Switching a Job as a form of self employment

So the buzz is about, "Attrition". Now my perspective on it may be quite different and premature (as you may think) according to you. But then I am going to put forward my priorities that I’ll look into before actually changing the job. Go ahead and find them out, who knows, it may help!!!

So getting right on the topic, switching job can be a form of self employment. Where in, you are actually able to rate yourself in the market of your specializations. Moreover, you may have an opportunity to choose between couple of offers (This is the factor which I feel is a notch above being just an employee, it’s near to getting self employed).Ok, but before actually jumping into a totally new environment, following issues may crop up: (that's strictly what I feel, no impositions)

1. In case you are changing for job satisfaction .Then there is no point in changing. You are not going to get it anywhere. Because the nature of job will essentially remain same and if you are not enjoying your present job, then you probably won’t enjoy new job too! A suggestion in this case is to actually reflect upon yourself to find out what is it that you are looking for!!!

2. If money is the issue, then wait a minute. Simply running behind higher pay packet doesn’t help. Why? See... when you join at a higher pay than the people working in that organization (and of course your current pay), then it’s highly unlikely that you'll get raises in the same frequency, as the employees working in the organization from before. So at some point of time things level off. Worse even is you may get a news from your former colleagues that they have crossed your present pay continuing in the organization you left couple of years back.

3. The new environment may not necessarily be friendly. You may be taken as an outsider and avoided or (in case you are lucky) you may be welcomed as a new comer, and people will be anxious to help you (yawns!!!).

So before jumping keep following points in mind:

1. Jump only when you know you'll get a band or a role change in new organization. (Like if currently you are SE, in the new org. you'll be PL, etc)

2. Know your field. You may not be in the hottest field. Today Business intelligence is hot, Testing field is hot. Development has slowed down a bit. So in case you are going into a "Hotter" field, change is recommended. Other way round, in case you are in a hot field now, but you aren't sure of what you are going to work on at your new organization, Do Not Jump!!! 3. Pay package should be considerably higher than your current one.

4. The Organization you are going for should be close to your home (I mean your Native place where your parents live, that does save some bucks).

5. Suppose you are working in Pune, and you get job in Mumbai based company at say 20% more salary. Then the moral of the story remains same. Mumbai is distinctly costlier than Pune. (There are many more such examples).


Thus, what I recommend is, before jumping first plot out your priorities, and then rate them according to importance you attach to them. That done you may go ahead and rate your current job and the job you propose to join, against these points. The one that wins will of course be your choice.

But at the end of the day, do what your instincts say!!!(Sorry for confusing you here...)

Note: An extract from this blog was rated 4 out 5 and featured as "Best Response"
at Ammas.com Advisors website