There are never better pastures - only other pastures!
Move from one job to another, but only for the right reasons.
It's yet another day at the office. As I logged on to the marketing and advertising sites for the latest updates, as usual, I found the headlines dominated by 'who's moving from one company to another after a short stint', and I wondered, why are so many people leaving one job for another? Is it passé now to work with just one company for a sufficiently long period?
Whenever I ask this question to people who leave a company, the answers I get are: "Oh, I am getting a 200% hike in salary"; "Well, I am jumping three levels in my designation"; "Well, they are going to send me abroad in six months".
Then, I look around at all the people who are considered successful today and who have reached the top - be it a media agency, an advertising agency, or a company. I find that most of these people are the ones who have stuck to the company, grounded their heels, and worked their way to the top.
And, as I look around for people who changed their jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some level, in obscurity!
In this absolutely ruthless, dynamic, and competitive environment, there are still no shortcuts to success or to making money. The only thing that continues to pay, as earlier, is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays! Sometimes immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay.
Does this mean that one should stick to an organization and wait for that golden moment? Of course not. After a long stint, there always comes a time for moving in most organizations, but it is important to move for the right reasons, rather than superficial ones, like money, designation, or an overseas trip. Remember, no company recruits for charity.
More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate to what that company offers its current employees, there is always unseen bait attached.
The result? You will, in the long term, have reached exactly the same levels or maybe lower levels than what you would have in your current company.
A lot of people leave an organization because they are "unhappy". What is this so-called unhappiness? I have been working for donkey's years, and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work environment - boss, rude colleague, fussy clients, etc.
Unhappiness in a workplace, to a large extent, is transient. If you look hard enough, there is always something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly, do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense?
If I think hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is something you find with family, friends, maybe a close circle of colleagues who have become friends.
What you come to work for is to earn, build a reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for your work ethics, face challenges, and get the job done.
So, the next time you are tempted to move, ask yourself why are you moving and what are you moving into?
Some questions are:
- Am I ready and capable of handling the new responsibility? If yes, what could be the possible reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
- Who are the people who currently handle this responsibility in the current and new company? Am I as good as the best among them?
- As the new job offer has a different profile, why have I not given the current company the option to offer me this profile?
- Why is the new company offering me the job? Do they want me for my skills, or is there an ulterior motive?
An honest answer to these will eventually decide where you go in your career - to the top of the pile in the long term (at the cost of short-term blips) or to become another average employee who gets lost with time in the wilderness?
"DESERVE BEFORE YOU DESIRE"
- Dr. Gopalkrishnan, Chairman TATA Sons.
From India, Mumbai
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Move from one job to another, but only for the right reasons.
It's yet another day at the office. As I logged on to the marketing and advertising sites for the latest updates, as usual, I found the headlines dominated by 'who's moving from one company to another after a short stint', and I wondered, why are so many people leaving one job for another? Is it passé now to work with just one company for a sufficiently long period?
Whenever I ask this question to people who leave a company, the answers I get are: "Oh, I am getting a 200% hike in salary"; "Well, I am jumping three levels in my designation"; "Well, they are going to send me abroad in six months".
Then, I look around at all the people who are considered successful today and who have reached the top - be it a media agency, an advertising agency, or a company. I find that most of these people are the ones who have stuck to the company, grounded their heels, and worked their way to the top.
And, as I look around for people who changed their jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some level, in obscurity!
In this absolutely ruthless, dynamic, and competitive environment, there are still no shortcuts to success or to making money. The only thing that continues to pay, as earlier, is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays! Sometimes immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay.
Does this mean that one should stick to an organization and wait for that golden moment? Of course not. After a long stint, there always comes a time for moving in most organizations, but it is important to move for the right reasons, rather than superficial ones, like money, designation, or an overseas trip. Remember, no company recruits for charity.
More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate to what that company offers its current employees, there is always unseen bait attached.
The result? You will, in the long term, have reached exactly the same levels or maybe lower levels than what you would have in your current company.
A lot of people leave an organization because they are "unhappy". What is this so-called unhappiness? I have been working for donkey's years, and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work environment - boss, rude colleague, fussy clients, etc.
Unhappiness in a workplace, to a large extent, is transient. If you look hard enough, there is always something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly, do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense?
If I think hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is something you find with family, friends, maybe a close circle of colleagues who have become friends.
