’ve done your research and have uncovered that you aren’t where you should be in terms of your pay rate, you can attempt a conversation with your employer. At the very least, this discussion will result in some interesting insights about your employer’s perspective on compensation, which can be utilized to inform your next steps. If you’ve reached a dead-end in your attempt to work out a solution internally with your employer, it may be time to start your search.

The good news is that you now have your finger on the pulse of what you should be paid in the future – knowledge to keep in your arsenal as you go through the interview process and negotiation stage of your job search.

Sign #3: Employee feedback isn’t prioritized.

Do you feel truly heard in your place of employment? If team feedback isn’t top-of-mind for your employer (especially in unprecedented times like these), that may be a warning sign.

Are you seen as a human being with valuable input to offer, or just a number, expected to get the job done? Does your employer work with you to shape a truly effective employment experience, or are you left with continued unfulfilled promises and blanket statements in place of action? 

Don’t be fooled by promises of familial working environments and great resume-building experience alone — a truly competitive organization will not only pay you what you are worth (as described above)… but also actively demonstrate the culture of their organization through their actions, not just their words. 

Taking the leap into the job market can be daunting, but you don’t have to go it alone. If you have any questions about the points raised above, feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to work with you in pursuit of the brightest career future possible!