The average veteran will switch jobs 5-7 times during their lifetime. In today’s job market, loyalty and long-term jobs are desirable, but not common. However, the process of continuous professional development is a major concern, as you must remain viable. Therefore, when you make the move to civilian life, making a job change is probably inevitable at some point. Understand that a job change is often fraught with challenges and can be an emotional experience. So, make a professional decision that will enhance your career.
When looking for a new job, having options can be rare, depending on the field and market. Therefore, debating the merits of a particular offer might seem like a luxury when jobs are scarce. Other times, you have no choice but to accept an offer that seems less-than-perfect. It may seem like your career at stake, but an occasional misstep is not devastating. However, a quality assessment of the risks, pros, and cons, will help avoid making mistakes. The following items provide an awareness of job change pitfalls you should avoid.
Pitfall #1: Trading Better Pay for Better Experience
When your work is more fulfilling, your life will be better. When you wake up in the morning, and you are excited about going to work, the “job” does not feel like “work.” Feeling proud about what you are doing and where you work is priceless.
After discussing this issue with veterans over the years, many find that more money does not necessarily enable greater happiness. Some equate higher pay with greater recreation and investment opportunities, bigger home, fancier cars, etc. What they fail to recognize is that great pay in a stressful and uninteresting position will degrade free time contentment and prevent fulfillment. Working in an exciting and interesting position improves your attitude and increases happiness, allowing a more enjoyable life.
The problem is undue focus on money often leads to inadequate research. Casually, many vets say “money” is not as important as other areas. Research shows however, that money becomes the number one item when making a job move decision.
To alleviate potential disappointment, research the companies and positions that you think will be a better fit for you. Do not focus too heavily on the money. Remember, making less money could lead to greater happiness.
Pitfall #2: Emotional Departure
Occasionally, employees become so miserable in their current position, that they become desperate to find something new. Instead of researching and planning their next career opportunity, they jump from one job or location to another challenging situation. Applying an unnecessary urgency to your job hunt, instead of waiting for the right offer can make life difficult. Believing that the grass is greener, job seekers may not research as they should. Further, they could forgo a strategic move due to their panic and often place unrealistic time constraints on themselves – creating further problems.
Take time to research your next steps, the companies that would be good for you, and the connections you have. Who knows, there may be a great opportunity at your current company.
Pitfall #3: Competency and Salary Overestimation
Unfortunately, seekers may think they contribute more than they do. Some have an unrealistic view of their personal skills and prospects. Further, capacity to deal with the challenges of the new position can be overestimated as well. Another pitfall is the overestimation of expected salary. Making big money usually requires a big effort. An overly optimistic self-view leads to an underestimate of how long a job search will take. Additionally, nothing will make you feel worse than being in over your head through overstating your capabilities.
Close self-evaluation and introspection will help avoid this pitfall. Researching your desired career path and salary is also a good way to move forward. If you see no glaring problems with your self-evaluation, you might should ask a friend or co-worker for honest feedback.
A Final Note
Having a short-term perspective can feed these pitfalls. For instance, if you have overestimated yourself, you may believe you are five years ahead of yourself professionally and remain continuously disappointed. Overcompensation or an emotional decision, forces you to be overly concerned about money or escaping your perceived current work situation. This type of thought leads to less study and research, increasing your risk of a serious career misstep through potentially irrational thought.
Remember, the time you spend researching your next position is an investment towards your future career. Make sure you research wisely, before you say yes to the next position.
