Employees stay in comfortable jobs that fail to meet their needs out of fear that nothing better exists, apathy regarding the logistics of making the jump, financial concerns about moving to another position, or an often unreciprocated sense of commitment towards a current employer. In reality, if aspects of your job weigh on you on a daily or weekly basis, it may be time to look for a change of employment. Whether or not you decide to consider changing employers, the new year can be an ideal time to assess your happiness in your current job. If you discover it is time to make a change, January is a popular hiring month for employers.
The Evaluation Exercise
Picture your ideal job and employer that you could realistically obtain with your current skills, education level, time commitment, and other constraints. Considering this ideal employment situation, answer a series of questions honestly and completely for you to understand your perfect employment scenario.
My Employment Story
If this sounds too idealistic, here is my actual employment story as someone who works in the job I pictured with the company I preferred: As a government consultant, I started working for a consulting firm with mediocre pay and benefits in March 2019. My position was with an agency where I enjoyed the people and the work, but my company lacked the benefits I sought. With some research, I found the exact company I wanted to work for that still had contracts at the agency I enjoyed.
Exactly one year later, I moved to work for a subcontractor of the ideal company, establishing relationships with individuals at the company where I wanted to work. I also received a higher salary, enjoyed better benefits than before, and could see myself working with my new agency team long-term.
A government position that appealed to me offered me employment starting in January 2021, so I made another jump but quickly realized that my old position was the right one for me. In April 2021, I contacted the individuals I knew at that ideal company where I wanted to work, knowing there was an opening with them at the agency where I previously worked, and asked if they had a job for me. I received an offer almost immediately, along with a $20k raise over the salary I had when I worked for the subcontractor up until December 2020. I now work on the exact same team I did when I worked for the subcontractor, but with a much better salary and outstanding benefits.
From March 2019 to May 2021, I found my ideal type of work, researched how to keep doing that work but receive the pay and benefits I valued, and obtained a job with the pay and benefits for me. This targeted job-hopping only succeeded because I set the exact criteria I wanted in my employment situation.
Your Turn!
Picture your perfect job and employer with the belief that you absolutely can and should have your ideal employment situation. With this belief in mind, find a piece of paper or open a new Word document on your computer, and write out the answers to the questions below. Actually write them out; do not simply answer them in your head. Do not hold back with your answers:
How many hours would you ideally work in a week to remain healthy and happy while realistically making enough money?
What would your ideal schedule look like? Include the number of hours you want to work as well as the days and time of day/shifts. The more specific you are, the better!
Where would you physically work? Include whether you want your own office, you want to telework 100% of the time, you love a hybrid schedule, you want a 15 minute or less commute, or anything else pertinent to your happiness.
How many and what type of people would work with you? Do you prefer a certain team size or coworkers with certain values?
What qualities do you prefer in a supervisor or leader? What support do you expect or find non-negotiable?
What makes you feel valued at work as far as compensation and benefits? What is your ideal salary, and what benefits do you value the most (i.e., excellent health care, 401(k) match of a certain percentage, unlimited leave, etc.)?
What makes you feel valued at work outside of compensation and benefits?
What would need to happen in a day to make you say you had a great day at work?
What would make you feel proud of your work?
What would absolutely never happen at your ideal place of employment?
Final Steps
Looking at your answers, underline or otherwise note the aspects that vary from your current employment situation. If the whole page is underlined, you may want to consider researching an employment move soon. If you have fewer underlines, but they exist in categories you value highly, it may be worth researching how you can address these issues while maintaining the aspects of the job you currently enjoy.
Regardless of your decision, keep researching what competitors in your industry offer. For example, I did not know any employers in my industry offered unlimited leave until I ended up on my current employer’s benefits page and knew I had to work there. Consistently question the status quo when your employer says they provide benefits in line with industry standards.
Even if they are correct, you do not want a standard employment situation. Aim for an exceptional one.
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