When is the best time to seek a new opportunity?

Richard asks: Does one wait until you're unemployed? Should you leave at the first sign of turmoil? Should you weather the storm, gain experience and then vacate?

In answer:
Career management is not something which you just wake up to - and so hence leads to knowing which opportunities you should seek to attain that goal you have defined - which leads to knowing why you took that particularly job, and why you have been there for X period of time - which leads to knowing how much longer you have there, and which opportunities you seek next to write on your CV/Resume - which results in happy and fulfilled employment, and a better life!

You will always know when you are being interviewed by an HR professional, as they will ask you about the points of change in your career: "You went from position A with employer B, to position X with employer Z: why?" They look for both fulfilment in career and application to a particular path, and checked whether that is inline with the position being interviewed for and its skills requirements.

If you apply the question of "where do I want to be that will make me happy" then you will know why you are where you are at present. These people are normally fun to be around, and - like an old mentor of mine - have smiles on their faces at least 3 days out of every 5 work days: unfortunately, the smelly stuff happens to everyone!

If like the majority of people - I'd say 7 out of 10 from those I interview, and you don't manage your career and wake up one day unhappy; or if the job you are working doesn't put a smile on your face 3 days out of 5: then NOW is the time to start changing. What ever you do don't reach for the word processor and start writing a new CV/Resume because you heard of a better job at a particular company - write down why you are happy in your present job, why you are unhappy, and where you want to be in 5 and 10 years time. If you are feeling really brave, write your own obituary - its a tough psychological challenge, and most don't complete it - but its what it reveals about where you want to be and how quickly that change needs to be made which is the actual required and revealing result.

Most people don't know what makes them happy, so recognising that you may want to make a change Richard is 7/10ths of the battle won. Now its just a question of finding what and where, and those are relativity easy in comparison. The outcome will be a clear goal, a better plan with more networking to find that better opportunity - and a happier work life.

Good Luck!
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

RB

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Dear Richard,

Thank you!

If I can help you at any time, please just ask, and in the mean time - Good Luck!

Best Regards,


Ian McA