Thinking About Leaving Your Job? Do These 10 Things First.

According to a poll conducted by the Harris Corporation for the magazine Fast Company, 52% of current workers are considering a job change in 2021. Up to 44% of workers have already started planning for a job change.

I am not surprised by this at all.

So many people are unhappy with their current work situation. They didn’t want to make a move during the pandemic, but, at least in the US, the pandemic’s effects seem to be lessening. Many people are now considering making a job switch.

If this is you, now is the time to start the planning process for a job search. There are many things to consider for a successful job search. Put in the work now, and when you are ready to start an active job search, you will be well-positioned for success.

Is an Internal Move the Answer?

Many people believe that they have to leave their organization if they are unhappy with their job. While this might be the right move for many, it may not be the only option. 

First, you must understand the root cause of your unhappiness. Is it the work you are doing? Maybe you find it tedious. Is it your manager? Maybe your manager is terrible at giving direction, so you do not know how to prioritize your work. Is it the culture of the organization? Perhaps the culture is very entrepreneurial, and you are not comfortable without processes in place. Or maybe it a combination of factors? Whatever the case, make sure you are very clear about what is causing you to want to make a change. 

Then think about whether you can address these issues with a move not outside but within your organization. Sometimes moving to a different role in the company (or the same position in another department) might be a great answer to your work problems. Don’t discount this option. I have seen staff members thrive when they have moved to a different part of the organization. If you are a good performer, your employer may want to work with you to find a better situation if the alternative is losing you. It is a lot easier to get a new position internally within an organization than to go externally.

1. Nurture Your Network

You know the adage about when is the best time to plant a tree. The best time was ten years ago; the second-best time is now. The same is true with networking. If you haven’t been nurturing your present network, now is the time to get back in touch. Catch up on all the happenings since the last time you have spoken. The conversation will likely touch on future plans, which is an excellent opportunity to discuss your planned job change. This person could be a sounding board for ideas. Or, if you already know what you want to do and where you might like to work, see if this person may have any contacts that could be helpful. Who knows, maybe your friend or colleague is also thinking about a job change. You might be able to help each other out.

Is there anyone in your industry or profession that you want to meet? Now is the time to start your outreach. Write a compelling message that explains why you want to meet them and, if possible, share some mutual interest or commonality you have. An introduction from a mutual contact will always increase the odds that this person will want to talk with you, but sometimes that is not available. If you can get the person on a phone call or video call, keep it short and have a few specific questions to ask. Let the conversation flow naturally. Once you have made the initial contact, do not forget to follow up. Keep your name on this person’s radar. Once you have developed a relationship, it is much easier to ask for a favor, such as an introduction to others or a job referral.

Are you uncomfortable with networking? You might find my blog post, What Holds You Back from Networking Success, helpful.

2. Do a Skills and Interests Inventory 

How will you decide if you are a good fit for a role if you haven’t analyzed your skills and interests? Many job seekers skip this step, but it is essential to know what roles will be of interest and play to your strengths. It can also help to understand the types of cultures where you work best.

A simple place to start is with a piece of paper and a pencil. Start with two columns. List all your strengths and, in the other, all of your interests, both personal and professional. Your strengths list may include:

• Personality traits (being charismatic, logical, or honest)

• Skills you have developed (critical thinking, effective listener, or strong delegator)

• Knowledge based-skills (journal entries, digital marketing, or JIRA expertise)

In your interest list, write down the parts of your current or past work that you enjoy. Also include work you would like to do but have not done before, and any hobbies or personal interests. Add the latter, as you never know how a job may incorporate your personal interests. Once you have this list, start prioritizing the skills by your strength and interests by your desire.

You may want to supplement this list with some personal assessments. You can take several online that can give you additional information about roles and companies that might be a good fit. Here are a few to consider.

MBTI (Myers Briggs) assesses how you perceive the world and your style of decision-making. 

The Enneagram Personality Test assesses you for one of nine different personality types.

RedBull Wingfighter is an interactive assessment that provides information on your strengths and coaches you to use them to your advantage.

CliftonStrengths assesses you on 34 different strengths. You can choose to learn your top five strengths or all 34.

3. Find Out How Others Found Their Jobs

Don’t reinvent the wheel. If you want a specific role within a particular industry, find out how other recent hires looking for the same type of position found theirs. You can find these individuals through referrals from your network (hey, we just hired a new Controller so let me introduce you to them) or through LinkedIn. You might get a notification on LinkedIn that a person has changed jobs, or you may have to do some detective work by going into profiles to see those with a specific title relatively new to their position.

Once you have identified these individuals, reach out to them and let them know you want to ask a few short questions about their job search. Find out what they have seen in the job market, what worked for them, and what they might recommend for you. You never know; they might have some resources that could be helpful to you. 

4. Clean Up Your Social Media

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to research. Of those that do this, 57% have found content that gave them a reason not to hire a candidate. Before you embark on a job search, you look through your social media to identify and content that could pose a problem for you. You want to make sure that your content, no matter which social media platform, depicts you in a positive light.

So what are the types of items you may want to delete on any social media platform?

• Text, photos, or videos of a sexual nature. Untag yourself from pictures or videos posted by others.

• Content that depicts excessive drinking or drug use.

