There are never better pastures – only other pastures!
Move from one job to another, but only for the right
reasons
It’s yet another day at office. I found the headlines dominated by
‘who’s moving from one company to another after a
short stint’, and I wondered, why are so many people
leaving one job for another? Is it passed now to work
with just one company for a sufficiently long period?
People have varied answers to the question of why they are leaving. The answers are: "Oh, I am getting a
200% hike in salary"; "Well, I am jumping three levels
in my designation"; "Well, they are going to send me
abroad in six months".
Then, I look around at all the people who are
considered successful today and who have reached the
top – be it a media agency, an advertising agency or a
company. I find that most of these people are the ones
who have stuck to the company, ground their heels and
worked their way to the top.
And, as I look around for people who changed their
jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some
level , in obscurity!
In this absolutely ruthless, dynamic and competitive environment, thereare still no short cuts to success or to making money. The only thingthat continues to pay, as earlier, is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays! Sometimes, immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay.
Does this mean that one should stick to an
organization and wait for that golden moment? Of
course not. After a long stint, there always comes a
time for moving in most organizations, but it is
important to move for the right reasons, rather than superficial ones,like money, designation or an overseas trip. Remember, no company recruits for charity.
More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly
hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate
to what that company offers it current employees,
there is always unseen bait attached.
The result? You will, in the long-term, have reached
exactly the same levels or maybe lower levels than
what you would have in your current company.
A lot of people leave an organization because they are "unhappy". What is this so-called-unhappiness? I have been working for donkey’s years and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work environment-boss, rude colleague, fussy clients etc.
Unhappiness in a workplace, to a large extent, is
transient. If you look hard enough, there is always
something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly,
do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense?
If I think hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is
something you find with family, friends, may be a
close circle of colleagues who have become friends.
What you come to work for is to earn, build a
reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for
your work ethics, face challenges and get the job
done.
So, the next time you are tempted to move, ask
yourself why are you moving and what are you moving
into?
Some questions are:
* Am I ready and capable of handling the new
responsibility? If yes, what could be the possible
reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
* Who are the people who currently handle this
responsibility in the current and new company? Am I as
good as the best among them?
* As the new job offer has a different profile, why
have I not given the current company the option to
offer me this profile?
* Why is the new company offering me the job? Do they
want me for my skills, or is there an ulterior motive?
An honest answer to these will eventually decide where
you go in your career- to the top of the pile in the
long term (at the cost of short-term blips) or to
become another average employee who gets lost with
time in the wilderness?
Leave Your Comments