Should I stay or should I go?

The following article by Siobhan Sims was publishedin The Kilkenny People 15 February 2008.

I OFTEN have people ask me should they stay in their jobs for money or should they follow their heart and possibly take a job which may leave them happy but broke. I always tell these people to go with their gut and as a coach, I recommend them to have a goal and a plan. So when changing jobs, make sure you are not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. If you were not happy in your job and are moving to a similar job, you need to stop and ask yourself a few questions:

- What was it about my last job that I did not like?
- What would make me happy in my next job?- How can I prepare myself for my new job?
- If I was to die in a year and had to work, what job would I choose?

I normally pick as many options that I can think of and then work it down to the top three and then pick my number one. It doesn't make it as daunting.

For Siobhan's Blog, check out www.siobhansims.com

If money was not an option, what job would I want? I can hear you now; ‘Why on earth would I want to work if I didn?t have to worry about money.’ Simple. People need a purpose in life and that contributes to your happiness , so money or not, pick a job. I dare you!

How would I like to be remembered in my last job?

Now that you have given some consideration to your future career, how do you leave your current job?

1. Play by the rules. Make sure to give the required notice for leaving as per your contract. It will leave a bad taste in an employer’s mouth by having to rush to find someone to take your place or worst of all, not have someone at all and leave your co-workers having to pick up the pieces.

2. Leave with a smile. OK, so you didn’t like your bosses aftershave and you thought you could do a better job at running the business, but leaving a job for those reasons sounds immature and will not have people missing you. Its simple. You are going down a different career path and will be sad to be leaving them. As I always say, life is too short to be drinking vinegar when you can be eating sugar. I know, its Lent.

3. Ask before you volunteer. It is only polite to ask if they will provide a reference to aid your future job hunting venture. I know plenty who don’t ask and then inundate their previous employer with calls and letters from prospective employers without a word of warning. You wouldn’t like it, would you?

4. Finish what you started. Many people feel the need to ‘doss’ till they finish their job since they can’t be fired! Its nothing but bad karma, so finish up your work load and leave it so they wish you never had left.

I’ve given you some advice but you know what’s right and wrong and I trust that you will go by it.