New Year, New Job? 6 Questions to Ask Before You Take the Leap

I love the possibilities that a new year holds. Each year, January offers a clean slate in all the areas we hope to improve. Looking to eat healthier? Exercise more? Declutter your home? The new year offers a new starting point to set and reach your goals.

What about your career goals?

According to a 2017 Gallup report, only 33 percent of U.S. employees are engaged at work, and more than half (51 percent) are searching for new jobs. Maybe your work experiences over the past year have you wondering if it’s time to pursue a new position. How do you know if the workplace blahs you’re feeling are just a temporary rough patch, or if the time has come to move on?

No job will ever be perfect, but if the negatives of your job have started outweighing the positives, it could be time for a change. Before making a decision, prayerfully consider these six questions.

1. Are you operating within your strengths? Does the job require skills that you enjoy using?

Make a list of the work tasks that you enjoy and the ones that you dislike. Are there any tasks that could be delegated to another person or department? Many managers are more open to this than you may think, especially if you have proven yourself to be a valuable employee. Think about ways you could offer value to your employer if your time were freed up to use some of your different skills.

2. Does the company’s mission align with your personal passions and purpose?

It can be difficult to stay motivated if you no longer believe in the overall purpose of your organization. Most employees want to feel a sense of purpose or meaning in their work. This requires taking some time to determine what type of “meaning” means the most to you. Is it helping others? Being a great leader? Representing Christ well in your workplace? Perhaps the work itself means less to you than the relationships you develop on the job. Or, maybe you desire to feel more of a sense of purpose in your day-to-day tasks than you currently do. Perhaps a better work-life balance is most important to you.

3. Is your company’s corporate culture a good fit for you?

It is possible to be doing work you enjoy, but in an environment that isn’t the right fit. If this is the case, it may be time to explore other companies where you can continue the type of work you enjoy. What would an ideal work culture look like for you?

4. How does your current job fit into your long-term career goals?

What do you want to accomplish in the next three to five years? What would you like to be doing in 10 years? Will you be satisfied with your progress if you remain where you are? Some jobs may be “pay-your-dues” types of positions to gain the experience needed to land the position you really want. However, if you don’t see how your current position will lead to other roles you desire, it may be time to start looking at other opportunities.

5. Are there opportunities for you to learn and grow in your current company?

When a position no longer offers challenges or the potential to learn new things, it is easy to become bored. If a different position within your company would be more fulfilling for you, how open would your employer be to the idea? In what ways would you like to grow this year?

6. What is God saying?

It can be easy to get ahead of God’s timing when we are uncomfortable. If you have considered changing jobs, have you prayed about it? Sometimes God may use discomfort to lead us to a new role, but sometimes He may call us to endure in our current situation until He releases us from it. He may have more things to teach us or more that He wants us to accomplish in our current role. Pushing forward ahead of his timing could lead to disaster.

The bottom line: If you prayerfully consider these questions, the Lord will show you what direction to take. Whether He stays “stay” or “go,” you can find peace in your work this year by submitting your career path to Him.

Source:

“State of the American Workplace” Gallup