What you come to work for is to earn, build a reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for your work ethics, face challenges, and get the job done.
So, the next time you are tempted to move, ask yourself why are you moving and what are you moving into?
Some questions are:
- Am I ready and capable of handling the new responsibility? If yes, what could be the possible reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
- Who are the people who currently handle this responsibility in the current and new company? Am I as good as the best among them?
- As the new job offer has a different profile, why have I not given the current company the option to offer me this profile?
- Why is the new company offering me the job? Do they want me for my skills, or is there an ulterior motive?
An honest answer to these will eventually decide where you go in your career - to the top of the pile in the long term (at the cost of short-term blips) or to become another average employee who gets lost with time in the wilderness?
"DESERVE BEFORE YOU DESIRE"
- Dr. Gopalkrishnan, Chairman TATA Sons.
From India, Mumbai
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Absolutely apt post. There was another post here on whether it is okay to keep hopping jobs. This should be read in conjunction with that.
Anyway, enlightening words for me when I am contemplating to switch from my current job. Thanks, Jensen, for the post.
Bala
From India, Madras
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21Anyway, enlightening words for me when I am contemplating to switch from my current job. Thanks, Jensen, for the post.
Bala
From India, Madras
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Hi Jenson and Bala,
This is indeed a very nice post. The line that really hit me was, "But, more importantly, do I come to work to be 'happy' in the truest sense? If I think hard, the answer is 'No'. Happiness is something you find with family, friends, maybe a close circle of colleagues who have become friends." This is so true and should be kept in mind always. I had never thought about this, but yes, it is true, now that I think.
But is the talk about shifting true for someone wanting to leave the particular field he/she is in totally? Should a person stick around for some time before shifting, or should he/she just leave? This is with respect to future interviews, etc., where one is questioned about reasons for various things done earlier. Does a reason like "because I felt that the profession was not for me" really sound good or bad? I am asking that because of late I do feel this way, i.e., leaving this profession totally, getting into a different course, and changing the field.
Regards,
Pallavi
From India, Pune
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This is indeed a very nice post. The line that really hit me was, "But, more importantly, do I come to work to be 'happy' in the truest sense? If I think hard, the answer is 'No'. Happiness is something you find with family, friends, maybe a close circle of colleagues who have become friends." This is so true and should be kept in mind always. I had never thought about this, but yes, it is true, now that I think.
But is the talk about shifting true for someone wanting to leave the particular field he/she is in totally? Should a person stick around for some time before shifting, or should he/she just leave? This is with respect to future interviews, etc., where one is questioned about reasons for various things done earlier. Does a reason like "because I felt that the profession was not for me" really sound good or bad? I am asking that because of late I do feel this way, i.e., leaving this profession totally, getting into a different course, and changing the field.
Regards,
Pallavi
From India, Pune
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Dear Jen,
It was indeed a good post, but I feel that if you are in a company like the TATAs, you will agree and follow the articles. Leaving the compulsive job hoppers, I believe that in most corporates nowadays, the structure is not there for you to stay and grow; hence, the attrition rate is very high.
Just think of an HR department in any normal company. The opportunity to grow is very limited as a properly structured department seldom exists. However, if you are with the Tatas, you can plan a long career with rewarding and proper growth within the group itself.
Regards,
SC
From India, Thane
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It was indeed a good post, but I feel that if you are in a company like the TATAs, you will agree and follow the articles. Leaving the compulsive job hoppers, I believe that in most corporates nowadays, the structure is not there for you to stay and grow; hence, the attrition rate is very high.
Just think of an HR department in any normal company. The opportunity to grow is very limited as a properly structured department seldom exists. However, if you are with the Tatas, you can plan a long career with rewarding and proper growth within the group itself.
Regards,
SC
From India, Thane
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Yes, I agree with SC's idea.
Because each company is located at a different level in various industries, the profitability of the companies differs from one another. The same goes for the salary of employees.
Most job shifters will jump from a small/unknown company to a large/renowned corporation, such as Tata, in pursuit of further development and a higher salary level.
From China, Beijing
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Because each company is located at a different level in various industries, the profitability of the companies differs from one another. The same goes for the salary of employees.
Most job shifters will jump from a small/unknown company to a large/renowned corporation, such as Tata, in pursuit of further development and a higher salary level.
From China, Beijing
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