- The Mentor Mission
- Posts
- Renovations Part 2
Renovations Part 2
When to make a change
Jessica Wolf
April 02, 2024
Renovations Part 1 focused on Hiring, but all good things come to an end at some point. The question is when?
Joe has been working in his job for a while, but it doesn’t fulfill him anymore. Katie is afraid she’s going to be the next one laid off.
Resilience is a key character trait organizations look for in an employee. Doing what’s right for you does not mean you are not resilient. It means you’re smart.
Do not make an emotional decision. Everyone has a bad day. In order to take the emotion out of the situation, I’m going to compare job satisfaction with a home renovation.
When you start a job, there are things you find mild dissatisfaction in, but they’re ‘not a big deal.’ That could be your laundry room you can’t fold clothes in or is in a terrible location. You can get by, but you don’t love it.
Then there are things that really get under your skin. Your kitchen is too small. You can’t move, there’s no counter space, and the refrigerator is broken.
Now think about the nice to have scenarios. The lake view, the pool, or walking distance to a local coffee shop. That really put a smile on your face.
There are also things you have that you really enjoy. Great neighborhood, layout of the house, and friends you don’t want to leave.
If you save up to redesign your kitchen, would that make you love the house? What if your air conditioner suddenly needs to be repaired? Would a new house with that lake view be worth leaving what you know and love already? When do you go after what you really want?
Now that you’re fully entranced in redesigning your house, think about how this applies to you at work. Do you enjoy the day to day activities of your role? Is it the organization that’s making you feel uneasy? Can you take steps to better your situation where you are or is it possible things might get even worse? Is there something you want to learn before you make that move that would make you more valuable for the next opportunity? Is the market just not right at the moment?
Whether it’s your house or changing your job, both are big decisions not to be made lightly. If you simply don’t like your role, you can take steps to change roles within your current organization. If you don’t like the organization, you should start networking with people at other organizations to see which place might be the right fit for you. A house isn’t a home until you make it one. Reach out if you want to talk it through.
Reply