Changing jobs: prevention is better than cure
In the field of employment, the vast majority of people prefer to wait for an opportunity to arise rather than to provoke things or remain actively listening to possible opportunities. But what are the chances that the opportunity in question presents itself on a silver platter? Whether you are offered a promotion at the right time in your life? Whether it comes with new challenges that really interest you? Or that the accompanying salary increase is satisfactory?
To illustrate the importance of being proactive, let's break the title of this article into three parts:
Don't wait
You don't have to wait to wonder about your career. Are you happy with your lot? Do you still love what you do, the team you do it with and the company you do it for?
A career change doesn't have to happen overnight. On the contrary, you can start preparing for it today by nurturing your network of contacts, keeping your CV up to date, connecting with recruiters and having an inviting LinkedIn profile. This will allow you to explore new avenues without too much effort and in a confidential manner.
Be unemployed
Being without a job is like being without a car. However, few people wait for their car to give up before they start to think about getting another one. Why? Not only because it is an important financial decision, but also because it is more convenient to shop for a car when you are in the car yourself than on foot.
Likewise, it is far better to look for a job while you have one. This allows you to make it a hobby that you will only devote a few hours to a month, rather than a full-time occupation. What's more, just watching your savings melt away in the sun as you search for a new source of income can affect your walk. Indeed, by being unemployed, you often no longer have the luxury of choosing your job and, for many, have to be content with what happens. Not only do you lose your bargaining power related to your terms of employment, but the longer your jobless period, the less attractive your application becomes to potential employers; the latter tend to be wary of candidates with slack periods in their CVs, especially in fields where there is a scarcity of labor.
Find your new job
When it comes time to find yourself a new job, lack of preparation is the equivalent of not working out before you run a marathon.
Imagine for a moment that the company you are working for now has major layoffs. You are no longer alone in wanting to find a new job. On the contrary, you are on a starting line with tens, hundreds, even thousands of people who have your expertise and who will apply for jobs similar to yours.
Having kept your CV up to date, having maintained your contacts and having evaluated the possibilities of employment with other companies can only give you a good head start!
