Do I Stay Or Do I
Go? - The Pros &
Cons Of A Career
Move
By Kevin T. Buckley,
CPC
When you are faced
with a career option
that may result in
short-term gains or
career advancement,
it is important to
determine what the
merits of that move
are. Is this in your
best interests for
the right reasons?
I received a call
the other night from
a senior person who
was asking advice
about what to do
about the offer that
he had just
received. The money
was excellent, the
prospects as
outlined to him
seemed promising but
something was
causing him to
hesitate to commit
to the offer.
That was his
intuition speaking,
the small voice
inside that cautions
you to stop, reflect
and consider the
pros and cons of
what you are about
to do. Career moves
are always risky
propositions. It is
helpful to take a
measured and
methodical review of
what is being put on
the table.
The Company:
In these times of
mass lay-offs and
unexpected
terminations of good
people, it is
especially important
to be as sure as
possible about the
company that is
making you the
offer. Investigate
them through word of
mouth, through
search engines -
both general purpose
ones like Google and
Bing as well as
business specific
sites that provide a
clear reading on the
following:
- How well their
stock is doing,
their dividend
history
- What is their
market presence -
how well-known are
they
- What new products
or projects they
have underway or
anticipated
- What has their
growth history
been over the past
3-5 years
- What their
Standard and Poors
rating or other
credit agencies
- What legal issues
they have had to
contend with;
recalls,
class-action lawsuits – anything that could affect their future
financial stability
The Company’s Values
and/or Mission
Statement:
Do you identify with
what they stand for?
What do competitors
say about them?
What degree of
respect have they
earned in their
particular industry
sector?
What do former
employees have to
say about them?
How much turnover do
they have?
Who among your
business colleagues
have dealt with them
as a customer or
supplier? How were
they treated?
How promptly have
they paid their
bills?
How well-financed
are they? Have they
taken on a lot of
debt?
Are they owned by an
anonymous investor
group or does senior
management have a
financial stake in
the enterprise?
The Position
Responsibilities and
Authority:
How do the new
position
responsibilities
differ in scope from
your present duties?
Do the duties match
the title given to
you or are they a
step down in
authority?
What is the actual
level of authority
that you have to
make decisions
without having to
seek approval from
one or more senior
managers?
Who do you report to
on a dotted-line
basis in our out of
the department,
region or country?
Do you have a clear
idea of who your
team is if you have
staff reporting to
you and what their
functions are?
How well-experienced
are these team
members and how much
of your time will be
devoted to their
ongoing training and
coaching?
How will this
commitment of time
potentially affect
the execution of
your personal
duties?
Are you biting off
more than you can
chew?
Is the company
prepared to commit
the money and
resources required
to achieve the
objectives desired?
How committed do
they sound to you to
the department you
would be joining or
heading?
The Reporting
Superior:
How have you been
treated in the
interviewing
process?
Who will you be
reporting to and
have you met that
person and
established that
there is a good
personal chemistry?
How responsive has
the hiring manager
been to questions
that you have?
How organized and
how much in
agreement are the
hiring team?
Does one manager
voice different
expectations and
objectives than
his/her colleague?
Do you sense the
possibility of being
pulled in two
different directions
or having to please
two very different
people with
different agendas?
What have they said
are their
expectations of
performance and how
will these be
measured?
To what extent are
you a participant in
setting goals and
objectives versus
having them dictated
to you?
How democratic is
their
decision-making
process, generally?
Do they like to have
input from their
people or do they
feel they just
need to have their
people buy into
their vision and
plans?
What happened to the
last person in the
position and what is
their attitude
towards that person?
Their Expectations:
Different
expectations and a
lack of
communication about
them are two of the
primary reasons for
people experiencing
short-term tenures
and making
ill-considered
career moves. You
need to be as clear
as possible about
what they expect of
you and in what
time-frame/s.
Assumptions not
grounded in reality
can be fatal to your
longevity in a
company. When you
have worked hard to
achieve a good
reputation and a
respected position
in your present
employer, you don’t
want to take a step
backwards through a
short-term job
because you or they
failed to establish
what was expected of
you in terms of
results and
performance.
Ask them point-blank
what they expect of
you in the areas of
revenue-generation,
improvement in
bottom-line
profitability of
your department,
cost-savings
effected, process
improvements
realized, and any
other tangible
accomplishment that
can be measured or
quantified.
Then ask them what
time-frame/s do you
have to achieve
these goals and
objectives; are they
in incremental steps
or will they be
based on
monthly/quarterly/semi-annual/yearly
results to be
achieved?
Can you get them to
commitment to these
expectations and the
consequent rewards
for performance if
they are met, in
writing?
How restrictive is
the Offer and
accompanying
Employee Agreement
and what are they
asking you to commit
to? Have this
reviewed by a
specialist in labour
law and ask what
your rights and
obligations are. Do
your due diligence
and understand
completely what they
are asking you to
agree to.
Your Family:
Considering all
issues, pros and
cons, is this move
going to benefit
your family not only
in the short-term
but also in taking a
longer view? Why
have you decided to
make a move? Is it
ambition or boredom?
Is it the feeling
that something new
would be
reinvigorating for
you and give you new
purpose and
self-motivation?
Beware of making a
career decision
based on feelings of
excitement or any
strong emotion. The
prospect may be
exciting but you
need your wits about
you to make a
well-considered
decision. This is
difficult to achieve
if you are under the
influence of strong
emotions.
How will this move
affect your family’s
well-being? We are
not speaking about
monetary gain but
the intangible areas
of family
relationships,
togetherness, the
time you spend apart
and other personal
considerations like
commuting, overtime,
etc.
Along with improved
circumstances there
is either a spoken
or unspoken
understanding that
more will be
required of you in
giving of your time
and your energy to
the fulfillment of
your duties. Are you
prepared to make
that commitment?
Have you discussed
the changes that may
occur with your
family?
Your Present
Employer:
People look at
making a career move
for different
reasons and have
different motives
for doing so. What
are yours? Have you
reached the end of
the road where you
are? Is there no
room for further
growth and no
prospects for the
future? Are you
moving to get out of
a rut?
Consider the time
you have invested
with your present
employer. Does the
new situation
present enough
compelling reasons
to make a move? Do
the pros outweigh
the cons when you
put them down and
compare those things
that are important
to you? What are the
risks and are the
rewards or potential
rewards good enough
to convince you to
make the move? Will
conditions improve
in time if you
decide to stay where
you are?
Are you looking for
validation from
others that you feel
you are not
receiving where you
are? Do you want to
show your present
employer that others
see value in you to
obtain an overdue
salary increase? Are
you inclined to
accept a
counter-offer if
your present
employer makes one
to you to get you to
stay? These tactics
are generally based
on improving your
self-image or having
others recognize
your worth and your
contributions. When
you make a decision
to leave it should
be irrevocable. You
are declaring your
allegiance is no
longer with your
present employer.
You should be
prepared to follow
through on your
resignation and not
let cold feet or
sudden doubts change
your mind.
These are some of
the issues that you
need to consider to
make a career move
that has been
thought through
carefully.
You owe it to
yourself, your
career and the
people who rely upon
you to reflect,
weigh, measure and
arrive at an
informed conclusion
based on taking all
issues into
consideration.
Do I stay or do I
go?
Whatever you decide
to do, commit
wholeheartedly to
the course of action
that you choose for
the sake of your own
integrity.
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