We are living in a day and age where being financially stable is not guaranteed like it was 20 years ago. Cost of living has increased and families are shifting back to two-income households. With that being said, we are also living in a day and age were opportunities are running rampant like a wildfire. Cities are investing in economic development and companies are pivoting their mentality towards employee satisfaction, team culture, and happiness.
Remember the movie Office Space? Of course, you do; that incredibly blunt, yet accurate stereotype of corporate America. You clock-in and sit at your grey cubicle, count the minutes until lunch, and hope that your co-workers and boss leave you alone so you can make it home in one piece. Luckily, that’s not so much the case anymore.
Fast forward to today’s job atmosphere: We are at an insanely low unemployment rate and hiring has become extremely competitive. Companies are becoming more creative with their employee experience and looking to hire the “Best of the Best”. Problem is: those people are usually working somewhere else.
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First thing’s first: if a new career opportunity presents itself to you, keep in mind that it is NOT all about the money. It’s a difficult concept to let go of because most of us have had this ingrained in our brain since we started writing our first resume.
“Get a good paying job.”
“Take the job that pays the most.”
I’m not against making a comfortable income; money is great! And we absolutely need it to live safely and happily. But if I told you how many times I’ve talked to people that refuse to take a BETTER, more fruitful job opportunity because of a $5,000 salary discrepancy, I’d be writing articles for days. It’s extremely unfortunate how many people I talk to that are not satisfied with their job, yet choose to stay because “They offered me a really great salary.” or “I took a counter offer and was offered a huge bonus to stay”. Really?
My point here is simply this: Weigh ALL options of a new job opportunity before you throw it away over a number. And what are these other things to consider besides salary and benefits? How about:
- Commute from home
- Personal/Professional connection with boss and co-workers
- Team environment vs. Competitive environment
- Career Progression
- That “feeling”
- Would I recommend my best friend to work here with me?
- Overall Career Satisfaction
Ask yourself this:
“Does my job bring me happiness?”
…
Well?
The harsh truth is that that majority of people are not 100% satisfied with their job and:
- Are too comfortable/content to put energy towards change
- Are too fearful of change in the first place
I don’t know about you, but life is short. If you aren’t spending your week doing something that you are just not passionate about, maybe you need to reevaluate what you are doing. And yes, sometimes you take a job under certain circumstances, but ultimately you have the choice for long term happiness and deserve a job that compliments your life.
Exploring new job opportunities allows you to discover what you’re missing and maybe even shed light on what you didn’t know you could have in a career.
If you get reached out to by a recruiter or someone from a company offering a change of pace, hear them out at least.
Do I suggest you play the field 24/7 and just shop around jobs for the sake of it? No. But being open-minded is going to be more rewarding than you may think.
Even if you are happy in your current role (which I’m so glad you are, honestly), what if someone offered you a C-Level position at a booming company, knowing full well that your current company will never allow you to get that far. What do you do? Stay stagnant and cross your fingers or move forward and grow?
If this article has made you think twice about your career path, reach out to our team. We’d love to help you in any way we can!
