The process from start to finish is longer than you think.
Not feeling quite right at work? If you’re considering changing jobs, you probably know it’s not as simple as just quitting and starting fresh. Finding a new workplace that suits you is not only difficult – it also takes time. That’s why the smartest thing you can do is to keep a lookout long before making the switch. This way, you’ll have tackled the hardest part in no time and with minimal effort.
It often takes a long time from the moment you start thinking about resigning until you actually start at a new workplace. Of course, it varies from person to person, but it’s not uncommon for almost two years to pass before thought turns into action.
Often times, the feeling creeps up on you: something is wrong at your workplace. Maybe you’ve been doing the same tasks for so long that everything is on autopilot without the slightest challenge, or maybe the same discussions keep running over and over again in the office, as if it’s all stagnant.
You might not be able to pinpoint exactly what it is, but something doesn’t feel quite right. This first stage can last anywhere from a month to a year before the signs become clear: you need a new job.
Once you’ve come to terms with the idea, it can take a few slow months before you muster the energy to update your CV and check what jobs are available on the market. Many people go to interviews that don’t feel right at all: it often takes a bad interview for your gut feeling to kick in, and for you to seriously start identifying what’s important to you.
A period of soul-searching begins, where you reflect on what you want with your close ones, and gain clarity about whether you want to prioritize salary, personal development, or maybe shorter commuting time, while putting interviews on hold.
Once you’ve recalibrated and feel confident about what you want, you need to figure out which type of company matches what you’re looking for. This involves some trial and error – you might enter 3–4 different processes over a quarter before you truly define your next career step.
Eventually, you find a company and a role you want, make contact, and enter their recruitment process, which typically takes about a month.
You come to an agreement with the new employer, but first, you must deal with a few months of notice period. This time often feels extremely long because by this point, you’ve already mentally left your old workplace.
And when it’s finally time for the first day at your new job, it’s been nearly two years since you felt that initial dissatisfaction.
Changing jobs isn’t a quick process, but you can make it more efficient, so you don’t have to go through the long, drawn-out carousel described above. A good starting point is to prepare as much as you can before it’s time to make the big decision to resign.
If you continuously attend interviews, review your preferences, and compare many employers to each other, you’ll be well ahead of the game and can save yourself months of processing.
This is what we call a proactive career.
1. Think about which factors are most important to you, such as being able to work remotely, contributing to societal good, or whatever it may be. Also, identify the deal-breakers – things you absolutely don’t want.
2. Continuously search for new job opportunities: look up job ads on different platforms, use your network, and keep your eyes and ears open.
3. Go to interviews so you get really good at them. You’ll train yourself to stay calm and get a real-life study of the opportunities available to you. Plus, you might end up at a great interview by chance – and then you can go for it!
We at Worko have been helping candidates find the right career path since 2011 and are in contact with many companies in the IT and Engineering & Construction fields. We’ll match your skills, values, and timing with the right companies and help you take the next step in your career – at a time that suits you.