As a management consultant for 30 years and career coach for the past 10 years, I understand the marketplace and why people leave their jobs for a better future. See if you fit any one of these categories:
The major reasons that high performing people leave their jobs are:
- Lack of training & development – If your company isn’t willing to train you on the skills that will advance your career, you’ll fall behind your peers. Also, without advancing your skills, compensation will slow over time. Skills that will be required 5 years from now will be very different given technology advancements in all job sectors.
- A boss that isn’t supportive – One of the best reasons to leave your current job is a boss that can’t/won’t provide you with the tools you need, or who works against your being able to perform at a high level. Move out from under that kind of boss as soon as possible, either internally or externally. One of the greatest assets you can have in your career is a mentor who wants you to succeed.
- Lack of opportunity –If you’re constrained by a lock-step system waiting for your boss to move on, the world won’t wait for you. Loyalty works only one way with most organizations. Companies that are adding new products, expanding into new markets or buying up smaller businesses all have a need for home-grown talent. It means advancing the organization along with greater responsibilities for you.
- Incompatible skills and experience – Sometimes you take a new job and find that your skills and experiences don’t easily mesh with the needs of the organization. An example might be moving from education to the private sector, or changing industries, like consumer goods to mining, or shifting functions as in market research to sales. These changes are dramatic and cause uncertainty.
- A shrinking organization that is not growing – Companies that are growing have greater opportunities to advance than those that are stagnant or slowing down. Organizations that are on a downward trend either have leadership issues, a crushing competitive force or old products that can’t keep up with the needs of the marketplace. Avoid these businesses unless there is dynamic new leadership that will make the turnaround.
- The organizational culture is not compatible – Research as best you can what it’s like to work in the new organization. If you’re entrepreneurial, but work in a highly bureaucratic organization, or you’re highly structured, needing explicit directions and work in a free-form business, your chances of being successful are limited. You just don’t fit the culture. Find a more compatible organization.
Every organization has DNA that defines how it works and who will be successful. Find out what the factors are for success, (product line, management style, organizational culture, values or level of team-work) then ask yourself whether you can be productive in that environment. Can you influence your environment or does it control you?
For a FREE critique of your resume, send it to: wkaufmann44@gmail.com