"I've literally never had to look for a job - until now. I didn't know where to begin. You took an otherwise intimidating experience and showed me that it didn't need to be. Your professionalism and follow through are to be commended. You've opened my eyes to career options I didn't know existed."
Barbara Koon,
Operations Manager
Food Merchandising Service

It Time for a Job or Career Change?

It may seem like foolishness to even suggest that in the midst of the current economic slowdown, anyone would consider voluntarily changing their job or exploring a career change. But it happens every day — in good times and bad. And, let's be honest folks, things are not really that bad!

The key to strategic career management, especially in less certain economic times, is to know when the time is right for you to make a change. Don't let economic cycles drive your career development. Opportunities always exist if you know how to look for them. Time your job changes to meet your personal and professional needs, and you'll build a more satisfying career for yourself.

Following is a deceptively simple exercise I have used over the past 10 years to help my clients know when the time is right for them to make a change. Try it. It just takes a couple minutes.

Answer each question with a "yes" or a "no." There are no "maybes" in this test.

Yes No Question
Has it been longer than three years since you received your last promotion or transfer?
Have you been considering a job change for six months or more?
Has your job been restructured and your responsibilities reduced?
Have you recently been passed over for a promotion you expected to get?
Are your responsibilities increasing while your compensation remains about the same?
Have you peaked in terms of promotional opportunities within your current organization?
Do you feel underpaid for the work you perform?
Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night worrying about your job?
Is your job the first thing you think about in the morning or the last thing you think about at night?
Do you find yourself "watching the clock" in the middle of the afternoon?
Is your job adversely affecting your physical or emotional health?
Do you find yourself browsing through the Sunday classified section or "surfing the net" for job opportunities?
Do you seek activities and interests outside the workplace to give you a sense of worth and accomplishment?
Do you feel that your skills, abilities and experience are underutilized in your present job?
Is the amount of time you spend on the job or commuting adversely affecting your personal life?
Do you think your employer is ripe for a takeover, merger, acquisition or reorganization?
Does your boss ignore or give "lip service" to your requests, suggestions, memos, phone calls or e-mails?
Have promises made to you not been kept?
Do your bad days on the job outnumber your good days?
Are you concerned about the quality of your employer's products or services?
Is your employer not competitive in today's marketplace?
Do you feel you're not properly recognized for the contributions you make?
Do you find yourself excluded from decision-making processes that affect your ability to perform your job?
Is your job preventing you from achieving other life goals?
Have you recently received a poor performance review?
Would co-workers say you're difficult to deal with?
   
Total "Yes" Answers

If you only answered 6 or fewer "yes," stay where you are. Remember, nothing's perfect.

If you answered 7 to 13 "yes," you're on the road to some kind of career transition. You may wish to remain with your present employer, but seek a different position. Examine the items you answered with a "yes." Ask yourself if there's anything you can do to change these factors to be more to your liking in your present situation. If so, go to work on them. If not, start investigating job/career alternatives elsewhere.

If you answered 14 or more "yes" — you've already mentally/emotionally divorced yourself from your job. It's really just a question of time before your body will follow.