The Great Resignation
The job market is hot right now with employers offering very tempting incentives to lure in new talent. Perhaps you have been contacted by a recruiter or are thinking about leaving your organization. Here are a few things to consider as you ruminate on your next move.
Will this move expand your responsibilities and span of control or is it designed to simply expand your wallet? It’s not a bad thing to move for more money but at some point, the market will settle down and you will be competing for positions based on your skills and experience. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, making a change only for a salary increase may not be the right move. It’s ok to make a lateral move in title and role, but you want to ensure that you will be learning more skills or have a clear path to the next level within the new organization. Otherwise, when it comes time to make a move, you may discover that you don’t have the requisite skills and are overpaid for your current skill set.
Do you have a clear and wide path to growth at the new company? Job growth is possible primarily when the company is growing. If the company isn’t growing then you could be subject to a reduction in force in a few years. Ask questions about company growth during the interview process and by looking at financials for a publicly traded company. Also, does the company promote from within and if so, what do those positions look like? You can get an idea by looking at the LinkedIn profiles of current employees. What have their career paths been at the organization? Look at the profiles of former employees too and see how they progressed.
What is the company culture? This aspect is often difficult to discern, especially if you aren’t interviewing in person. Check out employee reviews on Glassdoor to understand pain points within the organization. The LinkedIn profiles of former employees are also helpful to understand how quickly individuals are rotating out the organization.
At the end of the day money matters. We all have bills to pay and families to feed. If a job change makes a significant difference for you financially and will be something you enjoy, then, go for it.