To change jobs or not to change?

Finding your dream job is definitely a tough quest. But often we find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation because we don’t have the courage to change jobs. Is this fear justified? Let’s try to analyze the issue together.

How do you know when it’s time to change jobs?

First of all you shoud ask yourself, “Does my job cause me discomfort?”. If the answer is yes, don’t rush to resign!

Let’s ask ourselves first of all:

• How is my attitude towards my colleagues?
• Does my private life influence my working life or vice versa?
• What do I appreciate about my job?
• In 5 years do I still see myself in the same reality?
• Am I satisfied with my salary?

Another valid practice that you can do is to check your mood on a daily basis. How? Take notes (physical or digital) of how you feel about your job every day from 1 to 10.

After about a month go back and look at your results, average the values ​​and think about how the result makes you feel. In fact it’s much easier to remember the bad days than the good ones so don’t get discouraged!

If, on the other hand, you feel daily discomfort, perhaps it is time to think about changing jobs. Don’t worry, we are here to help you!

What to do before changing jobs?

Before you start looking for a new job try to improve your current position if possible:

• Ask for the possibility of smart working
• Ask for a salary increase
• Consider a promotion
• Change sector in line with your skills

If you still haven’t found a solution, all you have to do is start your search. How to start?

Before resigning, it is advisable to carefully evaluate what you want from the new job opportunity.

Start asking yourself:

• What are the reasons that made you want to change your job?
• Is there any particular benefit you want?
• Are you looking for a similar job position or do you want to completely change field?
• Do you need further training?
• Do you want to have more free time?

It is also good to have your CV updated and a well-tailored LinkedIn profile (this social network has taken on a fundamental role in recruiting in recent years). Also have further details ready such as the gross annual income received and the notice period for the resignation required by your company.

Now that you have everything ready, you can start searching among the job offers for the one that best meets your needs. But try to apply only for those positions where you are qualified.

Why are you afraid to change jobs?

Uncertainty is the greatest source of fear. There is no certainty that the new job is the right one for us. But if not even the current one satisfies us, we must take courage and “take a leap of faith”.

Good thing is to analyze what actually can scare you in details:

Fear of not being good enough

You’ve found the perfect job (at least on paper), but you don’t believe in your skills, you’re terrified of failing. How to overcome this?

First you have to take into account that all jobs are “tough” at the beginning, it’s normal. You have to get used to the environment, the people and the tasks. You will make some mistakes, but no one is perfect and who hires you knows this.

Fear of not being able to turn back

Do you remember when we said that it’s easier to remember negative situations than positive ones? This is true for those situations we are living in today. But when it comes to thinking about the past, the opposite rule works.

In fact, nostalgia makes us remember only the best parts, making us forget the negative events (this is why we tend to have good memories of childhood). But what does this have to do with work?

When you change, it’s normal at the beginning to have “nostalgia” for what you were doing before because it gave you security. But you have to remember why you decided to change, what made you uncomfortable.

Fear of letting people down

You have worked for years in a team and now you are afraid to leave them, to “do them wrong”. What to do?

Very simple: you have to think about what’s best for you, be a little selfish. Maybe you also have great coworkers, but why should you continue to feel uncomfortable with your current job?

It might help you to talk about it with those people you are afraid of disappointing, who may not necessarily be your colleagues, but family members or friends who would not welcome this choice (but you could also be wrong).

Fear of earning less

Job security is synonymous with money and consequently insecurity can lead to initial economic difficulties. It is indeed a risk that must be taken if you want to change the current situation.

Keep in mind two things:

Money isn’t everything. Some benefits may be worth more (for example flexible hours or the possibility of smart working)

You could earn more in the future. Indeed, very often companies offer more than what you currently earn to convince you more to accept

Why is it good to change your job?

As the saying goes “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and this is especially true in the world of work. Taking risks can bring significant benefits, exceed one’s expectations, acquire new skills with new job opportunities, establish relationships with new people.

Career

Changing jobs can allow you to jumpstart a career, starting from the bottom (but not necessarily) and working your way up. If your current job doesn’t allow you to get a promotion then you might want to consider changing.

Do the job you were hired to do

In your current job you should carry out some contractual activities, but instead you have been relegated to other tasks at the limit (or maybe not) of demotion? Changing workplace gives you new opportunities and although you don’t have 100% certainty that you will do exactly what you were hired to do (but you can get very close with an a priori study of the company) at least you don’t have 100% certainty NOT to do what you are qualified to do as in your current situation.

Acquire new skills

The more skills you have, the more you grow professionally, but theory is not enough. The best way to acquire new hard skills is with practice: for this reason, companies often ask for experience in certain roles.

In addition, there are also so-called soft skills or also called “transversal skills”. What are? They are those abilities that define our personality and our way of thinking and acting. They are highly sought after and it is always good to include them on your CV.

Working in a new environment and with different tasks allows you to grow these skills. Some examples are team work, creativity, striving for goals, etc.

How to find a new job?

And here we come to the most crucial part, the job search. How to start? Here is a bucket list of things to do:

• Update your CV
• Update your LinkedIn profile (and if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile we recommend creating one)
• Research the market where you want to work
• Set the salary you wish to receive
• Work in attendance? Smart working? Full remote?

• What type of contract would you like? Permanent, Temporary, VAT number
• Search for the job portals most suited to the role you are interested in

Some tips for your search:

• Keep an open mind. Even if a job offer is not exactly what you are looking for, evaluate the possibilities it can offer you.
• Apply only for positions for which you are qualified and of real interest to you
• Also consider applying yourself for a company you would like to work for
• Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get feedback or are rejected

And as a last suggestion, we cannot fail to advise you to rely on an expert in the sector. Looking for a job is a very demanding activity that requires time and resources that you may not have.

It’s not enough to look for a job, you need to study which skills are most in demand by the reference market and the companies of interest to understand if I can actually meet your needs.

Recruitment agencies can help you find the job you want. Not everyone knows that this service is completely free (at least it is in our case).