4 Things to Consider Before Leaving Your Long-Standing Job

Stability is a good quality when it comes to your career and it’s always good to know you have a job waiting for you on a Monday morning. However, the grass sometimes seems greener at the other company and when you’ve grown stale in your job, you might consider the allure of going elsewhere.

Before leaving your long-standing job consider the following factors:

Colleagues. There are workplaces where the people you work with are one of the best perks of the job. If you work with a close and supportive team you might think twice before starting over in a new workplace.

Opportunity. Do you have opportunities for advancement in your current job or have you reached a plateau? You might want to have a conversation with your supervisor about your career plans and goals before making the decision to leave. Things can change rapidly in business and sometimes opportunities open up that you did not expect or seek.

Restructuring. It can be extremely stressful to go to work if your company has had a series of layoffs or has been restructuring departments. However, moving to a new company doesn’t necessarily reduce the risks of a layoff and you might even feel more at risk if you’re the new person on the job. Consider whether you’re ready to give up the seniority you’ve earned from the time you’ve put in at your current job.

Benefits. There are many other factors to consider when thinking about moving on from your job. Is it likely you’ll end up with a longer commute? Will a move to a new company impact your retirement savings or the amount your new company contributes to your retirement? What is the work environment like? Can you take time off when you need it? Be sure to carefully access everything you’ll give up or change by leaving a long-standing job.

How to Deal with Concerns About Your Job Security

There are times in our career when we experience concerns about the security of our job and wonder if we’ll still be employed in the next few weeks. For example, your company might be struggling financially, or has recently gone through a restructuring or round of layoffs or is in the process of a merger.

These situations always bring about a great deal of uncertainty and can lead to anxiety in the workplace and fears about the future.

But there are ways to make these situations more manageable and allow you to deal with concerns about job security in a healthy way.

Get your finances in order. Hopefully, you’re not waiting until a crisis to get your finances in order. And by, in order, we mean ensuring that you have a budget in place, your income is greater than your expenses, you’re saving money, and you are contributing to a retirement plan. Having a sense of financial security can ease the stress of anxiety related to your job and future employment.

Avoid gossip. Stay away from the speculation about the company and what might happen. There will always be a lot of people with opinions in your company but many of them are not informed opinions and only serve to stir up controversy. Avoid the people in your company who are gossiping and sharing information that might or might not be true.

Maintain good communication. On the other hand, maintain good communication with your immediate supervisor and be sure to discuss any concerns you have about the company and its direction. Let your manager know you and the team would appreciate regular updates on the merger, state of the industry, or whatever the specific situation your company is going through.

Focus on your health. Take care of yourself, both mentally and physically. If you’re experiencing some depression or anxiety, seek out the help of a professional. Get enough sleep, reduce or eliminate alcohol intake, get some physical exercise, and focus on maintaining an optimistic approach to your life and work.

Deepen your network. At any time in your career there should be attention paid to developing and deepening your network. Having a healthy and robust system of support is always helpful to your life and career.