I’d be interested in knowing how to tell if I can grow in my company or look elsewhere. I’m 50 yrs old, cared for my young brothers during my young years, raised two children on my own, married, widowed as of this summer, and although went back to college to earn a BS and Masters in Education, I’m working in an entry level role because I never focused on my career (just finding roles that brought in needed income). So I’m trying to assess where I am, where I want to go, and how to get there.
– Kim
Kudos to Kim for being clear on her marching orders (“assess where I am, where I want to go, and how to get there”). She has already accomplished so much – juggling significant family obligations, meeting her financial obligations and earning a graduate degree to boot. It’s important to celebrate your wins and use them to bolster confidence during the inevitable ups and downs of a job search.
Specific to Kim’s question about where the best next move might be – at her current job or elsewhere – the answer could be either. I have had clients who come to me hell-bent on leaving their company, only to find that with market research, personal introspection and sometimes a renegotiation of their duties, salary and/or title, they happily stay right where they are. Of course, I have also had clients who realize that what they want can only be satisfied elsewhere. Sometimes you do have to quit a job, even jobs you like.
Since the best answer for Kim (or you) might be to stay or go, the best course of action is to run a parallel strategy. Focus on advancing where you are and optimizing your career without leaving. At the same time, also dedicate time and energy to a job search for outside opportunities. The best response to “Should I stay or should I go?” is both for four main reasons:
1 – Job search is more effective when you already have a job
Social proof is powerful, and by being gainfully employed you have your current employer proving to other employers that you’re hirable. It’s easier to network even with your everyday connections, not just with hiring managers or recruiters, because when you reach out to people and they inevitably look you up on LinkedIn, they’ll see you have a job so won’t fear that you’re contacting them in a needy and desperate state. (I know you wouldn’t do that anyway, but you’d be surprised how many times I’m contacted out-of-the-blue with a big request like a job lead or introduction to a senior executive.)
2 – Even a seemingly dead-end job offers opportunity to advance
While you’re at your current job, there is lots to do even if your current role and responsibilities have nothing to do with what you ultimately want.
You can use your current job to practice negotiating – ask for a raise, a more flexible schedule or different responsibilities. If you’re going to quit anyway, you have nothing to lose. If you get a Yes to any of the above, you can add the extra money to your dream career fund, earmark the extra time to your job search and use the new responsibilities to bolster your marketing.
In addition to negotiating practice, you can develop your networking skills and finally get to know your coworkers, vendors and customers. If there are projects outside your day-to-day work that interest you, volunteer for these and consider it an investment in your next career.
3 – Keeping your job while you look takes financial urgency out of the picture
A job search can easily take longer than you think. Your current job buys you time so you never get desperate and have to settle for something you don’t want. If you have savings in the bank that could fund a job search, then live like you lost your job, bank your salary and see if your savings are really enough.
When I was considering taking time off my corporate career to act full-time (yes, I did that from 1998-2002), I made the shift gradually, keeping my day job and banking the salary to see if my financial projections were correct. I had less runway than I thought (you often spend more money than you realize) so I knew BEFORE quitting my job that I needed to do some part-time work.
4 – With the extra runway to look, prioritize what you really want
In addition to extending your financial reserves, keeping your job while looking for the next one extends your timeline. You don’t have to move right away, and with that extra runway, you can be choosier about what you do next.
Prioritize the different roles and companies you are considering. With the gift of extra time, you can go after a dream role that might require you learn a new software or get a certification. You can also target dream companies, even if they don’t have a posted opening right this moment.
Bottom line: think In and On
You always want to be working In your job and On your career, and these require two different strategies.
Working In your job means that you meet your responsibilities, support your manager’s priorities and optimize the specific things that will matter in your performance evaluation for that job.
Working On your career means that you continually focus on your next move. This includes nurturing a supportive network of allies who would happily refer you to people and opportunities, keeping your resume and LinkedIn profile updated for your current skills and experience and checking in with yourself so that you know what your ideal job and company looks like (this can change over time!).
Notice that the activities for working On your career could include both internal opportunities at the company you already work for or external opportunities at new companies. The most complete answer to the stay-or-go question is to consider both options fully.
