Despite the best of intentions by all parties involved, sometimes a career move that seemed ideal ends up being less than perfect. This is totally normal and can be for any number of reasons (fit isn’t quite right, more/less responsibility than expected, commute longer than expected etc).
So what can you do?
The best way to not wind up with feelings of regret about a career move is to ensure that you do you due diligence and research the role and company thoroughly BEFORE you join. So here is what you need to consider..
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1.What to Research / Ask about at Interview Stage
- Company Culture and Beliefs
- Location / Commute Times
- How you fit in professionally in the hierarchy
- If you’re managing a team, ask to meet them first if possible
- What systems they use
- What your Career Path will be
If you can cover all of these areas PRIOR to accepting the job, then it’s far more likely your expectations of the job will match the reality and there won’t be any unexpected surprises on day 1.
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2.Move for the Right Reasons
The most common issue we hear about for wanting to leave a job quickly after commencement is that the move was made for a higher salary and not career prospects, culture or professional enrichment.
Money is certainly important and it’s only natural to wish to better your financial lot in life, but try to make sure it’s not your sole reason for changing jobs.
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3. Give the Job a Chance
Transition periods are always challenging and can cause feelings of anxiety, but try to remember that this is a natural part of the process and not necessarily a reason to feel the job isn’t right for you.
Try and give the job 6 months if you can (unless there’s a serious issue / you absolutely know it’s not right earlier), by this stage you should have learnt the systems, made connections and will know definitively if the position isn’t the right fit.
If after 6 months you still don’t feel right, hit the job market.
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If you have to leave?
Don’t burn the bridge – it may not be the right company for you at this point in your career, but it doesn’t follow that it won’t be in 5 or 10 years time and you want to leave that door as open as possible.
Cultivate multiple options. You may think the best option is to try to go back to the company you just left but remember, there was a reason you left that company too.
Don’t look back. Whilst most people don’t enjoy jumping from role to role, sometimes it can be tricky to find that ‘perfect fit’. Try not to feel guilty if you need to leave a role sooner than expected – we spend so much time at work during our lives that it really does pay to be happy.