Changing jobs

Planning a new job

Never had job before? Fed up with your current job? Not going anywhere on the career ladder? Tired of doing the same thing year in year out? Not getting appreciated for your hard work? Why not change employers. 

Perhaps you are happy with the work but don't like - some of - your colleagues or your boss. Or perhaps you are not getting the benefits you should or are entitled to. Perhaps you simply want to do different work altogether or work from home. 

All very good reasons to explore the job market for new opportunities. This page is about planning a job change. There could be several reasons why you want a new job. 

Choose one of the next options or read on: 

	I am finished with studying and I want to get a great job.
	I want to change to another employer.
	I want to change jobs within my current company.
	I want to promote to a different employer.
	I want to promote within my current company.

Whatever the reason you want to change work there are some simple things to consider before you start to send out letters, make phone calls or hand in your notice. 

Points to consider  

Consider the following and make sure you have the answer to each one before you start applying. 

1. What exactly do you want to do.

2. How much do you want to earn. 

3. How far do you want to travel.

4. Are you qualified? 

5. Do you have the right resume or CV? 

6. How will it affect my personal life? 

Answering these basic questions will help you pinpoint more precisely what it is you are looking for and how to get it. 

Type of work  

The question of what it is exactly that you want to do for work is crucial. Forget about negative thoughts that you have no options and should accept whatever you can get. Seriously giving some thought about what you want to do professionally is always better than not thinking about it at all, nurturing a defeatist attitude, and ending up being unhappy with any job forever after. 

So we are not going to think that there are no options, because there always are. But only if you believe that there are. So let's approach the matter of what kind of work you want to do more pragmatically. 

Think about the following negative and positive attitudes: 

There are probably lots more you can think of. Reasons to blame your unhappiness or dissatisfaction on with your current or lack of job. 

Get rid of this kind of thinking. It doesn't help you or anyone around you. Instead, look at the same statements in a positive light: 

• I'm fed up of doing what I do and I want something else now.

• I don't want to accept what I can get, I want to have a choice. 

• I'm asking myself and my loved ones what I can do best. 

• I want to find a job where I can learn to do what I am interested in. 

• My area has an unemployment problem but there are working people too. 

• I need to take a look at my personal life because it may need to change so I can get a job I like. 

Both sets of statements are identical, only your approach to them differs. Thinking the first set will not get you anywhere, except a job you will dislike. Thinking the second set might still not get you the perfect job but will at least focus your thoughts and behavior in the right direction. This will tremendously improve your chances in getting the job you do want. 

Work and earn, benefits  

Fighting for importance is job satisfaction and the money you earn for the work you do. But there is no winner here, nor should there be. Rather look at it as a two-win situation. Concentrating on one is bound to make you lose out on the other. You will need to find a balance here. 

Consider the following statements: 

• I really got the job I wanted but the pay and benefits are not very good. 

• I get paid really well, but I don't like the job because of the people I have to work with, the traveling involved, the work environment or other factors.

In both these situations job satisfaction or money has taken absolute first place. The scales have been tipped and there is a definite downside. Balancing the two could lead to a more positive position: 

• The work I do is mostly what I want and the pay is not bad. I am going to have to improve both in order to become completely satisfied. 

• The pay is a little less than what I wanted but I enjoy the work. I will have to improve my work further in order to get paid more. 

In the second situation both statements have become essentially the same. By not placing total emphasis on either job satisfaction or money the result is a desire for self-improvement rather than dissatisfaction. This will lead to an improvement on both job satisfaction and the pay you get for doing work you enjoy. 

	I want to know more about wage scales, benefits and other workplace regulations.
	I want to browse some on line databases so I can get a better idea what the wages are for the kind of work I want.

Travel issues  

In planning a job change travel distance may or may not be a big issue. But ultimately, if travel is your cause for wanting a change there are still only two choices to consider: 

• Find a job closer to home, or

• Move closer to your job. 

Sounding simple, they are not easy choices to make. But the focus here is on changing jobs and then the choice is clear. You will have to find a job closer to home. Easier said than done, but certainly not impossible. 

1. Have a look in the local or regional papers and trade magazines for jobs.

2. Go to the local or regional job center and see if they have information. 

3. Ask people who work locally, friends or family, if there is anything available. 

4. Call the companies in your area if they have job openings. 

Qualification   

Wanting or wishing a new and exciting job is all very well, but one of the hard facts of being able to land a good job is to be qualified for it. Don't let job qualifications put you off right away. Many job postings - and the companies who post them - are not at all sure exactly what qualifications are necessary. 

Very specific jobs do require very specific qualifications, of course. But many office jobs can be done by people who have no initial education or background in that particular position. 

So if you see a job you are interested in but you do not have all the qualifications listed, it might be well worth your while to give that company a call or send in your resume or CV anyway. You can state clearly in the accompanying letter that you are missing this or that qualification, but that you are willing to cross-train.  

	I want to know more about qualification ideologies.
	Education and training and how to become better qualified.

The right resume or CV  

The next step in getting ready to look for work is to have the right resume or curriculum vitae. 

This vital document is underestimated too often by job applicants and gets hastily typed up as a last minute thought. Wrong. 

A good resume gives your prospective employer or agency a clear look at what you want and what you have achieved. It shows your schooling and experience. The resume has to be easily legible otherwise it will be discarded. 

While you may want to pour out your life dreams and wishes, a resume or CV is not a novel but an introduction to who you are and what you want. 

I need a resume or C.V. and I want to know how to make or get one.

Personal issues  

Last but certainly not least in the list of proper job planning is to assess how it will affect your personal life and the people in it. 

If you are living alone this may not be a point you really need to consider. But if you are the head of a family or part of one where your life will affect that of the others, then it is a good idea to sit down and talk to the other people whom your job change will affect. 

Don't be put off right away if the first response is negative. People want to avoid risky situations or those that will disturb comfort and security. However, a job change should be a move towards something better, and it is this you need make clear. 

It is impossible for us to tell you what to do as all situations differ but consider the following possibilities: 

• The new job will pay more or has better benefits.

• I will get a (better) company car.

• We can move to a bigger house / better neighborhood.

• I will be able to spend more time at home.

• It's closer to home. 

• The work environment is much better.

• The people are much friendlier. 

Of course the opposites may apply. But taken from the point of view that the job change is one for the better, all of the above are good "selling points" to convince others. As long as you yourself is convinced eventually the others will come round. 

Starting off 

So now that you have decided to go ahead and find a new job you should have considered or checked all of the above points. 

Good luck! 

But in case you are still wondering whether you need more information, check at any of the other main sections. 

	Qualification ideologies.
	Resumes or C.V.
	Education and training.
	Internet job databases.
	Labor regulations.
	Legal issues.