February 5, 2010

Five reasons to stick with a job you hate -- for now

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Everyone's talking about job satisfaction and employee morale these days. Those miserable in their current position will likely find the unemployment numbers alone reason enough to hunker down and stay put. But for those not entirely convinced toughing it out at a less-than-ideal job is the way to go, I offer these five reminders:

You need the money. If you're like most Americans, you haven't saved a dime. And unless you have someone willing to support you for the next 6, 12, or however many months it takes to find a new position, you need to save your pennies before you take a flying jump off the unemployment cliff.

You're more attractive to employers when you're already employed. As discriminatory as this sounds, there are recruiters who operate this way. "Some think that if the person is employed in a down economy, he or she must be a little better than the one who was let go," says job hunting coach Miriam Salpeter of Keppie Careers, who doesn't approve of this attitude. "It's not logical, but it does seem to be a factor, even when so many good people have been laid off."

There are insider opportunities to be milked. Can you take a class or learn a new skill or technology on the company's dime? Can you have your employer subsidize a professional association membership or a trip to a trade show? Cozy up to some influential people at the office who might be good contacts once you've left the company? If you haven't explored such options, you may not be taking full advantage of all your current employer has to offer.

The devil you know might be better than the one you don't. Applying and interviewing isn't the only time-consuming aspect of changing jobs. Once you're in that shiny new position, it can take months to get up to speed. And if you invest, say, a year in finding a new job and then finding your groove in it only to realize you're in a far crummier situation than the one you left, you're going to wish you had cooled your jets until the job market improves.

Quitting without a game plan is a bad idea. Instead, research and plot your next move -- be it looking for a new position in your current field, transitioning to a new profession, starting your own business, returning to school, or traveling around the world -- while you still have a paycheck. Otherwise, there's a decent chance you'll wind up watching Oprah for months on end while you figure out your next step.

Still not convinced? Before you type that resignation letter, try these suggestions for improving your current job -- and your outlook. And if you're still determined to quit, make sure you take these precautions before you leap.

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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4 Comments

Nunya on February 6, 2010 3:49 PM | Reply

I'm looking forward to watching the truly predatory companies lose their best and brightest. The truly outrageous behavior by a lot of companies during this recession should not go unpunished... and it won't.

I'd estimate about 50% of the people who still have a job are angry about their treatment. Expect a major shift coming soon.

Michael Leiter on February 7, 2010 1:19 PM | Reply

Michelle
You make an excellent point that quitting a job without a serious game plan is ill advised. The point of departing from one job is to land in a better job. And the current economy makes a soft landing a challenge.

It is critical for people to demonstrate a track record of realizing their values through their work, even when the job makes doing so very tough. And you never know how things will evolve once you start stretching the envelope, especially when you do so in constructive ways.
All the best,
Michael
www.workengagement.com
@workengagement

Alan on February 8, 2010 2:30 PM | Reply

Yes, I'm one of those guys would like to leave my present job but I don't have a new one yet. I am looking for someplace else but who's to say it will be better.

Sarah on February 11, 2010 12:33 PM | Reply

Wish I had read this earlier- but yes, the job market is incredibly tough right now. It's best to have a game plan before quitting. Lesson learned the hard way.

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