Making the Right Career Move
Monday, November 25, 2013
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.
Note:
This framework assumes you are weighing alternatives that
are all consistent with your overall career goal. This
should be the starting point for any decision you are going
to make on what career options to pursue. If the options
you're considering are not aligned with pre-considered plans
and goals, it's time for even more fundamental thinking! For
more information on this, read our articles on career planning and goal setting .
Rational Analysis
The first step is to look at your 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 One: 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?
If a job option is with a new
organization, gather this information from the recruitment
information you've been sent about the role, and from
discussions with the recruiter.
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?
For a more detailed discussion of job analysis , click here .
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 thought-through
self-analysis as well.
Factor Two: 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 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.
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
These criteria are not just for career
options outside your current company. Some internal moves
may take you to business units that operate quite
differently from the rest of the organization, or produce a
different product or service. It's important to understand
your criteria in these areas regardless of whether your move
is inside or outside the company.
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 worksheet is based on the Grid Analysis tool for decision making. This is a powerful tool that can be used in a variety of situations. A full explanation of how to use this technique on a more general basis is detailed in the Mind Tools' article found here .
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.
Tip 1:
If some of the scores seem a bit wrong,
don't be afraid to revisit them. Spend as much time as you
need to make a rational, properly considered decision.
Tip 2:
This is not necessarily a comprehensive
list of factors. If other factors are important to you,
build these into your analysis.
Emotional Validation
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 fulfillment. 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 over-riding 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.
(To read more about making a career decision using emotional criteria, read Am I Making the Right Choice? in the Coaching Clinic.)
Key Points
Making a career move is a very important decision. It requires
serious thought and consideration. You can think long and hard and
still not come up with a solution unless you have a framework to
use to help you make a decision.
Using the three distinct approaches outlined here – job analysis,
analysis of satisfaction criteria, and emotional validation – you
can be confident in your decision. Analyzing each element in this
way forces you to consider the multidimensional criteria that go
into determining a great job fit. With a decision that is valid
emotionally as well as on paper, you can be confident that you've
made the best possible choice.
Download Worksheet
Tags:
Career Skills, Skills
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.
Note:
This framework assumes you are weighing alternatives that
are all consistent with your overall career goal. This
should be the starting point for any decision you are going
to make on what career options to pursue. If the options
you're considering are not aligned with pre-considered plans
and goals, it's time for even more fundamental thinking! For
more information on this, read our articles on career planning and goal setting .
Rational Analysis
The first step is to look at your 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 One: 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?
If a job option is with a new
organization, gather this information from the recruitment
information you've been sent about the role, and from
discussions with the recruiter.
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?
For a more detailed discussion of job analysis , click here .
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 thought-through
self-analysis as well.
Factor Two: 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 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.
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
These criteria are not just for career
options outside your current company. Some internal moves
may take you to business units that operate quite
differently from the rest of the organization, or produce a
different product or service. It's important to understand
your criteria in these areas regardless of whether your move
is inside or outside the company.
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 worksheet is based on the Grid Analysis tool for decision making. This is a powerful tool that can be used in a variety of situations. A full explanation of how to use this technique on a more general basis is detailed in the Mind Tools' article found here .
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.
Tip 1:
If some of the scores seem a bit wrong,
don't be afraid to revisit them. Spend as much time as you
need to make a rational, properly considered decision.
Tip 2:
This is not necessarily a comprehensive
list of factors. If other factors are important to you,
build these into your analysis.
Emotional Validation
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 fulfillment. 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 over-riding 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.
(To read more about making a career decision using emotional criteria, read Am I Making the Right Choice? in the Coaching Clinic.)
Key Points
Making a career move is a very important decision. It requires
serious thought and consideration. You can think long and hard and
still not come up with a solution unless you have a framework to
use to help you make a decision.
Using the three distinct approaches outlined here – job analysis,
analysis of satisfaction criteria, and emotional validation – you
can be confident in your decision. Analyzing each element in this
way forces you to consider the multidimensional criteria that go
into determining a great job fit. With a decision that is valid
emotionally as well as on paper, you can be confident that you've
made the best possible choice.
Download Worksheet
