Welcome to the Friday Forum!

Every Friday, we take a question submitted by one of our readers and have our professionals field it and provide advice. We then encourage members of the Need a New Gig community to comment below and give their take!

Here is This Week’s Question:

Mike asks:

“I’ve been at my current company for just over three years and things have been going well. I am happy with my job and honestly haven’t put much thought into making a change. I read an article the other day suggesting that in today’s working world it isn’t uncommon to change jobs every few years for various reasons. It really got me thinking and I was wondering if I should look for a new job even if I am happy in my current position?”

The old saying in the recruiting world is that you “should always look for a job when you have one,” and I strongly support this statement. While you may be happy with your current position, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the market. Many employees get comfortable in a position and their career progression comes to a halt. Times have changed and it is becoming more and more rare to see employees stay with the same organization for majority of their career. This means that even if you are happy, it is a good idea to keep an eye out in case something better comes along. It is also a good idea to be prepared in case something happens and you are out of work.

Why should I look for a new job if I’m happy?

Might be even better

While you may think that you have a great thing going at the moment, you never really know unless you take a look. There is a good chance that there may be a job that you would like even more out there. Searching will also help confirm if your job is really as good as you think it is.

More money

Well, that might make you happier right? When you make a change to a new position you are likely to receive an 8-12% increase in base pay alone. You might even qualify for a better bonus. Typically if you stay with the same organization, you are looking at the usual 1-3% annual increase.

Better location

Location may be another thing to consider. Even if you love your current opportunity, a shorter commute might make a big difference on your work/life balance.

Promotion

Depending on your field, you may be able to find an opportunity that would put you in a higher level position. You may be in a situation at work where it will take awhile to get to that next level, so if you can get there sooner it might be worth the move.

Career path

If you continue to keep an eye out for new positions, you will gain an understanding of the skills needed to grow your career. This will allow you to try and obtain that experience in your current role, which in turn will help you down the road when you decide to look.

Preparation

Being prepared is the key to success with almost anything. Even if things are going well now, that may not always be the case. Having a good understanding of the market and availabe job search tools will help you tremendously if something should ever happen to your current position.

What should you do?

1. Keep your resume updated

I have talked about this in the past and I can’t stress it enough. It is always beneficial to keep your resume updated. Check out 5 Reasons To Keep Your Resume Updated!

2. Remain active on social media

Social media has exploded and it now plays a big role in finding a new job. Make sure that your accounts are clean and be on the lookout for new opportunities as companies shift their recruiting strategies to social media.

3. ABN – Always be networking!

Some of the best opportunities come when you are not looking for them and guess where they come from? Networking! Continue to professionally network both online and in person.

4. Set up alerts on job sites

Set up alerts on job sites like indeed, monster, career builder, etc. You will not need to upload a resume or do anything that will jeopardize your current position. Simply search for jobs you would have interest in, and have them sent to your email to keep an eye on the market.

What are Your Thoughts? Comment Below!

Dan Metz is the Director of Executive Search and Employee Development at the Resilience Group, LLC, and Co-Founder and Contributing Author for Need a New Gig. Follow his blog for more great tips like this!

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Friday Forum – I’m Happy… Should I Look?