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Whether you've been laid off or want to leave your current job, it’s possible to discover a more secure, more satisfying, higher paying position that will be better for your personal and professional growth. Leaving the known for the unknown can be stressful, so make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons you should consider change jobs.
1. Lack of stability
When you think about the future, where do you see your company heading? Are layoffs on the horizon? Do you foresee your company slowly losing clients and business? No matter how much you love your current position (and your manager), lack of future stability should be cause for concern, making it a good time to think about alternatives and plan for a more stable future.
2. Toxic work environment
High-stress jobs often lead to toxic company cultures where people don’t behave with the appropriate amount of respect and collaboration. Even if your current paycheck is great and you see yourself evolving at your company, if you are dreading Mondays and avoiding your colleagues, you should consider looking for an employer that fosters collaboration, transparency, and healthy work relationships at the office—and maybe that office is at home.
3. A desire for meaning and purpose
People no longer pursue professions just because they are lucrative—most of us want to build careers that have purpose and grander goals. For example, contributing to the wellbeing of society is one of the main reasons so many people start working in health care. If you strive for a higher purpose in your life, then expanding your skills to master life support and emergency care might give you the meaning you want. Post-pandemic, many people are getting advanced medical certifications online to make their resumes more attractive to the healthcare industry and set themselves up for meaningful careers.
4. Lack of advancement opportunities
As wonderful as your current job might be, you might feel as though you don’t have a chance to learn new skills and grow. If that’s the case, start looking for opportunities that offer room to advance and expand your skill set. If you can spare the time to achieve certifications or even an advanced degree, it will help you grow—both personally and professionally.
5. Better financial security
Feeling like you’re barely making ends meet doesn't give anyone peace of mind. Ironically working in a low-paying job can make you feel insecure and adverse to change. But living with a high level of money-related stress is also not healthy, so maybe it’s time to look into jobs that come with greater financial security. Such career changes don't happen overnight, but can be worked towards over time. Look into starting qualifications, educate yourself, make a plan, set a goal.
6. Improved work/life balance
Once upon a time, salary would have been a main factor in choosing a certain job or specific company. Today, though, many of us have a different mindset—one focused on quality of life as well as professional stability. During the pandemic, stay at home orders introduced many of us to remote work for the first time. Perhaps you liked it. The lack of commute gave you more time to exercise, for example. In comparison, so-called perks at your current job might not be as impressive to you as they once seemed. Or maybe it's that your current employer isn't as focused on employee well-being or mental health as you'd like. If this is the case, look for organizations that offer wellness-specific benefits, are open to flexible work arrangements, and care about treating their employees well—not just paying them well.
Claire is a personal and professional development expert who believes that a positive attitude is one of the keys to success. She enjoys life to the fullest in the healthiest way possible and loves to share her insights into business, education, and entrepreneurship. Feel free to reach her on Facebook and Twitter, or to read some of her articles on Ripped Me.
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