Making the Right Career Move

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epicurean

Plan your next career move carefully.

Imagine that you have an opportunity to move into one of a number of open positions in your organization. Perhaps you are offered two different positions and you have to decide which one you want. So how do you choose the right one for you?

Or perhaps you're already in a good job, but something that seems to be an even better opportunity comes up in another company. Are you going to make the move?

Having options is great: what a wonderful confidence booster! However, there's also a lot of pressure trying to decide which option is best.

To make the right choice, you have to decide what factors are most important to you in a new job, and then you have to choose the option that best addresses these factors. However, this operates on two levels – on a rational level and on an emotional, "gut" level. You'll only truly be happy with your decision if these are aligned. This article gives you a framework for analyzing your options on both levels.

First, we look at things rationally, looking at the job on offer, and also at the things that matter to you. Then, once you've understood your options on a rational level, we look at things on an emotional level and think about what your emotions are telling you.

Making Career Decisions Rationally

The first step is to look at your career choices rationally. Firstly, you'll look at the quality of the jobs themselves, and secondly you'll think about the criteria you need for job satisfaction.

Factor 1: Job Analysis

A good decision is an informed decision. You'll need to gather as much information as you sensibly can about the jobs you are considering. OK, this can be a pain, but think about how much future happiness depends on this decision!

Review the Job Description and Other Related Documents

• What are the key objectives?
• What competencies are required?
• What behaviors and outcomes are rewarded?
• How is remuneration determined?

Analyze Culture Impacts

• Does the department/organization have a distinct culture?
• How well do you think you'll fit in?
• How are conflicts resolved?
• How do people work together?
• How do people dress?
• What things constitute "doing a great job"?

Analyze Incumbent Success

• Who has been/is successful in the role?
• What characteristics do they possess?
• What skills beyond the job description do they use?

Analyze Available Resources

• Does the role/department appear to have adequate resources?
• What human resources are available?
• How much training and development will be available to you?

Determine Career Progression Path

• Where have people in this role typically moved?
• What is the average tenure in the position?

See our article on job analysis    for a more detailed discussion.

Armed with the facts about the job, next think about what you are looking for in a great job. Since the whole point is to find the best option for you, you need to do a properly considered self-analysis as well.

Factor 2: Analysis of Satisfaction Criteria

Everyone has a different idea of what makes a great job. That's why not everyone wants to be a doctor and why, thankfully, some people find that cleaning out sewers can be satisfying work.

Use these five sets of criteria when deciding on the factors that are important to you for your job.

1. The Work Itself

What you will be doing on a daily basis should be the primary focus of your satisfaction criteria. Unless the work is satisfying, it may not really matter whether you make vast sums of money, or have a boss you regard as a friend: nothing will seem quite right. The things to consider here include:

• Job responsibilities.
• Learning/growth opportunities.
• Potential for promotion.
• Future career potential.
• Authority to make decisions.
• Leadership/supervision.
• Variety.
• Autonomy.
• Challenge.
• Self-expression/creativity.
• Physical environment.

Think about which of these matters most to you, and explore them when you're discussing the new role.

2. Financial Considerations

What you are paid is important when making any career decision. Your salary and bonus potential determine whether you can buy a new home, purchase a car, go on vacations, or start a family. It's important that you have a good idea of what you need to achieve a reasonable standard of living. Factors to consider here include:

• Salary.
• Benefits.
• Incentives.
• Stability/economic security.

Does the job give you these?

3. Culture and Relationships

You will spend a large portion of your day at work. It is important that you get along with your co-workers and feel like you fit in. Sure, there will be minor disagreements along the way. However, you should be comfortable working in the environment, given cultural elements such as dress codes and the way that conflicts are resolved. Ask yourself what you need in terms of:

• Work relationships (managers, peers, and subordinates).
• People/Culture/Style.
• Recognition.
• Prestige/Title.

4. Work/Life Balance

There can be great merit in maintaining a balance between your home and professional responsibilities, and making enough time for leisure and downtime. You need to look at your life and determine what you need from a job so that you can achieve this balance and maintain it for the long term. Think about things like:

• Work schedule.
• Flexibility for family time and other commitments.
• Time to commute.
• Travel requirements.

Clearly, though, this depends on your goals. If a major goal of yours is to be a great parent, then work/life balance is important. If your goal, however, is to be CEO and build a great organization, then this necessarily involves carrying a heavy workload.

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5. The Company

The final set of criteria involves looking at the company itself. People tend to want to work for organizations that make them feel good about what they are doing on a daily basis. Look at the following criteria and decide what it is that you need from the company you work for.

• Size of company.
• Values.
• Leadership.
• Product and quality.
• Environmental concern.
• Industry.
• Geographic location.
• Corporate image/integrity.
• Contribution/service to society.

Now, download our free worksheet, and print off a copy of it for each of the options you're evaluating.

Instructions: For each job option you're considering, work through the criteria in the rows of the table one-by-one (we explain these criteria below.) For each criterion, first decide how important it is to you on a scale of 0 (not at all important) to 5 (very important). Next, evaluate how much of the criterion is on offer within the job, using the same scale. Finally, multiply these values together to give the score for that row of the table.

This type of analysis is very useful in helping you quickly see how well your career options match the criteria you've identified as necessary for your satisfaction.

Pulling This Together

Once you've worked through the worksheet for each of your options, add up the scores and total them for each worksheet. This gives you an initial score for how each job fits your needs, looked at on a rational basis.

Career Moves: the Emotional Impact

So far, you've looked at the job's criteria and what you need to be satisfied, in an objective manner. However, it's also important to consider how your decision feels. You need to get in touch with your inner self and think about how well the career options fit with your overall sense of self and personal fulfilment. Ask yourself:

• Do I feel like it is the right choice?
• Do I feel positive about the choice?
• Does this choice further my career and life goals?

If something doesn't feel right, then you need to understand why. Are some factors of overriding importance? Or are other factors important that are not mentioned? Take the time to make sure that you're comfortable with you analysis, and that you're confident that you've made the right decision, both on a rational and emotional level.

When you have an option that fits both objectively and subjectively, chances are you've got a winning career move.

Download Worksheet