Is the grass really greener? What to consider when thinking about moving jobs

IPA Insolvency Practitioner newsletter, December 2024

Article by Harman Dhillon, Principal Consultant, Ambition

The job moves you do or do not choose to make throughout your career are amongst the most impactful decisions you will make over the course of your life. It is therefore vitally important that these decisions are properly thought through, researched and where possible, strategically planned.

Choosing a career and setting your course are one thing, but once you’re in a role, how do you know if you should move jobs or if it’s better to continue in your current role? There is no silver bullet, but there are steps you can take to make sure a career move serves your goals, whilst mitigating the risk of a bad move.

Understanding Your ‘Why’

Understanding your ‘why’ is crucial when considering a career move. Start by reflecting on the reasons for your dissatisfaction in your current role—what specifically isn’t working for you?

Next, clarify what you hope to gain from a new opportunity. What would the ideal role look like, and how would it address the gaps in your current situation?

Finally, evaluate your short, medium, and long-term career and personal goals. Consider how this move aligns with these goals and to what extent it will help you achieve them. Having a clear understanding of your motivations and aspirations will ensure any decision you make is purposeful and aligned with your future vision.

Gearing Up for a Job Search

Similar to understanding your ‘why’, preparing for a job search requires thoughtful planning and self-assessment. Before you start looking elsewhere, explore all avenues internally and try to broach any issues with your current employer. You might find that all you needed to do was ask, but if the situation is still not resolved then at least you’ll have the clarity to confidently explore the job market.

Firstly, define your non-negotiables, such as the opportunity to take appointments, support for a qualification, a minimum salary expectation, a minimum level of hybrid working etc. Equipped with this information, leverage your network to assess the current state of the job market and gauge the level of demand for your skills and experience.

After researching the market, does an opportunity that ticks all of your boxes exist in the market? If not, it could just be a case of poor timing, or your search may be too niche. You may need to adjust some of your expectations to suit the market or reconsider whether making a move is still worthwhile for you.

Evaluating Potential Employers

When evaluating potential employers and positions, don’t solely rely on their website or a job description. Many firms will claim to offer the best career development, culture, benefits etc, making it hard to cut through the noise. Tap into your network for their insights but remember that the best way to learn about a company is to speak with them directly through an interview process.

Treat interviews as a ‘two-way street’. While they’re assessing your suitability, you also need to be assessing whether the opportunity aligns with your needs and non-negotiables throughout the interview process. To do this effectively, ask the right questions—ones that help you determine if the opportunity is the right fit for you. For example, if you’re looking for a firm where you can progress based on merit, then perhaps you could ask about individuals who have been promoted to your desired level within the business. What steps did they take to achieve their promotions? What were the criteria they were evaluated against? Could that be emulated with yourself? Keeping these questions relatively uniform across all interviews should help with cross-comparison.

Hopefully, you won’t have to move jobs too often throughout your career. When the time does come however, it’s worth taking the opportunity to thoroughly explore the market. This doesn’t mean interviewing at a dozen different firms but don’t limit yourself to just one option, if possible. Speaking with multiple firms provides you with a more accurate snapshot of the current market and you are then able to benchmark opportunities against each other. If you’re fortunate enough to receive multiple offers, you’ll also have the luxury of choice and will be in a stronger position to negotiate the best terms.

Evaluating Job Offers

A job offer may come weeks, months or in some cases years after you initially decided to explore the market. The longer it’s been, the more important it is to remind yourself of the reasons you were looking to make a move in the first place. Through speaking with different firms, it’s not uncommon for your motivators to shift, so evaluate the offer(s) to match.

Consider the long-term pros and cons of accepting the offer. If the firm cannot hit your salary expectations, does it offer something else that is more valuable to you in the long term? For example, a firm that has a clear route to appointment taker should enable higher earnings over the long run compared to a firm with a higher starting salary but a top-heavy team structure.

Again, leveraging your networking for advice at this crucial stage can be very useful.

Final Thoughts

In summary, deciding whether to move jobs is a big decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s more than just considering a new title or salary, it’s also about making sure the move aligns with both your professional and personal goals.

By reflecting on your reasons for wanting a change, doing your research, leveraging your network and evaluating your options carefully, you can make an informed decision about whether the grass really is greener.

Please note that guest content does not necessarily represent the views of the IPA.