Let’s face it, job hopping can have a traumatic effect on your finances if you do it too often.
Switching jobs comes with the loss of benefits from your current employer, sometimes a pay cut, and a change in commute to name a few.
Before you decide to jump ship, take a healthy assessment of your current situation and why you’re unhappy with where you are.
Is it a ‘no-growth’ situation where there is no motivation to move up within your company? Do you feel undervalued?
This may come as a surprise, but you should take a good look at yourself to ask why you’re not getting what you want.
1. Do everything you can to support higher command
- This is critical to your happiness in the workplace and to be noticed by decision makers in your organization.
- Take on responsibility without complaint or protest, so long as what is required of you is legal and ethical.
- Do not challenge your superiors on matters that don’t present a large problem to overall success of the company.
- Don’t get emotional if your suggestions are not used; supporting your boss overtime, and becoming a star team member will lead to your voice being heard.
2. Make it a good day (every day)
We have to forge our own happiness every single day; it does not come to anybody for free.
It’s a crazy idea to think that we’re not born to be happy, and this one took me a very long time to fully comprehend.
You might feel like something is wrong with you because you’re never happy, but there is a good chance it’s because you expect to be happy without putting any effort into making it so.
Maintain a positive attitude from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed (you’ll have off days, but this is a numbers game to have more good days).
Positivity will spread more positivity to those around you, it’s contagious! Your co-workers will thank you almost as much as your family members if you can get the mindset of “this is going to be great” when it comes to challenges at your job and in your life.
3. Ask for the things you want
Do you want a raise? How much of a raise do you want?
ASK FOR IT!
But wait. Don’t just blurt it out to the person who signs your check. Have a little more tact in the situation and put yourself in their position.
Would you want to give an under-performer more of your company profits if they don’t deserve it? Think about it in an economical way, not in a way of “fairness”.
You produce the same amount (or less in some cases) as you did the previous year… You don’t get a raise for simply existing at a place for x amount of time, though some people like to think so.
Earning more comes with more responsibility.
Ask the boss what improvement they would like to see for you to have another conversation about a pay rate increase. They’ll be a lot more receptive than you think, so actually listen to their response.
Don’t take their response personally though, they may think you are a good person, but your work performance might be below an acceptable level to them when it comes to forking over more money.
Consider all factors
There are A LOT of very personal things to consider when determining your next phase in life. Changing jobs in your career is a very big decision, since we spend so much of our lifetime working.
What I’m saying is to take all things into account when you feel unhappy in a situation. Try to answer that question without blaming anyone else for it.
Ask yourself why you’re allowing YOU to feel that way. Take a step back. Make a decision to move forward.
The Handy Writer 