Looking To Switch Jobs? Here Are Things To Consider!
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IT Jobs and Recruitment Insights
A man once gave me a piece of advice that never left me, and while it may have been a throw-away line from a man I have always admired; it’s relevance to this piece of writing is a reminder that you can strategize all you want but you can’t account for unknowns.
His advice was “A good guess is better than a bad measure”.
The most successful changes personally, in my career have come after making a well thought out and measured decision.
So the key question you must ask yourself if you are looking to change jobs is - Is this an emotional decision or is this a rational decision.
If you are looking for a change because you've had a tough day/week or because you’ve had a fall out with a colleague or a manager maybe you just need some time to reflect and take stock of the situation and take the emotion out of the situation before barrelling into a big career change.
If this is a considered change; here is my advice:
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Know exactly what you want and why you want it
This is in relation to:
- Projects you would like to work on
- Companies you would like to work with
- Location you would like to work
- Tech you would like to use
- Career goals you would like to attain
- The culture you would like to be apart of or build
This is the cornerstone to a fulfilling career.
Employers and Hiring Managers want focussed ambitious people as part of their team and how you demonstrate this and how you can contribute to their overall success will ultimately see your next opportunity come to fruition.
This does not mean being stubborn or unwilling to waver from exactly what you want. Sometimes give and take is needed, but know what you want and show why you have a passion for that project.
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Where is your salary in relation to the market rate
Do you know your worth?
It is almost an old school tradition not to talk about money in Ireland, this was proven by research done by the Bank of Ireland where 70% of respondents said they will not discuss finances.
You may have an excellent salary in relation to your role that is not on offer somewhere else but you are headed for wasted time and effort unless you speak to someone that knows where your salary lies in the market.
Two suggestions for who to reach out to speak to:
1. Specialist recruiters that work in your industry
Excellent recruiters live in a world where they find skilled candidates new opportunities. They talk to candidates like you every day and connect them with clients they want to talk to. A specialist recruiter can be a resource you can tap into and the right recruiter can be the key to your ideal job opportunity .
2. Someone in your industry that has a similar path to you
I caveat this by saying to make sure you ask someone who is a pay grade or two ahead of you. Obviously this will have to be someone you trust and this advice has an obvious perk - The person you ask has been where you are.
The advice you are going to get will be one person's lived opinion, just be wary that the market changes like shifting sands and a good salary in your position can sometimes sway dramatically in a short period of time.
An example of outside market forces dictating a large change in salaries was after the financial crash in 2008 led to a mass exodus of talent from Ireland leading to a shortage of trades and engineering professionals. Electrical Engineers in HVAC saw salaries increase by a margin of 50% due to a dearth of talent in Ireland that we are still feeling the effects of today.
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Will a change give you more work - life balance
Are you working to live or living to work? With every change there will certainly be a trade off; what these trade offs are going to be is completely up to you.
A positive work life balance has proven in multiple studies to lower stress levels, prevent burnout, reduce mental health issues and improve motivation. A healthy work life balance comes in many forms and employers can see the benefits with increased workplace productivity.
Covid-19 has demanded many changes in our lives and possibly the most dramatic long term change will impact our work lives. . Working from home or a hybrid model in a lot of industries has become a necessity. There are more options generally to facilitate your workplace requirements compared to before the pandemic.
Just keep in mind that companies are still working to create a company culture and it may go back to the first point of having a trade off.
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Choose stimulating work and career progression first
A poll that was recently conducted by LinkedIn and had 10,000 respondents found that career progression and concern about a lack of opportunities was the biggest driver for someone to change their job.
This may be surprising to most, but from my experience working in recruitment this is not a shocking revelation. Stimulating, rewarding work is imperative to long term success in your career. Don’t get me wrong we all have moments where a little boredom creeps in; but your overarching goal for your career should be a motivator to keep you on track.
In Simon Sinek’s book - “Start with why” he wrote:
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”
If you know what you want from your career and why you want it, your decision to change jobs will be calculated and seamless.
If you would like to discuss your career or have any specific questions feel free to email me - chris.gavaghan@gempool.ie, or if you're in the market for new job opportunities head over to our IT careers page.
