7 things to consider when changing jobs

Changing jobs can be stressful, but it can also lead to life-altering opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and greater joy. Maybe you feel bored with your current role or dissatisfied with your job title. Perhaps your current company doesn’t provide you with the opportunities or culture you need to advance your career in the ways that are important to you.

Whatever your motivation may be, the desire to change jobs is normal and shouldn’t be ignored. Since so much of our time is spent at work, job satisfaction is a key part of overall happiness.

Deciding to change jobs is a big decision that requires careful consideration. Before putting in your notice at your current job, you’ll want to consider whether it’s the right time to do so and how to manage the transition strategically.

How do you know when it’s time to change jobs?

Changing jobs is a personal decision that’s typically based on factors like your job satisfaction, salary, development opportunities, company culture, stress levels, and benefits package. People also change jobs when they want to change careers or utilize different skills.

If you’re struggling to decide whether to stay put in your current role, consider these common signs for when it might be a good (or bad) idea to make a switch.

7 signs you should change jobs

1. You dread getting up in the morning: If the thought of getting out of bed to go to work leaves you feeling anxious or stressed, it may be a good time to consider whether you have the right job or career. This feeling often doesn’t go away without making meaningful changes in your life.
2. You lack interest in the role: Perhaps you’re feeling stuck with a job you could “do in your sleep.” If you’re feeling bored and lack motivation to do more than the basics of the job, it might be time to seek out a new opportunity and new challenges that get you out of your comfort zone.
3. There are no career development opportunities: Advancing your career is often an important motivational factor. Perhaps you want to be a manager, but there’s no path to becoming one at your current company. Maybe you have plateaued in your role, and there are no avenues to increasing your impact within the organization. Whatever your career goals, if you cannot see a clear career path to getting to your dream job, your role may no longer be the right fit.
4. You feel you aren’t fairly compensated: Do some research about your job’s salary range so you know what your peers in similar positions are making. Sites like Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter can help you identify the average compensation for any given job title based on your location. You may find you are underpaid or at the top of the pay scale for your particular role. Either way, having this information will give you better insight into whether more compensation is possible if you were to quit your current job.  
5. You no longer align with the company’s core values: Perhaps there has been a restructuring, or you have a new boss and are no longer aligned with the company’s purpose, mission, or vision. This can lead to a lack of motivation and disinterest in your work.
6. Yesterday’s job doesn’t align with today’s you: As you grow and your priorities, personal values, and circumstances evolve, you may find your current job no longer aligns with who you are. What once felt fulfilling might now feel limiting or out of sync with your identity. This can cause you to seek a role that better fits with your current self.
7. Your job is impacting you personally: If your job is regularly impacting your work-life balance or interpersonal relationships, it may be time to consider a job change. Assess the situation to determine if this is a temporary, situational stress or if it’s systemic to your industry, organization, or role.

When to hold off on changing jobs

While it may be obvious that you need to change jobs, that doesn’t mean now is the best time to do it. Timing is crucial when it comes to making this decision. Here are some key things to consider when planning your job transition.

• You have great benefits and an excellent salary: Financial stability and great benefits, like good healthcare coverage and lots of vacation time, can significantly increase your quality of life outside of work. Think about how much of a salary cut you’d be willing to take and how it would impact your everyday life before deciding to leave your job.

• Your organization provides strong mentorship and a supportive company culture: If your current workplace provides excellent mentorship, personal growth opportunities, and/or a positive culture, it may be worth considering the long-term benefits of staying. A strong support system can help you grow professionally and personally in ways that might be hard to find in a new company.
• The job market isn’t great for your industry: If there’s been a large number of layoffs in your industry lately, it might be a good idea to wait until things settle a bit before changing jobs. For example, according to CrunchBase, more than 191,000 workers at tech companies with a large US workforce were laid off in mass job cuts in 2023. Changing jobs in that market environment means risking job security with another company that could have a layoff coming.
• You haven’t been in the role for long: There is no right amount of time to stay at a job. But if your resume shows a new job every few months or every year, companies may worry that you have job hopping syndrome. They might assume that if you have a pattern of job hopping, you won’t stay put at their company long either, which might make them hesitant to invest in you as a new hire.
• You have no plan and no savings: According to a 2024 survey by Bank of America, nearly half of Americans perceive themselves as living paycheck to paycheck. This means they don’t have savings for unexpected costs. If you plan to quit your job but have nothing lined up next, you may end up more stressed than you are in your current role. Finding a new job can take time, so being mindful of what you can afford is an important factor you don’t want to overlook. 

How to change jobs strategically

Once you’ve decided to change jobs, it’s important to make an action plan that involves discovering what exactly you’re looking for, what you have to offer, and how you can best showcase yourself to potential employers. Here are seven steps you can use to start the process.

1. Reflect on your long-term goals

If you want to find a job you can stay at for the next several years, it’s important to keep your career goals top of mind. This may mean moving up the chain in terms of job title, salary, or responsibilities, or it might mean wanting to learn a particular skill. 

Whatever the case, think about the job titles and companies that might fit well with your goals to help kick-start your job search.

