Posted: August 18, 2009 | 14:41 ET
File Under: Career



Ah, those lovable folks over at the Bank of Canada. No mere economists mired in calculations and prognostications there, just a group of fun lovers who are whooping it up by declaring our recession’s end.

If they’re right--and when have they ever been known not to be?--does this presage a return to the good old days of frenzied hiring, signing bonuses and multiple job offers, just like the year 2000 if you were, say, a web designer at the height of that particular bubble?

Nope, don’t think so. But there might be a turnaround in the works which you can take advantage of. Why not consider searching for a better job?

First you need to decide if your existing job is worth keeping. Let’s do a quick test and see just how satisfied you are with your daily toil. Rate yourself on the following questions:


How’d you score? Are you going to stick it out where you are, or will you venture into the wild, unpredictable slog of seeking employment elsewhere?

The grass tends to look greener in yonder pastures, especially when you’re smoking it. So think twice about abandoning your current job--the devil you know--for a possible pig in a poke.

Here are some very good reasons for making a strategic decision to flee:

• I feel completely unappreciated by either my boss, colleagues or staff.
• My employer is sinking like a stone and my job’s in jeopardy anyway.
• If it were legal to do so, I would do bad, bad things to my much hated boss.
• They keep promoting the dumbest, meanest, hottest staff instead of me.

The following are not good reasons to quit:

• I seriously flamed out with that guy/gal in accounting and can’t bear to see them again.
• I’m pissed off at Amy and Moshav for whispering together at the meeting this morning, I just know they were dissing me because of my new outfit.

Looking for a great new job isn’t for the feint of heart. It takes time, discipline and demands that you bring your A game time and time again to interviews and networking meeting. Then, even if you do find your dream position, circumstances could change for the worse, such as your wonderful boss getting replaced by a dolt, or one of your best employees leaving suddenly and stranding you.

There’s merit in staying put strategically if it makes career-sense to do so. However when it does come time to leave, make sure it’s for the right reasons, and leave on a positive note. That way you’ve made the best of your situation.


*Lyrics by The Clash, circa 1981. Bizarrely it was playing on my car’s radio the day in 1998 that I moved out of my marital home to begin my official marriage split up. Coincidence? Probably.

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Mark Swartz, MBA, M.Ed., is one of Canada's leading authorities on careers and work, and author of the best-seller "Get Wired, You're Hired" (now in its fourth edition since 1997).

Visit careeractivist.com for his many free insights and articles.


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