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When
Opportunity Knocks, Is It Knocking for You?
Volume
II, Issue IV
Maybe
you were thinking about a job change when the recruiter called
- and maybe not. In any event, opportunity seems to have knocked.
Let's
assume you are not the proverbial "tire kicker"
- the kind of person who likes to check out the market periodically
but has no real interest in switching jobs. Let's assume the
potential new position is neither a lateral move nor a step
backward. And let's assume it has some genuine excitement
attached.
You don't
want to anger the recruiter by feigning interest where none
exists, or by continuing to pretend interest after you have
ruled out the opportunity. That's a good step toward career
suicide, see Working with a Sanford Rose Associates Recruiter,
Volume II Issue I. So at each phase of the interviewing and
acceptance process, you have to decide whether to keep going
or to call the whole thing off. But how?
When
considering a career move (as opposed to a job hop), candidates
are well advised to focus first on what it is about their
current position or employer that would make them want to
leave.
Despite
the fact that employees are changing employers with ever-increasing
frequency, that doesn't mean you have to. You may have the
perfect job with the perfect boss in the perfect company in
the perfect location. You have been promoted frequently, earn
more money than you had ever dreamed and are on a fast track
to corporate stardom. Being fired is not a worry, because
you are guaranteed a terrific severance package and your reputation
precedes you in the world of executive search. And on top
of everything else, you love your job. If that describes your
situation, think twice before leaving. In fact, think three
or four times.
On the
other hand, perhaps your job is less than perfect. Your boss
is a power-hungry egotist, unwilling to share recognition
and acknowledge your many contributions. Or the company, once
the market leader, has become an also-ran and the shareholders
are restless. Or the thought of another winter in Fargo is
more than you can stand. Perhaps you have been denied promotion
or given a salary increase that must have been designed as
an insult. Maybe life in a cubicle is not what you had in
mind upon graduation from college some years ago. Given any
one or more of those circumstances, you may be ready for a
new job. The only question is which.
Here
are a few tips for proceeding.
1. As discussed above, make a list of what you dislike about
your current job. If you need to remind yourself, make a separate
list of what you like about the job.
2. Describe
what would be the perfect next job for you - whether at your
current employer or somewhere else. Be as specific as possible
in terms of responsibilities, reporting relationships, company,
location, compensation package (including benefits), promotional
opportunities, etc. If this pretty much describes your current
career path, stay put unless someone offers you a million
dollars.
3. Evaluate
the new job opportunity from two standpoints. First, will
it solve all or most of the problems you described in Point
1? Second, how closely does it match your ideal job description
in Point 2? If the shoe fits, consider wearing it. For a more
in-depth discussion on evaluating the new opportunity, see
the next issue of Candidate Chronicles, Volume II, Issue V.
4. Be
honest about your family situation and include them in the
decision-making process. (Don't come home some night and say,
"Guess what, honey? We're moving to Cedar Rapids.")
When talking to the recruiter, don't gloss over potential
conflicts such as a working spouse, sick parent or daughter
in her final year of high school. Get them out in the open
and address them; your recruiter may have good advice to offer.
If each
day you - and your family - are growing more excited, that's
a good sign. If the opportunity grows dimmer over time, let
go of it and let your recruiter know. You will be appreciated
for your honesty and candor and will be considered as other
opportunities arise.
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