If the salary is the same, why move jobs? Reasons why change can be good…
Everyone likes to move their salary forward when they move job, right? Of course, it’s to be expected a lot...
Everyone likes to move their salary forward when they move job, right? Of course, it’s to be expected a lot of the time, but what if you have reached the natural ceiling for your particular market sector and the only opportunity to increase your salary is to commute further, move house or enter the turbulent contract market, which often means you have to do one or more of the previous points anyway? This is a familiar scenario across the IT Development market that we serve.
Not everyone can or wants to make the sacrifices necessary to go on to be a Development Manager, Technical Architect or IT Director – the long hours, the travelling, the customer facing work etc. – yet most people do still want a fulfilling and rewarding career. If you slot into this category and assuming that you don’t want to stay where you are until you retire, here are my top reasons to open your horizons when extra cash isn’t on the table:
1) Technology – working with the latest technologies is a must. Nobody really wants to work with old technology in a rapidly changing marketplace as allowing skills to stagnate or worse, become obsolete is career suicide. If your employer is dragging their feet maybe you should be voting with yours.
2) Training – As above, technical advancement is crucial within the development market therefore opportunities to learn new skills, attend professional training sessions and complete industry certifications are options that should be taken when offered. If your current employer is not offering you these opportunities either formally or informally then it’s time to have a look around.
3) Team / environment – This can mean different things to different people. It may mean less stressful conditions due to deadlines or pressure. It could also mean more manageable hours or flexibility. Or it could simply mean a friendlier atmosphere or a place where you feel you belong.
4) Liberty – you are at the level you are at, now you can pick where you want to be. This is your time to choose the perfect role. You know by now where your strengths and knowledge lie and this will allows you to only target the roles which you really want to do.
5) Challenge – There will come a time when you have mastered your current role, nothing new to learn or anything interesting to work on, where will your mental stimulation come from? What will get you excited about your job again? The challenge of a new role, new systems and new ideas will invigorate you and certainly give you the opportunity to make the most of your skills and abilities. It will also stretch your current knowledge but by doing so will have a positive effect on your job satisfaction.
6) Future proof yourself – What are the risks around your job? Is your employer investing in your department or product (see point 1&2), have they begun outsourcing back office functions or indicated that the pipeline of work isn’t as strong as it once was in your area? You’ll need to use your judgement on this but it always pays to see which way the wind is blowing and to keep your fate in your own hands.
So what do you think? Have I missed anything? Please let me know your thoughts below but in the meanwhile have a think about your current situation and make sure that you aren’t likely to be caught out of work, out of date and under skilled…