Everyone change jobs for an improved paycheck. It is obvious that you’ll always look for a better company which is rich in growth and has the ability to pay you more than the current one. But, how will you decide when to change jobs when you aren’t sure if it is the right thing to do or not?
The economical condition of a company is judged by its current position. The previous days were gone when people use to find jobs after completing their graduation.
Since this is the competitive age, now people seek jobs while studying in order to reach an increased pay scale when they are graduated.
Career Questions That Will Help You Decide Whether to Stay or Leave:
Routine is a very boring process and identifying and dealing with it is very important. One of the best ways to confront routine is to bring in change.
Change is the fine way to erase out the routine practices especially if it is being experienced in professional life. The feel of routine and boring is often realized in the daily job that we perform. Even if we are paid high and get the best benefits provided by the organization, there comes an instance where we would think of quitting the job.
Now money is not the only reason for leaving the job, there are other important factors like lack of job satisfaction, not challenging anymore, career change, etc. Such decisions can have a huge impact in the future. So it is always better to give a second thought regarding career change.
Here are a few questions that help you assess your decision better:
- Does my current work interest me or has it changed over time?
- Would my current employer help me grow or will I get a better opportunity elsewhere?
- Am I able to use my skills to the fullest or just working mechanically?
- Does the current job role excite me or Am I afraid of taking a step?
- Would I get any opportunities in my current job to explore and grow?
- Do I feel bored for performing my current roles?
- Are you ready to continue this for the next 5 years?
How Long You Should Wait Before You Switch Jobs?
There is no defined time period for an employer to stay at a job before leaving it. It completely depends upon the decisions and situations that the employee faces. Also, regular job-hopping is not considered good, as employers while hiring do not consider candidates who shift jobs regularly.
As per experts, the sweet length for an employee to stay at a job is considered as 6 months to 2 years.
Important note: Be it any reason for leaving your job, you should always do it in good terms without burning bridges.
How Others See Your Resignation:
- Grown-up enough to take a decision
- Role going off the rails
- Your career vision seem quaking
- The gig economy and things you achieve
- Transition smoothness (to help out new joinee)
- Can cost your employer
When To Change Jobs?
There come certain phases in life when you might need to change your job for less money. Yes, you read it right; I said ‘change jobs for less money’.
This generally happens when you give much preference to work satisfaction rather than paying importance to money. Let us discuss it point by point.
1. When work satisfaction becomes more important than money?
Work satisfaction is equally important to money. You might get an increased payout in your next company but not the same work environment.
The atmosphere in the workplace varies from place to place. But a company paying you less money might benefit you with the work atmosphere that you’re seeking for. In that case, you can opt for less payout.
2. When you receive job opportunity from your dream organization?
Everyone has a dream company with whom they desire to work with.
Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc. might be one of your dream organizations but somehow you’re offered a job by any of these with a low paycheck.
In that case, you can opt to work with it to make your dream come true. Paycheck has the chance to increase later but you’ll not get the opportunity to work with the same company.
3. When you desire to change career?
Changing your career will definitely lower down your paycheck. That happens as you are new into the field and you lack experience in that particular profession.
You’ll get the opportunity to acquire new skills and practices and accumulate new experiences.
Hence, the company will decrease your pay scale but you are benefited from the career change that you were looking for.
4. When you seek a quality lifestyle?
Somehow you are not able to lead a good lifestyle with a good paycheck and you decided to slide down a little bit.
People always need a shift from their current lifestyle and get rid of the regular stress and schedule at work.
When you’re unable to spend time with your family and friends due to your tight work schedule you certainly want to get rid of it.
Your new job might give you all these benefits but they pay you less. But still you can stick to it since you get your desired lifestyle.
5. When you desire to be your own boss?
This generally happens when you plan a start-up plan and desire to develop your own business.
You are planning a start-up of your own but do you need to kick off your current company who’s paying you high.
Your business will allow you to be the king but it will be tough to reach that financial level that you are getting from your company.
But somehow you are satisfied because you don’t need to obey the orders of your boss and you get the flexibility to work on your own.
6. When you seek for greater opportunities?
Opportunities are like the lucky gold coin that comes to whoever strives harder to win it.
Same way, the chance for opportunities might be higher in the new company although they are paying you less. This will give a chance to explore a new world and improve your work skills and practices and give you a better experience.
7. When you want to move to a new place/hometown?
Your payout is high but the place isn’t suiting you. Or maybe you stay far away from your family which is no more acceptable to you.
In that case, shifting to your hometown might decrease your paycheck, but you are happy to be at home.
Moving to a particular area can lower down your living cost and save you from the additional living expenses and you might get a huge opportunity to save money.
8. When you face transportation issues?
Transportation has become a major issue these days. You regularly face certain issues while traveling because you need to cross multiple state lines to reach your workplace. This issue is very much common in metropolitan cities.
Hence, you no more want to take this burden and seek a low cost job in your nearest location.
9. When your boss/colleagues start pissing you off?
Your boss is a dick head and has recently started irritating you day and night. And you get the feeling that your boss doesn’t like you or maybe you face communication issues with him.
He might be pressuring you with the projects and you decide to quit for a low pay job that will give you peace.
The same applies with colleagues. There are few employers who try to underestimate their co-workers or misbehave with them. That moment it becomes a difficulty to survive in the industry.
10. When major changes come in life?
This happens especially in case of a woman when they get married and move to a different state or become a new mother.
You might need to shift to a separate place after marriage or quit your current job because you cannot spend time with your kids due to your tight schedule.
Hence, you opt to change your job for lesser money but desire to get more time for your family. There are also few industries that might not allow maternal leaves and ultimately you’ll need to quit the job.
11. When you’re unhappy with the work atmosphere?
Work atmosphere can change from time to time. It happens generally because the same people won’t keep working at the same company for a long time and new employers take their place.
Hence, the different minds and their activities bring a drastic change in the environment that might not suit you and you decide to quit.
10 Best Times to Switch Jobs:
Switching jobs is not something unusual. Employees usually look for growth and change and that is when they start searching for opportunities outside.
Exit from the job should be done carefully and planned and one should also analyze well their future scenarios due to their decision. Some of the best times to plan your exit is,
- There is Routine work
- Lack of appreciation for your work
- The company’s vision doesn’t sync with your goals set
- After a relaxing vacation or a long break
- Beginning of a fiscal year
- Completing of a huge project
- Conflict with coworkers
- Not good enough at work
- Being good at your job
- Completed a term of more than 10 years with the same employer
Conclusion:
So you can see, there are certain factors that oblige you to change your job for a lesser amount.
Overall, I can say that money is not the biggest factor but work satisfaction is because you’ll get the chance to earn more but might not get the same work atmosphere everywhere.
Peace of mind and less stress is necessary in life and very few jobs provide you those. Therefore, if you prefer happiness over money then changing your job for a lesser paycheck won’t much hamper your lifestyle.
