Is this Right Time to Move on from Your Current Company?

This simple yet powerful question is one of the most important fundamental questions and must be an integral part of one’s career advancement plan. Asking this question at the end of every month (in some detail) and at the end of every quarter (in complete detail) should become a standard procedure for any professional to follow religiously.

Another important fundamental question is why should you stay with your current company? The answer to this is the reasons driving the answer to the question “Is this Right Time to Move on from Your Current Company?” are absent or very weak at that point in time.

So how to decide – “Is this Right Time to Move on from Your Current Company?” The answer to this question is very simple and can be captured in the following two statements. The sequence of the following two statements is equally important. If statement B is the first reason then you are still not desperate to quit however if statement A is the first reason then you are certainly desperate to quit.

• Statement A – The reason you are still around is because you need the job for the money you are making from it to pay your bills, otherwise you would have quit by now
• Statement B – The reason you are still around is because you haven’t been able to find another job though you have been trying very hard, and the moment you land one you will quit immediately

It is interesting to understand how you reach to a stage where the only reason for you to stay with your current company is limited to the above two statements. So what are the drivers for you to reach to this stage? Here are some:

• You are certain you will not grow any further irrespective of your performance and irrespective of how much longer you stay put
• You are not learning anything new and not at all improving upon your competencies in any significant manner
• You are interacting with stakeholders who are themselves not growing and the discussions you have with them are purely transactional and operational in nature
• You have come to believe that the organization is not run professionally but rather by the whims and fancies of an old boys club
• You have come to realize that the people who are heading the various areas lack in leadership qualities and are totally narrow-minded due the prevalence of an old boys club culture
• You have come to the conclusion that the company has a bleak and dark future because the so called leaders lack in leadership qualities and are totally narrow-minded