Why Do People Change Jobs?

 In today’s workforce, a ‘job for life’ is almost unheard of. It is more acceptable to have quite a few jobs listed on your CV in a short time span. People are almost expected to job hop – especially when it comes to Millennials. But that doesn’t mean these employees are unreliable or flippant. In fact, most people seek to move jobs for the right reasons – be that work/life balance or career opportunities. Choosing to leave a job and start a new one can be stressful and uncertain: No one would opt to put themselves through that without a valid reason. So, if you’re worried that having three or four jobs listed on your CV will make you look scatty, don’t be. It’s perfectly normal. Here are just some of the reasons why people are choosing to move jobs more often. Content Most employees want to be busy all day, every day. Not to the extent of feeling overwhelmed, of course, but having enough work to see you through the day is important. Believe it or not, nobody wants to be twiddling their thumbs. What’s also important is that the work you are doing is challenging and interesting. This means access to training and software that will make your job engaging. If you’re bored, there is a real problem there. Relationships If there are issues with communication with your manager, this can seriously affect your working life. If you are both working towards different goals or can’t see eye-to-eye on important projects, this could seriously threaten your career. If you feel undermined or undervalued at every turn, it’s important that you try and address this, either with your manager or with HR. You and your boss need to be working in sync in order to create a pleasant and productive atmosphere. Culture We’ve spoken at length about company culture on our blog, but more and more people are factoring it in to their career choices. If your office feels oppressive and you’re frightened to pitch in an idea or take a lunch break, this is not a healthy working environment. Don’t accept poor behaviour or working conditions. Being a good ‘fit’ for your colleagues is also important – there’s no sense in being a chatterbox in an office full of people who like to keep things quiet. You will flourish more in an office of like-minded people. Opportunities Everybody likes to think that their career is going somewhere. How often have you heard of people complaining that they are stuck in a ‘dead end job’? It doesn’t feel good to be putting in hard slog only to get nowhere. If your manager or company don’t have a clear progression plan for you – ask for it! Training and development is all part of this. You need to be constantly learning and evolving in order to keep up to speed with your market. Surprisingly, we’ve found that most candidates aren’t motivated by money or a salary increase. Most employees know their market value and are content with this – although no one would necessarily turn down a few extra notes in their wage slip at the end of the month. If money is your only motivator for leaving your current position, it would make more sense to sit down and speak with your boss about a potential increase, rather than using the threat of leaving to get it. Do any of these reasons for wanting a new job sound familiar? If you’re not happy with your current role, talk to us. One of our knowledgeable and experienced recruiters will be on hand to give you sound career advice. Click here to contact one of our teams.