Should You Be Looking For A New Job? (2017)

*** Article Sponsored By: ConstructionJobs.com (Click positions to search now: Project Manager, Superintendent, Estimator, Foreman/Tech)

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Recently, I spoke with a very well respected construction executive. Let's call him Ray. Ray is currently a Senior Vice President, has over $100 million in Profit/Loss responsibility, and manages a staff of 100 individuals.

I asked Ray what was the best advice he was ever given with regard to his career. His answer surprised me. Ray said "Early in my career, our company made it known they were open to being acquired. I went to my boss and asked if I should be looking for another job. My boss told me that I should ALWAYS be looking for another job. We ended up not being acquired, my job was safe, but it was a lesson to always keep my ears and eyes open for opportunities, never let your guard down, and always be prepared." To add context to the story, Ray started his career in the 80's and has only worked for two employers since that time.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Wayne Gretzky

WHY SHOULD YOU ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB?

I posed this question to Kristen Ripmaster, the President of ConstructionJobs.com. ConstructionJobs is a leading job board focused on the Construction Industry. Kristen says:

"There have been many recent articles that suggest job hopping is ok . We firmly disagree. However, changing jobs can sometimes be inevitable. If the unthinkable happens (being laid off, company is acquired, you are passed over for a promotion, or you need to relocate for family reasons) it is smart to know what options you have, before that moment in time, so that you can be proactive with your next steps. Knowing where to go, and what to do, can be the difference between a successful or unfavorable transition"

Unless you are in a visible position where you are constantly interacting with individuals outside of your company, it is easy to find yourself in a vacuum. Things are humming along smoothly until all the sudden they are not.

If you are lucky enough to be in a position you love and with a company you love, then congratulations. Seriously, it is nice to look forward to work. It is nice to wake up Monday morning excited about the week. However, if you dread Monday mornings, and can't wait to walk out the door on Friday, it might be the perfect time for you to do some strategic thinking on what and why you are feeling the way you are. Making more money sounds great. Who doesn't want to make more money? But... rarely is monetary gain a sufficient reason to look for a new job. Typical and often better indicators you should look for a job include:

• Career Stagnation
• Glass Ceiling - you cannot advance beyond your current role with your company.
• Feeling of being under-valued or under-utilized
• Your company is about to go through a merger that could jeopardize your position
• Your schedule is affecting your family
• You're simply not passionate about your job

*** For additional Construction related openings, please follow the links at the bottom of the article.

WHY NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO LOOK FOR A JOB

In real estate, the adage is location, location, location. With a job search, the adage could be described as timing, timing, timing. The first quarter and second quarter are notoriously great times to conduct your job search. Why? It's simple:

1. Most company's fiscal years have ended and bonuses have been paid (or will be soon), therefore, you will not be walking away from a bonus if you decide to make a move now.
2. Most companies assign their annual budget during the 4th quarter. Therefore, the positions they are hiring for now have likely been approved, have funding, and have limited red tape that will take place behind the scenes if they find the "right" candidate.
3. The promotion or bonus you were promised last year either happened, or it didn't. You are either happy with how things turned out, or it has left you feeling vulnerable.
4. While there is a lot of hiring that happens during summer months, the kids are out of school. Therefore, there are a lot of vacations and schedule interruptions. Getting in the door and interviewing now will beat the summer-time interruptions and you're more likely to get the hiring managers full attention.
5. Hiring Managers have quotas and goals they have to meet, therefore, they are motivated to hit and exceed their own targets. If they don't have the right people on their team, it could be impossible to hit their annual goals. Right now, a new hire would have 10 months to increase the bottom line.

If you close yourself off to job opportunities the good, better, or best opportunities might pass you by. Have you ever been in your favorite store when your bank account was low? It never fails you see all kinds of things you want. However, when you feel like you have money to spend, the same store doesn't have anything you want. This is similar to a job search. I cannot tell you how many times that I have called a potential candidate to tell him/her of great opportunities that I am recruiting for, only to receive a quick "No, I'm not interested right now." Then, the same candidate calls me back months later asking of the positions are still available because something happened with their job or company and they are having a difficult time finding positions that are intriguing.

Similar to Kristen Ripmaster quoted above, I am not a proponent of job hopping. Hiring Managers spend 15-30 seconds glimpsing at a resume. If you have 3+ jobs in the last five years, you will likely be put into the "hold" or "discard" pile without ever having a fighting chance. However, there are times that making a job change makes sense. I would encourage you to be strategic, understand your personal and professional goals, and stay connected. You might be surprised what a cursory job search tells you. You might even learn that your current job, your current employer, and your current salary are not nearly as bad as you thought!!!

CONSTRUCTION OPENINGS:

• General Construction Jobs
• Industrial Jobs
• Residential or Multi-Family Jobs
• Mechanical Jobs
• Electrical Jobs
• Position Specific: Project Manager, Superintendent, Estimator, Foreman, Sales/Business Development, etc...
• Location Specific: Texas, California, Florida, Colorado, New York, etc...

About the Author: Justin Wilkins began his career as a Sales Representative in the Medical Device Industry. In 2008, Justin accepted an Associate position with Kimmel & Associates, based in Asheville, NC. He now serves as the Market Leader for the Power/Energy/Renewable Division of Kimmel & Associates.