Look before you leap
31 Mar 08
Looking to change jobs? Karen Scott, managing director of Hudson in Scotland, has some advice about what else, besides pay, you should consider when making a career move.
by Karen Scott
It’s natural to be concerned about money, particularly in the current economic climate. However, most people would readily admit there is much more to job satisfaction than their salary.
Pay is often a big motivator when choosing a job, but the challenge offered by a role, the culture of an organisation, and opportunities for training and progression are often the factors that contribute most to happiness or force workers to head for the door.
Ironically, the happier you are in a job, the better your performance will be and, ultimately, the more you’ll be rewarded financially.
Here’s some advice for anyone considering a move:
- Firstly, don’t resign in haste and regret it at leisure. Look at salary surveys for your industry and role and identify whether you really can achieve a much higher wage elsewhere, given your skills and experience. While most employers are still recruiting in the current economic climate, bear in mind that some sectors, such as financial services, are laying people off.
- Once you’ve identified a new role, ask whether it gives opportunities for progression. Can you see clearly what your next move would be within the organisation, and is there a logical, well-defined route to get there? Who will you learn from and how much time will they give you?
- Find out what sort of training will be provided. This should go beyond helping you in your current role as it’s also important to have the chance to learn new skills that enable you to take on new opportunities.
- Establish who you will report to, what the company’s HR policies are and who will act as your career mentor in your first year and beyond.
- All organisations have a distinct culture, so it’s important to spend some time in your potential place of work, observing interactions between employees. Hang around in reception, visit the staff canteen, or ask if you can attend company drinks or a company meeting. Ask your interviewers to define the good and bad facets of the working culture.
- Finally, before making the leap, speak to your manager to identify whether you could improve your current role or pay prospects, or even transfer to another role within your organisation.
Karen Scott is managing director of Hudson in Scotland.