Should you leave your current job…?

Being in a passion-less job is a career killer. Managers, clients, peers, and potential employers will see you as someone who lacks desire, drive, and enthusiasm. If you’re craving a career that inspires you, then you need to step up and take action. As your Career Coach, I encourage you to ask yourself three (3) questions to help you decide whether you should leave your current job…

The first question you need to ask yourself is, What do I really want in my career?
What is it that will give you the feeling of being happy and fulfilled in your job? Is it status? Prestige? Fame? Respect from your peers? Credibility within the industry? Money? Less stress? An easier lifestyle? Stop a minute and think about it. You need to define the specific things or “gets” that you want to ultimately achieve in your career. You should be able to narrow it down to one or two very specific objectives. Once you are able to identify your ultimate career objectives, then the next thing you need to do is take stock of your current career and where you are today.

The second question you need to ask yourself is, What are the “gives and gets” in my current situation?
This means taking a quick inventory of what you are currently giving to your manager, company or clients, and what you are getting in return. Let’s first look at the “gives” of your job. Write down the value that you are providing to your employer by being in your current job role.

For example, do you have knowledge, experience and skills that are valued by your manager or clients? Are you an expert in your job and providing work that is valued? Are you consistently delivering high quality projects that are on time and on budget? Are your clients thrilled with your work? Does your manager think of you as a valued contributor? Do you have the most relevant training and certification to do the job effectively? Are you adding to the bottom line by bringing in new business and maximizing opportunities, or saving costs by streamlining processes or bringing in advanced technologies? Are you leading projects and initiatives? Are you training and mentoring team members and peers? Are you providing some kind of unique expertise and viewed as the “go to” person for that knowledge or skill?

I encourage my career coaching clients to also identify another kind of “get.” Those are the negative “gets” in your current position. Every job has a certain amount of frustration and stress, but does your job give you an excessive amount? Does it make you feel inferior? Incompetent? Overwhelmed? Undervalued? Underutilized? These negative “gets” should also be identified. Think about any negative gets that you have in your current situation and write them down.

Now it’s time to review all of your “gives”, “positive gets” and “negative gets”. Are the gets that you are receiving the gets that you really need to feel valued and inspired? If not, then you may want to consider making a career change.

The 3rd question is, Before I leave, is there anything else I can glean from my current situation?
There are times in everyone’s career when you hit a roadblock, and it’s best to simply move on. But before you disconnect completely from your situation, I encourage you to glean anything else you can from your current employer or client.

Are there any projects you could join or lead that would allow you to gain knowledge or experience in a new area? Could you strengthen your leadership skills or boost your credibility by leading a project? Is there a project you could create that would challenge you and help you grow professionally?

Also, is there anyone in your current environment who could guide you, mentor you, or teach you about a product, technology, or the industry? Is there anyone else you could work with who could give your career a boost just by saying that you worked together?