Should I stay or should I go?

Making the tough call on whether now is the right time or circumstance to seek a new career.

Do you still enjoy getting up each morning, excited about the challenges ahead in your working week? Or are you merely punching that clock every day to pay your mortgage, fund your next clothing purchase or that Bali holiday with your mates?

Whatever the reason for not switching off the alarm clock and going back to sleep, like life, you need a purpose or you’re merely existing, not living! Working out your professional and personal goals will play a major role in the decision you need to make.

Why do You do what you do?  Like any relationship, once your passion wanes for your job, so does your commitment, interest and dedication. If you’re not waking up each morning wanting to plaster walls, build a new network server or sit in boardroom meetings all day, then you need to ask yourself honestly, why?

Could you just need a holiday?

Could you just require a heart to heart with you boss to see if you could change some facets of your daily tasks?

Is what you do simply no longer what you love doing?

It’s important to work out whether it’s what you do that you don’t enjoy or where you do it. Changing companies or going out on your own might be the tonic you need for a career revitalization.

It’s important to differentiate if you’ve lost the passion for your career or just your workplace.

The green green grass of anywhere else but here! “I’ve got a mate that earns 25% more than me, but he does heaps less”. A familiar tale that we’ve no doubt all heard. Every other workplace is so much better than yours. Be it terms and conditions, salary or those free corporate tickets the boss gets for his staff to certain functions.

I realise this may come as a shock, but some people embellish these things! And even if these things are correct, are they going to help you reach your personal/work goals? If work/life balance is more important to you, then a slight salary rise will make little difference.

Are tickets to see the Foo Fighters every 3 years and a free bar tab going to help you pay your child’s private school fees?

It’s important to remember when you are undergoing the search for employment that you are interviewing them as much as they are you. Unless the relationship has a mutual fit, sooner or later when the honeymoon is over and reality of the daily grind kicks in, you may discover you are no better off than before.

That Tom from accounting…he’s a real… Personality clashes in the workplace are common and just part of humans being surrounded by other humans.

We all have different values, beliefs, expectations, leadership styles and work ethics. Some people are happy working their 8 hours and logging off, and that’s perfectly okay for what they need out of a workplace. Others will eat their own young to gain promotion or be seen in a favorable light by management.

Like families, we can’t pick and choose the personalities we find ourselves surrounded with at work. But just how we have to cut Uncle Bob off at beer 7 on Christmas day, we need to work with what we have to achieve the company goals and get paid.

Now if someone is making you uncomfortable or anxious, then try approaching them or using the networks available to you in the workplace to bring it to their attention.  People may naturally move on of their own accord, or there may be opportunity for you to change departments.

You spend just as much time with your colleagues as you do your family, so you really should try to make things work. Unfortunately, there could come a time when a relationship is beyond repair and again, you need to ask yourself the impact of that relationship sits with your ability to meet your work/personal goals.

Putting a price on YOUR health. Is your workplace making you sick? Is the culture toxic and having a negative impact on your work-life, which in turn is having an impact on your home life?

A colleague of mine once had a sign about his desk which read “He who dies with the most toys, still dies”. Very profound. There is no sum over money that can compensate your health, happiness or home life.

If you’re constantly ill, or your overall mental health is poor, you need to quickly establish the cause just as importantly as you need to seek professional treatment. A toxic working environment or people can manifest themselves into the saying of “Misery loves company”. Quite often good workers become the environment they are exposed to without realising it.

Whether it be lowering personal values, turning a blind eye to unethical behavior or simply no longer caring about your personal appearance. You need to assess whether it’s the work place, you or a combination of both that is having an adverse effect on your health.

Making the first move. If you’re in need of help with this decision making process, there’s some wonderful career coaches out there to guide you through this process. Now of course, there will be some recruitment companies promising you the world and some CV writers offering their services which will make you the next CEO of BHP for just $200. It’s all about doing your homework. Interview these people to see who is the best fit for you.

It should never be a question of money. Seek referrals, read reviews and check out their personal websites. If their attention to detail is poor or they don’t appear a good fit for you, then listen to your instincts. There is no right or wrong answer when the time is right to stay or go. But if you’re having doubt, seek the help of trusted professionals.

See it as an investment in your professional development and quest to meet your personal/professional goals.