Hectic schedules consisting of your career, family and social commitments can hinder your decision to change jobs.  Putting aside some quality time now to appraise your career and deciding where you want to be will produce dividends in the long run.     

With the assistance of a professional recruiter who will advise and guide you through the recruitment process the “job” of job seeking should prove to be both less stressful and less time consuming.  Below are some factors to take into account when deciding if you wish to explore other career opportunities:   

Push Factor   

  • Disagreement with management decisions/approach
  • Overlooked for promotion
  • Work overload
  • Routine or unstimulating work
  • Too much or too little travel
  • Lack of appreciation
  • Unfair appraisal or benefits/salary review
  • Lack of support
  • Bland or difficult work environment

Pull Factor  

  • Bigger or more international firm exposure
  • International transfer opportunities
  • More attractive role and responsibilities
  • Better training opportunities
  • Career advancement opportunities
  • Clearer or an entirely new career path
  • Better package
  • Better work/life balance
  • More regional exposure
  • Seeing your peers being more content with their career
  • Change of environment 
  • Appraise and evaluate

The key is to assess what factors you feel are important to you in your career and what you wish to achieve.  Consider the following questions: 

  • Do you enjoy working in your current environment?
  • Is a work/life balance more important over salary increase? 
  • Do you share the values and culture of the firm or organisation you currently work for? 
  • What are your values? Is there a 'real fit' between your values and your firm's/organisation's? 
  • Are you getting the recognition for the contributions you make to your team and to other teams in your organisation?
  • Do you think that your firm/organisation is 'going places'? 
  • Are you an integral part of your team or firm's ambitions? 
  • Is your drive and ambition recognised and encouraged?  
  • How dynamic are you - is this recognised by the firm?
  • Is there a spring in your step? If not, why not? What can you do to create this spring?

Draw up your own 'wish list' of what will keep you motivated.  Consider for example, whether you want to: 

  • be more involved (or less involved) in business development;
  • concentrate on a particular type of work or diversify your work routine;
  • have more exposure to more clients or exposure to larger but fewer clients;
  • have more of a say in the management of the firm or your team; or
  • have less of a management role and more of a commercial role.
  • taking positive action

Recognising that you lack job satisfaction or motivation is the first signal that change is needed.  Naturally, you may feel a reluctance to move on.  Perhaps you have been at your current organisation for a while and are unsure whether a change would make a difference.  Or the prospect of promotion is at your fingertips and you want to see the outcome of this prospect.  Note, however, the fact that you have considered a change of environment puts in to question that something isn't quite right.  

Moving jobs will be a landmark in your career, and these decisions should be thoughtfully made.   Speak to a recruiter first - they will have an in-depth knowledge of the hottest roles on the market, the team that you could join and the culture of the employing organisation.   By speaking to a specialist consultant you can make a proper and informed decision as  to whether you make the leap, or stay (and take active steps for change).  

If you stay, draw up a constructive list of things you want to change and put in an action plan for change; re-assess in 3-6 months to see whether or not any progress has been made, and then reconsider at that stage whether staying put is still the right decision for you.  Because if change doesn't happen, you'll only be back to square 1.  

Either way, you can get to where you want to be.

If you would like to explore other opportunities, please contact our experienced consultants at enquiry@staranise.com.hk or telephone: (852) 3460 3531.