If you’ve been thinking about making a career change, it’s probably time to give it some serious consideration. Although It can be difficult to know exactly when the perfect time to change jobs is, there are some tell-tale signs that now just might be the right time.
In this post, we’ll drill down into these 4 considerations job seekers can use to evaluate a potential strategic career move:
- What Are Some Signs that it Might Be Time to Make a Change?
- What Are the Top Reasons People Decide to Change Jobs?
- Is It Time to Start Looking for a New Job Opportunity?
- How to Prepare for a New Career and What You Should Expect!
No matter where you are in your career, always consider engaging some professional recruiting assistance for any job-related decisions. At Shepherd Regulatory Search, we’re here to help. An experienced recruiting and staffing agency partner can help you jumpstart your job search process or assist you with a career change. Professional recruiting is a personal business, and we take every client’s job search personally. We want to hear your story. Call one of our recruiting professionals at (772) 212-2753, or get in touch online today!
What are some signs that it might be time to make a change?
First of all, hiring managers in the regulatory affairs space are always looking for talented candidates. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, people will average over 12 jobs during the course of their careers. It may be your time.
Some of the more common indicators pointing to the fact that it might be time for a new job or career opportunity include:
- Do You Find Yourself Bored and Not Challenged?
- Are There No Opportunities for Advancement?
- Do You Feel At Odds With Management, etc.?
If you’re bored, under stimulated, or not leveraging your top skills in your current position, you’re probably doing both yourself and your employer a disservice. Lack of motivation leads to a lack of job productivity and satisfaction. Neither of these conditions is a good place to be.
Feelings of boredom and apathy will lead to frustration with your current job. Your management team may also be overlooking your potential beyond your current position and responsibilities. They may be looking outside of the company for new talent, instead of promoting from within.
If you’re not challenged and you feel like you’re being overlooked for advancement and promotion, you probably are. These feelings will almost inevitably lead to increased frustration, dissatisfaction, and friction with management or executive teams.
Any one or more of these indicators may be a clear signal that it’s time to consider a new opportunity. And that’s OK!
What are the top reasons people decide to change jobs?
If you’re getting restless in your current employment situation, you’re not alone. Millions of people change jobs and careers every year. Two of the most common reasons people decide to change jobs and career paths are work-life balance issues and the inability of their current job to meet their personal career goals.
Work-life balance issues are becoming more and more important to job seekers, as well as hiring teams and HR professionals, across the board. According to Forbes:
“Work-life balance is an important aspect of a healthy work environment. Maintaining work-life balance helps reduce stress and helps prevent burnout in the workplace. Chronic stress is one of the most common health issues in the workplace. It can lead to physical consequences such as hypertension, digestive troubles, chronic aches and pains and heart problems.”
Work-life balance includes everything from flexible work schedules, remote work options, PTO, family and maternity leave options, and much more. They can affect your mental and physical health. You need to evaluate your desired work-life balance in detail and determine if your current position fits those goals.
Also consider your near, mid, and long-term career goals. Is your current position in alignment with those goals? Are there ample opportunities for advancement, promotion, personal challenge, and increased compensation?
If the answer to these questions is “no,” it’s probably an opportune time to consider a strategic career move.
Is it time to take action?
The chances are good that if you have answered yes to more than one of the questions we’ve posed so far, it’s time to start making moves toward pursuing a strategic career move.
If there are no opportunities with your current company, these new challenges and opportunities will probably come to you through a new job search.
This is a major step in your career, but don’t be intimidated, there are potentially good things on the horizon!
What are the potential benefits of changing jobs?
Let’s look at three common benefits that you can expect from a successful strategic career move:
- A Company Change Will Give You More Experience and Expand Your Skillset
- More Experience and Diversity on Your Resume Will Increase Your Marketability
- A Strategic Move Can Accelerate Your Career, Especially in Terms of Advancement and Compensation
Increasing and rounding out your hard and soft skill sets will only help you become a more attractive candidate. Hiring managers are always on the lookout for candidates who have continued to grow during all stages and aspects of their professional lives.
A broad spectrum of experience and diversity will make you stand out to hiring teams and recruiters, both now and as your career progresses.
Look at your current skills and experience. Are there areas that you want to improve or add to? Take this all into consideration. A career move is the most likely way for you to accomplish your personal career objectives.
Strong, well-rounded skillsets, experience, and a diverse work history will definitely make you more marketable.
But what about career advancement, promotion, and increased compensation?
A strategic career move may be your quickest path to achieve these goals as well.
According to online business news giant Business Insider:
“Staying with a company for more than two years is detrimental to your salary and worth, Samantha Spica, a communications manager for the online careers site Fairygodboss, said.
‘You start with a base salary and your annual raise is based off of a percentage of that number,” Spica told Business Insider. There’s a limit to how high your manager can increase your salary.’
Spica said that by switching jobs, you can ask for a higher starting salary. And Birkel said that your new job should pay substantially more than your current salary.”
Moving to a new company that is looking for someone with your capabilities is almost certainly the quickest way for you to achieve a significant pay increase or promotion.
If the benefits of a strategic career outweigh the opportunities that you have in your current position and you’ve decided to make the move, you’re probably asking, “What’s next?”
How to prepare for a strategic career move and what you should expect.
With all these considerations in mind, it’s critically important that you carefully consider the next steps. One of these considerations is a strategic partnership with a recruiter who knows your space.
There’s a lot of preparation involved and having someone to help you calculate your best move can make this tricky process much easier on you. We can help you here.
Things to consider before making the move
Some things you’ll want to keep top of mind:
- What Types Of Employment Agreements Are In Place With Your Current Employer?
- Are There Unpaid Bonuses or Commissions?
- Are There Special Agreements Like Non-Competes, Non-Disclosures, etc.?
- Are You Willing to Move?
You want to make sure you’re going to kick off your exciting new career on the right foot, with no excess baggage.
Then there are always the nuts and bolts of any new job search or career move. Things like updating your references, social media, resume, CV, etc., can’t be overlooked.
Your strategic recruiting partner will help you position these basics to properly and effectively showcase your skills, abilities, and value to your potential new employer.
At Shepherd Regulatory Search, we understand the field of Regulatory Affairs intimately. We know which companies and organizations are looking for top talent just like you. We will get to know you and your professional career goals, so we can match you up with these companies.
Are you considering a strategic career move, change, or modification? Are you open to more flexible types of employment opportunities? Are you looking for a specific type of job and you’re willing to wait for? Are you getting ready to reenter the workforce after an extended absence?
We’re here to listen first. Once we understand your skills and goals, we’ll start connecting you with the right opportunities. We’ll even provide resume and interviewing tips.
Want to hear more about our specialized Regulatory Affairs recruiting process? Call one of our experts at (772) 212-2753 or get in touch online and start the conversation today!