In general these are our findings about the career-life-cycle in terms of what it takes to make , whether that's deciding to change employment or down stream in the process actually starting in a new position.
Good Career Decisions:
In this installment we'll describe the thought process we anticipate you'll go through in deciding whether or not to change employment:
Self Assessment:
It's your life and you need to be clear with yourself about how the position you're in meets your career objectives as well as meshes with your present lifestyle.
Are you being challenged in your work?
Are the projects you're working on allowing you to grow in the
technological areas that you'd like to learn about? Is the style of the organization one that
promotes technical growth? Is there flexibility around everyday
issues that come up in your life? Are you travelling more than your
family-life/relationship can handle or is the level of travel
manageable? Is your management supportive in
assisting you to get projects completed; and in giving you the
tools to do a better job? Is the organization reasonably stable;
such that you can see at least a year's stability in your present
situation? [We're clear that there is no lifetime employment in
this country]. Are you fairly compensated for your good
work product, time in the field and your academic credentials (as
well as being a good team member or leader)? Are you in a situation that requires you
to relocate to be closer to a parent that's getting-along- in-
years? Is it time to relocate to a new area of
the country for health or lifestyle reasons? A friend of ours, Jim Beelaert puts it this way:
" It is wise to ask yourself if you are running away from something negative or are you moving toward something more positive? While there are shades of both in most decisions, generally there is an overriding influence one way or another. Unless you hope to grow as a result of this change (rather than just to escape from something) you should re-examine your motivation."