2. Understand what you bring to the table

Next, you need to understand what makes you a competitive candidate. This could be a wide range of things, including the following:

• Years of experience
• Education level
• Certifications
• Work attitude
• Industry experience
• Personality
• Leadership style
• Industry connections

Maybe an organization is looking for someone to spearhead a new department that you’ve spent 20 years running at another company. Or perhaps they need an internal project champion with the right inspirational attitude and positive mentality. Think about specifics that make you a desirable candidate.

3. Network with people in your desired field

Sometimes the best opportunities can come from a single connection. Networking is a great way to get people in your industry familiar with your name and what you can do for them. 

This is especially important when you’re changing careers, as you might need a “foot in the door” with references to be considered for entry-level roles. It can also be helpful when you’re changing careers later in life, such as when you’re 30, 40, or 50 years old, to be considered with no experience.

4. Research every opportunity with depth

To find the right career fit, you need to dig deep into each opportunity you find. This goes beyond reading the job description to researching the following:

• The company’s mission, vision, and values
• Online reviews from past and current employees (Glassdoor is a great resource for this)
• Public reviews on sites like Google or Trustpilot
• Salary research to ensure a fair compensation plan
• Any legal trouble the company may be involved in (you can search their name in news stories)
• The company’s executive leaders and their backgrounds
• Their employee turnover rate (this can sometimes be viewed on their company LinkedIn page)

Research also involves preparing and asking good questions during each interview stage. Keep in mind that you’re interviewing the company as much as they’re interviewing you.

5. Create your personal brand

Changing jobs can help you think about the way you want to be perceived in the professional world. Personal branding is the process of influencing other people’s impressions of you by creating the public image you want. It’s a great way to control the narrative.

You can do this by creating a professional website, online portfolio, or an active LinkedIn profile. Consider what you want potential employers to know about you, and create content relevant to that.

For example, if you want a leadership role, write occasional LinkedIn posts about tips for being a good leader. If you want to be seen as an expert in your industry, share trending, relevant news stories with a short comment detailing your thoughts. 

Personal branding doesn’t need to take up all your time. Even investing the tiniest bit of effort into creating a positive presence can make a difference.

6. Prepare your application materials

Two of the most important steps for changing jobs are investing time into making your resume stand out and writing a great cover letter. These are your first opportunities to catch the hiring manager’s attention, and they can make or break whether you move on to the interview round.

Depending on the type of shift you’re making, writing a cover letter for a career change may require a different approach. You may need to discuss why you want a new career or why you think now is a good time to change jobs if you haven’t been with your current employer for long. 

A cover letter is your opportunity to explain anything on your resume that you think may give the hiring manager pause and frame it into a positive.

7. Work with a career coach

When you need career change ideas or are struggling to decide between your current job and a new job, consider working with a career coach or career transition coach. A career coach can provide personalized guidance and resources to support you through your career transition. 

They can help you identify what you’re good at, refine your goals, and develop skills that are crucial for securing new job opportunities and succeeding in a new position. Plus, they can provide interview coaching and act as brainstorming partners when you feel stuck.

How often should you switch jobs?

How often you should change jobs depends on your needs and factors like the following:

• Role type: People in leadership or executive roles are generally expected to stay in their roles longer than those in lower-level positions.
• Industry trends: Depending on your industry, you may need to change jobs to acquire new knowledge and keep up with advancing technologies.
• Career goals: If you want to move into a leadership role quicker, changing jobs may help speed the process. 
• Personal preferences: You can stay in a role for as long as you’re happy or until you’re ready for new challenges.

General guidance is to stay in each job for at least two to three years, but circumstances like a toxic work environment or burnout at a dead-end job may require a change sooner. A transition may also be needed due to lifestyle changes like moving to a new city or starting a family. 

Is changing jobs worth it?

Changing jobs can be a great move for both your professional and personal life, as long as you carefully consider your options. A few benefits that can come with changing jobs include:

• Higher salary: Changing jobs every few years may prove beneficial for your wallet. Research by Zippia found that workers’ salaries increased by an average of 14.8% as a result of changing jobs.
• Better benefits: Your new company may offer more benefits with better healthcare coverage, unlimited paid time off (PTO), and a higher company match for your retirement plan contributions.
• Improved company culture: You may find better work relationships, a more supportive team, and genuine mentors at a new organization.
• Better work-life balance: Maybe your new company will offer a more flexible work schedule or be more lenient about life needs, such as picking up a sick child from school or making last-minute veterinary appointments.
• Increased happiness: If you’re unhappy at your current job, the relief of removing that burden alone could significantly improve your mood and mental health, making a difference in many other areas of your life.

Start the journey of changing jobs with the right help

Changing jobs is a big decision that can feel overwhelming. It can impact your salary, time away from work, family benefits, and more. But when you give the decision the level of thought and consideration it requires, you can go from feeling stagnant to feeling fulfilled fairly quickly.

You don’t have to take on this big change alone. Working with a career transition coach can help you nail down exactly why you’re feeling a need to change jobs, whether now would be a good time, and how you could benefit. A coach can also help you create a road map if you want to change careers.

Achieve the happiness and fulfillment you deserve. Secure new opportunities by working with a BetterUp Coach to find your passion and purpose.