Time For A Change

Hello-

After a nearly two year hiatus, the writing bug has returned, and I am updating again. My current interest and focus is along the career counseling line, and I have chosen an easy topic to know come of the rust from my keyboard.

Time For A Change.

My grandfather worked for the Armco Steel Company for 44 years. My father was with Montgomery Ward for more than 35 years. Those days are gone, and job changes are a simple fact of our economy. Grandpa and Dad both built solid Blue Collar to Management careers. They moved up the ladder a rung at a time. Now, in many cases, you have to change ladders to get to the next rung. The question is “How do I know when it is time to change?”

First, you have lost your passion. Your productivity has faded over time, and things that once seemed to matter, well...not so much anymore. Sunday nights (or whenever you return after a day or two off) are terrible these days. Anticipation has turned to dread.

Another sign that it is time to leave is if the organization is in trouble. This trouble may be expressed through re-organizations, sudden management shifts, or the departure of co-workers. In the Armco and Montgomery Ward era, companies sometimes were much more loyal to their workers, and this was a two way street. In today's reality, for right or wrong, companies are willing to take whatever actions they feel are needed. This includes right-sizing, terminations, and other actions which employees might see ass adverse.

Life is change. This applies to companies as well. Has the organization taken a different ethical direction which does not fit your personal or professional beliefs? Has the workplace culture changed? Do you get far less feedback from your supervisor? Do you have a new supervisor? This last point is an important one, as very often, people work for managers less than the company.

Have your job duties and responsibilities changed? Have you become under-utilized and bored? Perhaps things have gone the other direction, and you are stressed. If you feel like you are doing the work of two people, or that your duties are irrelevant, it is time to change things.

The theme of this article is that change is important in the decision to stay with a company, or to leave. It has to be a manageable level of change, and shoud offer opportunity for personal and professional growth. Workers should have reasonable opportunity, without being forced to drink a firehose of constant change.

Regardless, if a job change is due, then, remember to not burn bridges, and if possible, to line up your next job beforeyou go.

Good luck and best wishes,

Chris