Staying put for now.
If you can, it’s a great strategy.
Stay. Just a little bit longer.
A recent study indicated that many people are choosing to stay in their current jobs as the pandemic crosses the one-year mark.
Even if things aren’t great at work, they’re good enough for now, and many people are deciding it’s not worth the risk to try to on-board and figure out a new job remotely.
It's often a good idea to stay a little longer. Even when there isn't a pandemic.
There are always reasons to leave a job and a company, but often staying can be an overlooked strategy in our hurry to find something new.
The idea of staying can be made more clear using the idea of wanting to move to a new house. Instead of overhauling your entire living situation, what if you upgraded and redecorated your old house? Would that, at the end of the day, be less effort, less money, and potentially just as rewarding?
It may not always be true, but it’s definitely worth investigating.
Stay as long as you can.
One of the reasons I recommend staying as long as you we generally think the grass over there is greener. We’re sick of it; this company treats its employees terribly, the people here are – (fill in the blank).
It’s the way we’re wired: our brains over-estimate how good something new will be; we under-estimate how good we have it now.
The itch for something new is generally part of our make-up. We want to grow and evolve. This is amazing, but sometimes overriding that bias can help you ensure that your next move is the right one.
For example: Having your own business feels like freedom, But, you underestimate how hard it might be to sell your services. Or, a small company might provide more flexibility, but then you have to wear a lot of hats and are on-call all the time. You dream of being a full-time writer, but the publishing industry is in upheaval.
Reasons to stay.
- You’re an “insider” in your own company. You can activate your network inside your company when you’re not asking for anything in return. You can lay the groundwork for the future when you might need that network. You can potentially build up your favor bank by helping out others, so when you ask for help, at some point in the future, they’re happy to lend a hand.
- From the inside, you are in a unique position to assess and investigate where your industry is going. (If you’re outside the company, you have to take traditional gate-kept routes). Who in your company is an expert in an area you’re interested in. Even if you don’t know them, you have a higher likelihood of them accepting a meeting request from you, if you’re still an “insider”.
- You are uniquely positioned to propose that a new position be created (if you see a gap). You know the situation; you have credibility; you have access to decision-makers. You could even propose that it be temporary (like a task-force) and give yourself the alternative of returning to your old position.
- If you wanted to make a lateral move, the easiest way to do it is from inside. People already know you. You have a track record. This means they’re more likely to take a chance on you in a new role. You could breathe fresh life into your career this way.
- You have information on industry trends at your fingertips. If you’re plotting a move at some time, while you’re still inside, you can become very knowledgable by asking people in-the-know, by reading with fresh eyes.
- You can ask for specific projects that help you with experience, or help you broaden your network, or help you add a missing skill or strength to your resume.
These, and many other reasons, make staying, just a little bit longer, a good idea. They key, though, is to use your time strategically. Don’t let the opportunity slip by and then wish you’d taken advantage of your “insider” status when you had the chance.
Where do you go from here?
Brainstorm where you could go from here. Get wild and go wide with your ideas before you narrow them down.
When you get an idea of where you want to go, you can tailor your current work strategy such as asking for projects that align with your goal. You can sometimes create an internal stepping stone to something you really want, which takes less time than transitioning to another company.
Be strategic.
Moving towards something you want is usually a more successful strategy than moving away from something you don’t want. It takes more effort, but the effort pays off in higher job fulfillment or a more strategic move in your career.
If you’re not in a hurry, it’s a great time to do an assessment about what’s working and what’s not working in your current position. This could include your leadership style, your work itself, your ability to champion projects, etc.
It’s also a great time to get strategic by using some of the ideas above. Remote work puts a bit of a different spin on it, but what could you do? Get creative.
For more reading on the value of staying, go here.