Avoid these 6 practical mistakes when changing Job

- Pratik Badgujar

(3 Minute Read)

Switching a job is very common these days, particularly in the services sector. Recently due to Coronavirus, a lot of professionals have been forced to look for jobs or other career options. However, deciding the best option for yourself amongst all available ones is a tricky business. Here are 6 practical mistakes which people make while choosing a career option:

Not Knowing what you want:

Perhaps the most important thing of all is knowing the reason behind switching the job. Why is it exactly that you want to switch the job? Is it just the money, job satisfaction, better work timings or something else? If in an unfortunate event of having been kicked out, you still need to consider the above questions before zeroing in on a particular option. The answer to this is also crucial for you to be happy with your selected option later.

A few years back a friend of mine switched job for a better pay scale. A couple of weeks into the new job and he realized that he had made a mistake. Even though the new employer was paying better, the work culture was really bad. The company management didn’t care about employees adequately and was highly demanding on the performance front. He tried to fit in but eventually left the company for other.

Considering other’s opinion:

It's always a good idea to consider other’s opinions about the job proposals you are considering. Sometimes, a third eye view is really helpful in understanding your own situations and limitations. However, you should be a little cautious about whom you approach for such an opinion. Not everybody is a holy, genuine person these days! Try to gather as much information as possible about the employer, work culture, management attitudes, city culture, etc. this information will help you avoid making bad choices. While doing so, it's not recommended to trust just any source blindly.

 Ignoring personal touch:

Rohit had just got a lucrative offer from a company that was situated in Chennai. The company was good and the pay scale was also as per his expectations. However, he was still skeptical about taking it up: reason, one of his friends has just left Chennai because she didn’t like Chennai at all. Sometimes you hear unfavorable opinions about the target company, weather or people of the city, work culture, and so on and you become skeptical. In such situations, knowing what you want is the most helpful. What is good or bad for others, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be equally good/ bad for you as well. Everyone is unique in their own aspect and hence all the factors must be judged with respect to one’s personal interests and aspirations. So, take others’ opinions on such subjective matters with a pinch of salt.

Over-analyzing options:

Many times even after analyzing all the options, none of them appears worth taking due to one reason or the other. You need to remember that no job is perfectly carved as per your interests and preferences. Each profile or position has its pros and cons. I will suggest you to divide the factors into two- Crucial Factors and Useless Factor. Any factor which is not likely to affect your work productivity or mental peace largely, is a useless factor. You should either ignore such factors or have very little weightage in your decision making.

 Not Owning your decision:

Take the responsibility for your own decision. Ultimately, it's you who have to work, experience, and grow there. Such important decisions should not be left on someone else. Taking opinions is fine but leaving your decision to your close friend, spouse, manager or even mentor is a mistake. Study, analyze, and think and decide yourself since nobody can know you better than yourself.

Not changing job:

Sometimes, people don't change job just because they have developed skills about 'surviving in the present job'. They are afraid to loose their comfort and 'settled' routine and hence ignore or not even keep their eyes open for better opportunities. This is a big mistake. Your current job may be comfortable right now but there is no guarantee it will remain so forever. One must always keep eyes and ears open to better job options. 

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