Are You Ready to Meet the Future

Are You Ready to Meet the Future A stunning survey of workers by Monster.com shows that 98% of workers are not [completely] satisfied with their jobs and plan to look for work in 2011. Are you one of them? If you are  one of the working class who’s planning to make a break for it as soon as the economy heats up, here are some things to consider as you plan a move. 1. Do your market research carefully so you can price yourself in the market. If you’ve been in your current position for a while, your pay may reflect your tenure in the job as well as your skills and certifications. If you’re thinking of changing industries or titles, you’ll need to pay more attention to the entry level salaries than senior salaries. When you transfer your skills to something new, you lose a little ground (sometimes a lot of ground) in pay. When your employer pays you more for being on the job for years, it’s because you’ve developed valuable insider skills that make you more productive. You’ve mastered your job skills and also mastered internal processes, policies and politics. You’ll have to learn all of those things all over again in a new setting. On the other hand, a fresh start in a more interesting job may be worth a small reduction in pay. You’ll be all the more motivated to become productive quickly. 2. Document your on-the-job achievements over the past few years. Be specific, and take time to quantify results whenever you can. (This will be easier while you’re still at the company; you won’t have access to information once you leave.) You can use the results of your work in your resume, and refer to achievements in your interviews. Bonus: If you decide to stay on the job, this will be excellent preparation for your next performance review or when you ask for a raise. 3. Think through the issues that make you want to leave your current position. Are any of them fixable with a little work on your part? The economy may be improving, but it can still be risky to leave your job for another. At your new jobs, you’ll be the most recent hire and most vulnerable to a layoff if something changes. Figure out whether your dissatisfaction is temporary or permanent, and whether it’s about you or about the company. There’s no reason to stay with a company that is treating you badly. But it is important to know whether you’re moving away from something bad or toward something better. If you’re not currently working, this projected movement of thousands of workers may be good news. Are you ready to meet the future?