How to leave your job for a better one

By Marilyn Tam

Sara decided that it was time to leave her job. After reviewing the pros and cons and talking it over with her family and close friends, it was time to go. The question is, how to find and gracefully transition into a new company that would fit her career and personal needs?

Sara has a responsible well paid position; she supervises a team and is hands on designing and creating as well. Two members of her group left already because they too have seen the new top management recruiting and promoting more people from their previous organization and slighting existing employees. The current team’s hopes for upward mobility, and even basic trust, are gone.

Sara thought with her recent excellent job review, that they would leave her and her group to function as they have done so well, but no. Increasing micromanagement and top-down decisions expand, and her authority is being questioned regularly. She feels pressured now to look outside the organization she’s been happily working in for the last seven years.

It’s not a hastily made choice, and she wants to make sure that it’s a good one.

Balance your current work while looking for a career move. photo: Magnet-MeI have been coaching Sara through her “should she stay or should she go” decision-making process and now it’s time to move onto the next step: how to continue to do her current work well while looking for a career move that would maximize her talents and interests.

Sara is confident in her skills and abilities, but apprehensive about the leaving her work.

It’s normal to be nervous about changing companies and starting anew.

There are 7 steps to a graceful and relatively easy transition:

1. Acknowledge that you have considered and are complete with your current position, and that leaving is prudent based on all factors. Change can be unsettling, and it is natural to doubt yourself after you made a choice. Keep your list of why you chose to leave handy so that you can review them when unease arises.

2. List your desired career attributes and description as they are aligned with your life purpose. In Sara’s case she wants opportunities to learn, to contribute and grow to her highest potential while using her experience and training. She wants to do meaningful work she cares about with an engaged and collaborative team that serves and helps people. Also important for Sara, especially because of her current experience, is clear direction and shared mission in the organization. Integrity and commitment to service are other key factors. And for the work to be interesting and fun! Use your vision of what you want to guide you in where and how to look for your new position.

3. Set up your resume chronologically if you are seeking a new career similar to what you are currently doing. Classify your information by skillset and training if you are looking for something better matched by your overall experience than your current job description and past job titles may indicate. Similarly, categorize your work experience, history and background if you have time gaps in your career. Reflect on your work experience and use the resume writing process to help guide you on your desired career move. Consult with a few trusted mentors and respected industry associates; get their feedback and refine your resume as needed.

4. Refresh your professional media pages to reflect your interests, talents and experience. List your accomplishments and awards. It’s easy to forget to update your online presence; now is a good time to shine them up and highlight your achievements. Organizations are looking for talent online and through their connections; make yours visible and reflect your strengths.

5. Start researching and networking. Review and connect with the overall employment picture, with internal associates who have left, industry contacts, outside mentors, professional online platforms, employments sites and social media. Many opportunities are found by networking and via professional platforms.

6. Be open and flexible. Work opportunities are wide and growing in today’s fast changing world. Sometimes the most exciting and rewarding career for you may be in a tangential area to what you have been focused on. Explore a wider field, you may find possibilities you have not considered before.

7. Stay positive! At the beginning of any unfamiliar process, you may be hesitant or nervous. Regard this exploration as a new way to share your skills, passion, and strengths with another audience. You have the potential to shine and be recognized for all that you bring to the table. The proper fit will come, take time to consider the options, and know that you are deserving of a career that is fulfilling and rewarding.

Sara is excited, and a bit nervous to be juggling her current job, the search, and her personal life. It’s a memorable time. The good news is that the job market is hot. Organizations are eagerly searching for people who have fresh ideas and expertise. Flexible work locations and work schedules are more common than ever before. This opens your career options wider since you can live and work remotely.

It’s a wonderful time to reassess the different facets of life and to create something new that will serve you and everyone you touch. Perhaps you may even decide to step out and start something on your own. Good luck, I’m rooting for you!

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