Are you ready for a change?

Should You Stay Or Leave?

Are you ready for a change?

Planning a job switch?

Or considering going back to a full-time job but feeling uncertain?

The Weekly helps you take stock so you can move ahead happily in 2013.

So you are planning to return to work after having a baby, but you are worried about how you will cope - yet you do look forward to using your professional skills again. Or, perhaps you are feeling stuck in a rut at your current job and desire new challenges, but fear stepping out into the unknown. Sound familiar? How do you face the prospect of opportunity to improve your life and make a fresh start? Or does it make you feel frightened, resistant and angry? For many, it evokes mixed emotions.

Anticipate And Adapt

The best way to cope with change is to anticipate it. Keep an eye on current and future trends and the way in which they might affect you.

First step be realistic about your job: Does it have a future or is it in a dying industry? If your company has no qualms about making people redundant, think about what you would do if your turn came. For instance, if you know that your employers like their staff to be versatile and work in different areas, be mentally prepared for a move. Learn to expect the unexpected.

Adaptability is also a vital trait to develop. As the world changes, so must you. Keep your skills as up-to-date as possible, be it through paid employment, voluntary work or leisure pursuits.

Aim to build up a portfolio of portable skills (for example, chairing meetings, making presentations, team leading, etc) that are useful in different jobs. The more you adjust and improve, the less vulnerable you become. Make regular assessments of your assets and achievements, and how they fit in with the current work market.

The trouble is, says Roger Jones in How To Manage Your Career, people never think about career planning until they meet with some kind of crisis when the mind is not at its clearest...

“As a consequence, short-term solutions are sought, which may not prove satisfactory in the long run.”

Avoid making too many changes at once and remember that change - whether you have chosen it or had it forced upon you - can be very stressful.  So it is important to watch your health. Eat sensibly, exercise regularly, and allow plenty of time for relaxation.

Making Your Move

Do not look for a new job unless you are sure a change is really what you want. Peer pressure may make you feel you should move on when you are happy where you are. That said, if you stay too long in one place, you may lose confidence in your abilities.

Perhaps what you really need is not a move, but better pay, more responsibility or greater flexibility in your current job. In this case, a sideways step may suit you far better than a promotion.

Do not be afraid to talk to your boss about changing or developing your role. Employers are becoming more open to the idea of sabbaticals, job sharing, career breaks and flexi-time work.

If you do feel that you are ready for a change now, you have two options: Find a similar role in another company or take a completely different direction.

Do Your Homework

Deciding to move from a job you have outgrown is the easy part - deciding what to move to is a bit more tricky.

Set aside some focused time to do a self-appraisal. Assess yourself carefully before deciding what to do next.

The next step is to find jobs that fit with your abilities and aspirations. Surf the internet for potential jobs and do your research. Talk to professionals in the industry, contact trade associations and/or specialist employment agencies, read trade journals and visit career fairs.

If there are any gaps in your skills and experience, consider how you can fill them. The more preparation you put in at this stage, the better.

Once you have decided where you want to go, don’t just sit back and wait for an opportunity to appear - take control. Begin by breaking your long-term career goals down into smaller objectives and setting realistic targets.

Returning To Work

If you have been out of the job market to care for your children, all the more reason to do a self-appraisal - not forgetting to include the newly-acquired skills and experiences you have recently gained from being a parent.

The most common challenge for returnees is low self-confidence. Taking a course in assertiveness can help you rebuild it and will also introduce you to other women in a similar position.

Back by

If the prospect of full-time work is too daunting, consider starting with voluntary or part-time work.

Remember, you may not be the only one going through changes. Your husband and children may feel ambivalent about your return to work. Talk through problems but do not be held back by their fear of change. If going back to work will make you happy, it is sure to be better for your family too.

Unplanned Change

The first step in coping successfully with unwelcome change is to accept it. Your reaction may be one of denial and disbelief, but refusing to accept the inevitable will not help. Talk to others who have found themselves in similar situations.

Although being made redundant can be devastating, you must remind yourself that it is the job and skills that have been made redundant, not you. You do not have to feel like a failure - it happens at all levels in all industries. $tay positive and look at it as a chance to re-appraise your  career direction.

Concentrate on an action plan for the future rather than dwelling on what has gone wrong. Despite your wounded pride, be gracious with your employer and make the most of any help offered.

If you decide to go freelance, the company may even be able to offer you work. Don’t let money difficulties make the situation worse. Take stock of your finances and work out a budget that allows for your new circumstances.

Doing something different is scary - but isn’t it even scarier to spend your whole life in a rut?

Learn to see change as an exciting opportunity to be embraced with both hands - only then will you be able to live life to the fullest.

Remember the adage: It is not the things you do that you regret; it is the things that you didn’t do. GQ

Should You Stay Or Leave?

Know the pros and cons of staying where you are.

Here’s a guide:

Reason for Staying

♦The company is a leader in its field.

♦There are good training opportunities.

♦Your boss is sympathetic about time-off for family commitments.

Reasons for Leaving

♦ Your immediate superior has been in the job for years and shows no signs of leaving.

♦The company is selling to a competitor.

♦Your work has become totally routine.

What do you Really Want?

Focus your mind by considering the questions:

♦  Which aspects of your job would you like to carry on doing?

♦  Which aspects of your job would you prefer not to do anymore?

♦  What are you not doing now that you would like to do?

♦  What are you not doing now that you know you never want to do?