Thirty years ago, an English punk rock band by the name of The Clash released what became a hit song. The title of the song was, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” A sampling of that song’s lyrics is below:
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble.
If I stay, it will be double.
The song, of course, is describing a relationship. However, it could very well be applied to an employment situation—perhaps even your situation.
A four-point checklist
There are a lot of top-notch candidates in the marketplace right now who want to make a move in their career. However, they’re hesitant to do so because of the current state of the economy. They mistakenly believe that if they’re the last one hired, they’ll be the first one let go if cuts are made down the road. (This is what we refer to as an “employment urban myth.”)
If you’re thinking about making a move in your current situation, there are four factors that you should consider. You’ll notice that none of them deal with the economy. That’s because short-term economic conditions should not affect decisions that could impact your long-term career success. Below is that four-point checklist:
- Balance—What kind of work-life balance are you experiencing in your current position? Are you satisfied with that balance?
- Passion—Are you passionate about what you do every day? Are you excited to go to work? Can you see yourself doing what you’re doing now for the foreseeable future?
- Vision—Does your current employer have a clear vision for the future of the company? Has it communicated that vision to its employees? How does that vision involve you?
- Opportunity—Does the opportunity for advancement exist at your current employer? If so, what opportunity is it and how will you go about achieving that advancement?
The New Year is just around the corner. This is the perfect time to assess where you are now, where you want to go, and how you want to get there. Once you’ve done that, you can ask yourself the big question:
Should you stay or should you go now?