Workers change jobs, or even careers, for a wide range of reasons. But a few stand out as particularly common. Dissatisfaction with your workplace, technological shifts, or a change in life circumstances can all prompt a rethink.
In recent times, the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted many of us to make a switch. Google searches for ‘how to quit my job’ rose around 21% in 2021. In normal circumstances, however, it’s typical for a worker to change jobs around once every four or five years. For millennials, it’s slightly less.
How often is too often?
A change of scenery can be a welcome thing. But if you’re moving too often, you might send the wrong impression to would-be recruiters. No one wants to hire someone only to have to replace them again shortly afterwards. What’s more, frequent job changes might point to a more fundamental problem with your approach to your career.
Two years in a given position should be considered a minimum for most of us. You can switch if the job is a poor match for you – but if you’re switching too often, then it’s worth considering the possibility that it’s you causing the problem.
Why change jobs?
Let’s take a look at a few of the common reasons for workers looking to switch up their career prospects.
Dissatisfaction
According to the popular ‘Ikigai’ framework, job satisfaction comes from a combination of four factors. These are:
- What you’re good at
- What you love
- What the world needs
- What you can be paid for
If you can combine all four of these, then you’ll have a very satisfying career. Most of us might be happy with just two or three.
It’s worth noting that individual workplaces might vary in their ability to satisfy these criteria, even when they’re in the same industry. For example, a recent poll of 2,000 UK employees by flyer-and-leaflet specialist instantprint found that at least 21% of respondents stated that they were dissatisfied with their current job and that they feel they may find other, more satisfying opportunities elsewhere.
So, if you feel that your current position is holding you back, it’s a good idea to move.
Relocation
Different parts of the country, and the world, offer different opportunities to different professionals. A few stand out as boasting a disproportionate number of satisfied workers.
instantprint’s survey also suggested that Manchester and London boasted the highest rate of employee satisfaction, with 27% and 26% of respondents from each claiming to be satisfied.
New opportunities
One thing that’s helped to drive the ‘great resignation’ is the notion that dissatisfied workers can find a better offer elsewhere. And this is often the case, thanks to new ways of working and new technologies. If you have a particular skill, for example, then you might look to monetise it by sharing your expertise online.
Salary
If you’re offered a more attractive pay packet, then it stands to reason that you’ll be inclined to make a switch. While money isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for most people, it’s often enough to tip the balance.
When returning to instantprint’s survey results it was found that around 40% of employees think that salary has a big impact on their levels of happiness at work and with an average weekly salary of £610 a week, hails the previous statement of Manchester being the happiest location to work in the UK. We should consider here that there may be diminishing returns when it comes to the power of money to make us happier.
If you find that you’re dissatisfied with your career, then it’s worth taking a moment to reevaluate. Since you’re going to be spending such a large chunk of your life at work, why not make sure that you’re working on something that you actually find rewarding?