With the start of the new year it's always a time for reflection, goal setting, and overall career and life assessment.
You may find yourself asking "should I search for something new?" Is my career moving in the right direction? are my skills marketable or have i become stagnant. All the answers won't come without engaging in the tedious process of revamping your resume, reconnecting with contacts, diving into the local network scene, etc..This job search thing is no Charade, it takes work to land in the right role, especially if you've had a few mis-steps (startup didn't make it, company relocated, company acquired, boss who you loved left and the list goes on.)
So what should you actually do to find that new happy place this year? A bigger question may be are you already in a happy place and you just need to reboot to realize it?
Here are a few thoughts to help you determine if you should continue another year in your current company or prepare for your next "performance" in front of a new audience that has no idea how great you are.
1. Be ok with where you are. Even if it sucks for various reasons. Once you are ok mentally and emotionally with your current situation and realize your life will still turn out fine, you'll be in a much better head space to see the options in front of you whether they are in your current company or outside.
2. Think hard about where you are in your life. There are situations outside of work that require more or less of us. If you're facing raising small children or caring for an elder, this may be a time to hold tight where you are instead of introducing the stress of finding a new position. This is not to say you should stay in a toxic environment, but just take stock of how much you have on your plate that may not improve much even if you get a better job.
3. What matters most? Is it culture, money, commute, diversity, mission of the company, title? It's great to think you're going to find your ideal job "gumbo" with just the right mix of everything you want. But how many times has that really happened? More than likely, there will still be something missing from your wish list, so really determine your top 2 or 3 things and focus on those. You may already have them where you are. If so, just work on improving them and see how you can make the less desirable things have less impact on you.
4. Can you respectfully engage in a full on job search? It's pretty common for people to interview during work hours these days, but it's probably not ideal to do so. The current markets offers very little solution to this dilemma so set your boundaries regarding potential interviews, etc.. do as much as you can before or after hours or during lunch. Make use of technology to complete first round interviews whenever possible. And lastly just ask for some flexibility. Your future employer will appreciate you setting the boundaries and not wanting to take advantage of your current company by ducking out for "dental appointments".
Wishing you success in your new endeavors for 2019!