• Posts or comments construed as discriminatory toward a group based upon religion, gender, or ethnicity.

• Content that explicitly states or implicitly implies criminal behavior has taken place.

• Bad-mouthing a former employer.

• Writing that exhibits poor communication skills.

• Political content

What employers will look favorably upon are posts that are well-written and show your expertise. Most of all, they want to find out about the real “you.” If you are not currently on social media, you might want to start with one social media platform like LinkedIn, where you can set up a profile and comment on the information posted by others. LinkedIn is also a great way to share your expertise by posting text, images, documents, or video posts to your network. If you are consistent, you can build a network of like-minded people who may get recruiters’ attention.

5. Gather Important Information Now

You will want to start gathering information that will be useful to demonstrate accomplishments and the quality and breadth of work with your employer. Especially having metrics for your achievements will make your resume more powerful and attract more attention from prospective employers. That is why you want to start gathering this information now. It may take you a bit of time to find all that you need.

So what are some things you want to retain for your files?

• Performance reviews

• Awards and recognition

• Thank you notes

• Letters of recommendations

• Project work or work samples

• Any metrics about your successes, such as increases in sales, reduction in costs, increases in efficiency, etc.

• Your contacts (clients, vendors, suppliers, competitors, industry peers, etc.)

Just be careful not to disclose any information that would be contrary to a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement.

6. Investigate Market Salary Data

What are your skills, education, and experience worth in the marketplace? Now is the time to investigate this. Current salaries often change depending on the market demand. Given that there are still many people out of work, you may find that current wages in some fields may have decreased while those in hot areas in high demand may have increased substantially. Especially if you have been with your employer for a while, it is not uncommon to find that raises you have received have not kept up with new hires’ salaries. Start developing an idea of the range of base salaries (and total compensation, including bonuses, commissions, etc.) that would be acceptable to you. It is good to have your targeted salary, what you can reasonably expect, and the minimum you would take to make a move.

Read more about how to find out what you are worth in the current market. 

7. Whom Will Be a Reference?

You will want to have at least three people that can vouch for your abilities and accomplishments, preferably people that have supervised you in some capacity, either formally or informally. Do you know who you would ask? Now is the time to reach out and see if these individuals will be willing to act as a reference. If they agree to your request, ask what they would say when asked about how you perform. You do not want any surprises that scuttle your ability to get a new position.

If you cannot come up with three supervisors to ask as a reference, broaden your search to peer or colleagues, vendors or suppliers you worked with, clients, or those who have interacted with you outside of work. Make sure you have all contact information, including a current telephone number and email address.

8. Line Up an Accountability Partner

Are you an obliger? Gretchen Rubin, a New York Times best-selling author, believes that everyone falls into four tendencies with how they approach inner and outer expectations (take the four tendencies test). Obligers, the most popular tendency, have difficulty meeting inner expectations, but less so outer expectations. Since looking for a job would fall in the inner expectations arena, obligers need to set up outer accountability to make good on their desire to change jobs. Otherwise, they will focus on all the outer expectations of work, friends, and family before their own desires. 

If this sounds like you, who in your life can be your accountability partner? It has to be someone that will agree to check in with you once a week and push back on you if you start making excuses about other people and things needing your attention first. Don’t know anyone? Get yourself a coach. Yes, you will have to pay for this, but if it gets you to do the work needed to make the change you desire, it will be worth it.

9. Clear Your Calendar

So you have time to conduct a thorough job search, start clearing your calendar to free up time. Do you have any commitments that can be eliminated, postponed, or reduced? How about people in your life that can help you out with time-consuming activities, like carpool duty or cooking. Maybe a spouse, partner, or child can help you out. After all, they may benefit from you finding a new job. How about paying someone to do chores you would normally do yourself? House cleaning or lawn care can be outsourced and could free up time.

When will you plan to do your job search? Early morning, night, or weekends? If you are working, a rule of thumb is 10-15 hours a week need to be focused on job search activities if you want to make progress. Are you an early person? Maybe you would like to wake up earlier to take advantage of your most productive time. If you have young children, perhaps you want to carve out time after bedtime. Whatever you chose, start planning and clearing things off your plate. That way, a lack of time won’t become an excuse.

10. Is Your Resume Updated and LinkedIn Profile Optimized?

Your marketing materials will need to be current. When was the last time you updated your resume? Now is the time to do it. Make sure that you are using a contemporary resume format. Resumes have changed over the years, and you do not want to use a resume format that makes you look old and out-of-step.

 
You can learn more about mistakes you might be making with your resume by reading Are You Making One of These Common Resume Mistakes?

You might want to invest in a professional resume writer. If you do not know how to tell your story (or do not have the time to write a new resume), a resume writer will be happy to do this for you. Just make sure you vet the person that is going to write your resume. How long have they been doing this? What is their background, and how do they approach writing a resume? Make sure that you are comfortable with this person’s approach.

Along with your resume, update your LinkedIn profile. You will want to make sure it is complete, SEO optimized and reflects the type of job you want. 

How to Use LinkedIn When Looking for Your Job Search will walk you through how to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Conclusion

If you want a new job, you know that you will need more than thinking to make it a reality. You will need clarity and planning. These are the steps that can start your job search off on the right foot. Why don’t you get started today?

Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.