There comes a time when everybody considers another job. It can arrive through opportunity or necessity.

Whatever the reason, there could be many changes. You will start on another path; often into quite a different world.

A single job-change may become career defining. It may move you to quite different work or places. Your life may be fundamentally altered when viewed in retrospect.

No matter the reason for change there is much to review before starting a new job. Many questions should be answered and studied, regardless of your seniority.

It will help in deciding to consider the following un-prioritized, less obvious and subjective factors as they are described, below:

 

Promotion

Is this a promotion or lateral move? Will there be downstream opportunities?

Perhaps your current position holds barriers to advancement; are they real or imagined? Might they be different if you carefully exercise your current employer?

And, just how clear is the prospect of promotion with that new employer? What is promised, imagined, real and possible once you’re on-board?

 

Remuneration (stock, salary and bonuses)

There is always the math of the situation.

Take great care that your projections for both the current and alternative role are fully understood. Might things change? How are they controlled and determined? If change is possible, what might really be the better choice?

Reputation

You are established where you are; good and bad labels surround you. Are those important to retain or easy/better to lose and rebuild?

Starting over can be a major opportunity, practical loss and also require a rapid rebuild, all at the same time.

Longevity

Do the new company and your industry value your invested time and specific experience? Are you giving up a real advantage in this regard by leaving your current position?

Sometimes better learning to love the one you’re with is the winning strategy; sometimes stepping into a more progressive or results-based role is what you need. Exactly which situation are you facing in this regard?

Network

Will the value and importance of your established friends, colleagues and mentors carry over to your new position? Is this something you need, want or prefer?

Perhaps it’s time to branch out and extend your reach and network, anyway?

And, what are these same people now saying about your new opportunity?

Track-record

Your current track-record got you where you are today. When you walk into that new position it quickly becomes a diminishing whisper, until re-asserted.

If you’re confident in your ability to move from strength-to-strength and have a rapid impact, you can build anew. What is the outlook for you quickly establishing a useful and impressive track-record going forwards?

Risk

The view you have of your current position should give you a great perspective of its risks. Is the business, product, management staff, culture or maybe even the industry itself currently challenged or under threat?

Be sure you understand; if in doubt, investigate.

And just as importantly, get the same best possible views of that new position.

Environment

Some places just feel better and more natural to you than others. Do you like your current workplace/facilities/support structure; are you worried about that new location? Or, is it just the opposite?

Is environment even that important to you? Do your surroundings affect who you are, how you feel, your confidence and more?

Maybe you need that feel-good office? Perhaps environment is worth more to you than you’d realized?

Culture

The culture of a place permeates your entire work-life. Do you like the current one, but love that new company’s more? Or, is it vice versa?

Will you impact the culture and/or help redefine it where you are, or where you might go?

What is the culture currently and what might it become? Either way, where do you best fit now and in the future? Where will you be most comfortable and thrive?

Commute

Are you at Company HQ now or in the boonies? Does this even matter and where do you need to be for your career?

Getting in and out of the office each day can wear on you if the commute is onerous. Nobody wants a daily, 90 min. each-way train ride, yet a 5 min. walk to your workplace is not always a critical reason for selecting a job.

Don’t discount the importance of a miserable commute which might ultimately create the need for a subsequent house-move and impact the very quality of your lifestyle.

Family impact(s)

The folks at home support you and need your consideration. Is it necessary they undergo the major upheaval of a move? Would that present a big problem or perhaps even be an opportunity for some? Are there schools, friends, feelings and perhaps even spousal careers to be considered?

Sometimes those apparently disruptive changes can have big upsides when viewed from a different perspective. How might those potential changes affect you and yours?

Stability

How important is stability in your life and career?

When viewed closely which is the most stable opportunity; just how critical and important is this in your life? Do the long-term outlooks for each company also appear equally stable for your role?

Travel

Your current and prospective job may involve travel; perhaps a lot.

Is travel something you want and enjoy? Is it already time to get this out of your life, or perhaps you want to avoid even initiating such an engagement? Travel can be much better or worse than you expect for you personally, your family and career. Think it through; what works for you going forwards?

Routine

Next there is the matter of your daily work-routine and schedule. What is it now, what might it become?

Is this a routine you readily accept, want and/or desire? How might this routine evolve?

Be sure you choose something with which you can live.

Change

Change is opportunity, but not everyone likes or thrives on its consequences. Personally, I love change; almost even need it. But for most professionals it is stressful and intimidating; something to be born and endured, not desired. However, some Companies are just culturally tumultuous, in constant flux.

What’s the outlook for change where you are now and also where you are considering moving? An amount of change is inevitable, but which place offers the future you’d prefer?

Market trends

Are you already at, or are you considering a company that has real business challenges? How much can you influence or control these liabilities and modify outcomes? Do the companies in question participate in inherently viable markets?

Be sure the company you choose has the legs to carry it in the market, based on both its indigenous strengths and in your own level of contribution. There must be credible business potential that sustains your needs.

Product trends

A company’s product offering and plans tell you where it’s going in the market. Does the company in consideration have timely, planned introductions and an adequately stable/predictable current offering? Again, can/will you influence this or might you be a victim of an uncontrolled, erratic outlook?

What is the history here? Which company (your current or possible future) can implement the right products and deliver timely production that matches their customers’ needs?

Preferably choose a company that predictably delivers (or you can ensure will deliver) on its product and production plans.

Innovation

And behind the product plans is the company’s fundamental ability to innovate.

Do the company and their people have a real history of sound innovation? Can they consistently define viable products? If not, can you aid and improve the situation? Make your job-selection accordingly.

Adaptability

What is the company’s ability to adapt? How have they performed historically? Market windows shrink, things change and management teams must adapt. It’s all about the team. Can you aid and influence them?

If there are market/product/delivery/service etc. problems, can the Team and Company adapt? Think like a venture capitalist (VC) when considering your options. Chose a solid path where sufficient adaptability will be sustained within the company.

You

In the end, it’s all about you. It’s critical you understand who you are in evaluating these criteria and their importance to yourself.

Be sure you understand your skills, strengths/weaknesses, likes/dislikes, adaptability, ability to grow, your marketability etc. Acknowledge the real value/significance of age and experience on your immediate and future roles.

Finally, ask yourself where you want to be and when. Further develop that rich picture you have built of yourself in the future. The Company you select must help you move towards your chosen goal.

 

Perhaps there need to be some acceptable sacrifices made for your career; compromises must often be endured. Maybe you just want to avoid such turmoil? In either event be sure you know what you want and that you have studied all options carefully.

Always, when selecting jobs be sure to remember:

Humans tend to decide first and then subsequently rationalize their choices. So, consider all the relevant, diverse, subjective factors (presented above) and then preferably weigh and rank them to secure yourself an adequately analytic view of your options.

New jobs are often exciting, flattering and enticing opportunities. But inevitably, they all have elements that some of us should avoid like the plague.

In closing, here’s to your successful job-search. My best wishes to you in securing that unique career-path you both want and deserve.

 

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh