By Vicki Salemi
U.S. News, June 7, 2018 —
Happy in your current job? Great! This is the time to keep your eyes open.
Job seekers often wish they landed a new job yesterday. The interviews aren’t happening fast enough and neither are the job offers. They don’t want to give off a desperate vibe, but they’re really looking forward to leaving their current job once and for all. And if they’re unemployed, then they’re incredibly eager to land a new gig.
Well, the process can take time when there are offers and approvals involved, but one of the best ways to expedite it on your end is to always keep your eyes and ears open. This way, your job search doesn’t reach a crescendo sense of urgency that you need a new job as soon as possible! Perusing job postings even when you’re not actively looking is often one of the best times to search for a new gig. Basically, when you’re not really in need of one.
Always look for a new job. (iStockPhoto)
Your confidence is likely higher. You know that feeling when your boss likes you, you’re doing well at work and you’re getting great feedback and have rapport with clients? Excellent, right?! That is, until you’re told there isn’t money in the budget for a promotion or significant raise this year but, insert-pat-on-the-back-here, keep up the great work!
Always look for a new job. Always. Even if you were happy with your raise, because chances are if you looked externally, your starting salary could be higher than what you’re earning now. While it is a balancing act to have all facets of your job in a happy place between the actual work, work environment, relationship with your boss, commute, health benefits and salary, when everything is in alignment, all is right with the world.
But, like all good things, unfortunately this alignment can be fleeting. Your boss could leave, there is downsizing, your office moves locations … anything can happen at any time. If you have feelers out there in terms of meeting up with two contacts each month for lunch or coffee, applying to jobs that look interesting as they become available just to keep your interview skills sharp and to see what happens, you never know where it may lead.
When you’re content in your current job and you’re interviewing, you can evaluate prospective employers with more of a keen eye. Knowing it’ll be a lot to get you to leave your current situation, you can say to yourself, “How can you impress me?”
You can also have some fun negotiating. After all, you’ve got nothing to lose. Practice those negotiating skills and see what happens. Ask questions about the type of projects you’ll work on and see if you have rapport with a prospective boss.
Remember, you don’t have to evaluate whether you’re going to accept an offer until you’ve actually received one! This is a big concept to digest; many job seekers are stressed out because they don’t know whether or not this company is the right fit or if the compensation package will be on target. The reality is, they are spending energy on something that doesn’t exist yet: a coveted offer.
Make those decisions when there’s a decision to be made. Right now, in job search and interview mode, all you need to do is evaluate whether or not you want to go on another interview, whether it seems like a fit and if you like what you see so far.
During this process, you may realize you would like to stay at your job and it’s still great so there’s no need to leave. But, when the moment arrives and you realize it’s time to move on, by keeping your job search in motion, you’ll have an updated resume, polished interview skill set and most likely a neatly pressed interview suit in your closet just waiting to re-emerge. When you do go on that next interview, you’ll be prepared and excited to take on the next chapter of your career.
