Throughout our careers in recruitment, we\u2019ve placed thousands of candidates into roles that they\u2019ve been successful in \u2013 loving their time at the company and going on to build a great career. Equally, however, we\u2019ve also seen plenty of people for whom the move hasn\u2019t panned out. When you\u2019re presented with a potential opportunity, with the lure of more money, a better job title, and greater career prospects, the idea of leaving your current role can become an afterthought. It\u2019s easy to convince yourself that that\u2019s the simple part of the move. However, over the years we\u2019ve seen many people who go through the whole recruitment process \u2013 screenings, interviews, offers, the works \u2013 before the weight of the decision they\u2019re about to make hits them, and they pull out.<\/p>\n
When a job offer is presented, things get real. The reality of actually having to hand in your notice and leave your current employer is a far bigger proposition than the initial decision to actively look for or consider a new role. Because of this, those who have the wrong mindset in approaching their job search, withdraw from the process right at the end.<\/p>\n
There are many reasons that people start to consider their career options when they\u2019re in a role. Perhaps they\u2019re not being respected or listened to, perhaps they don\u2019t see a strong career path for themselves, or maybe it\u2019s just time to move on. All of these are valid reasons, but there\u2019s an old saying that rings true here: be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Exploring other opportunities because you\u2019re unhappy is all well and good, but you have to be aware of the potential consequences of doing so \u2013 the major one being that you may get a great job offer, and may actually have to resign. You have to ask yourself: when push comes to shove, are you ready to make the call?<\/p>\n
While it may not seem like the end of the world to remain with a current employer \u2013 after all, you\u2019ve only wasted a small bit of time on interviews \u2013 there are two major issues.<\/p>\n
The first issue is what getting to the end of the process only to withdraw can do to your personal brand and reputation. We\u2019ve seen many scenarios where people later choose to revisit the job market after regretting the decision described above, only to find the same doors are no longer open. You\u2019ll leave a bad taste in the mouth of the company that was looking to hire you, and they\u2019ll likely have little interest in considering you for future roles. We know that there are occasions where there are extenuating circumstances that cause someone to not take an offer, however, recruitment is an expensive and time-consuming exercise for employers, so these situations can be understandably frustrating for them. In a competitive market, the last thing you want is to be seen as someone who buckles under the pressure when the time comes to make a decision.<\/p>\n
The second, and arguably more important problem, is the damage you can do to yourself by embarking on a journey you\u2019re not prepared for. We\u2019ve heard countless stories of candidates going to interviews, and then dealing with anxiety and stress over the job potentially being offered, and having to front up to their current employer or pull out of the process. If you feel like you\u2019re being pulled in two directions, it\u2019ll inevitably only lead to heartache; whether that\u2019s leaving the company you\u2019re currently at or the regret of giving up a new opportunity.<\/p>\n
Because of these reasons, it is critical to ensure you have prepared yourself to cross that mental bridge before taking any action to pursue or consider new job opportunities. Otherwise you may well end up in a lose\/lose scenario. Here are a few of our top tips to help you find out whether the decision you\u2019re making is the right one.<\/p>\n
Talk to people you know and trust and get their opinions. At the end of the day, it\u2019s your decision to make, but there\u2019s no harm in seeking the advice of friends or peers to get their take on the situation. If they know you well, then they\u2019ll understand your reasoning and help you come to the right decision.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s crucial to do this as early as possible. If you\u2019ve received a job offer and then you start asking for advice on whether you should take it, then you\u2019re no longer asking about whether you should leave \u2013 but rather whether you should take the offer (which is likely better than what you\u2019re currently receiving) of a job that you\u2019ve just gone through the whole interview process for. A loaded question, to say the least! Instead, raise your concerns as they happen. If you find yourself unhappy about work for more than a couple of weeks, talk to the people you trust and explain your misgivings to them.<\/p>\n
Although it may seem counterintuitive, it is also really important to talk to your employer. If you have concerns, then raise them before you start looking elsewhere, and a long way before you even think about resigning. This maintains credibility with the employer, rather than looking like you\u2019re leaving for no reason, and gives them the chance to rectify the situation. If your concerns remain unaddressed then that can be a strong sign that it\u2019s time to move on.<\/p>\n
Bear in mind that resignation is\u00a0never<\/strong>\u00a0a bargaining chip. Handing your resignation letter over should always be a last resort and a fait accompli, rather than a threat.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t resign by dipping your toe in the water. You have to dive right in, with confidence and surety. Are the reasons you are looking to move on real, non-negotiable and unfixable? Make a list of the things about your current role that you\u2019re unhappy with, and then make a list of the things you are looking for in your next role. It\u2019s important to stay realistic when making these lists; it\u2019s highly unlikely that you\u2019re going to move into a new job and be met with a 40% payrise and a role with more responsibility than you\u2019ve ever had. Remember, there\u2019s no such thing as a dream job. Every role will come with frustrations as well as benefits.<\/p>\n Think about whether your list of wants can be worked out in your current place of employment; whether you can talk to management about your concerns and if they can address them. If you come to the conclusion that they can\u2019t, then it may be time to put the feelers out.<\/p>\n This confidence and surety is just as important when it comes to actually resigning. Prepare yourself for making the decision by mentally picturing yourself looking your boss in the eye as you hand over your resignation, leave the company and start a new role. It doesn\u2019t have to be a dramatic, movie-like scene, but you need to be sure that you\u2019ll walk into that room confident of the action you\u2019re going to take. Then, as an extra measure of certainty imagine the likely scenario of your employer presenting you with a counteroffer, which as a bare minimum probably includes a pay increase and other positive tweaks to your role. If you can\u2019t imagine yourself following this through \u2013 or worse, you think you could be convinced to stay \u2013 then don\u2019t start your search. Instead, you need to sit down with your boss.<\/p>\n Once you are at a point where you\u2019re ready and able to hand your notice in, there are a few other considerations to think about:<\/p>\n Have you read the small print on your current contract? Have you properly dotted the i\u2019s and crossed the t\u2019s in terms of your new employment offer? If not, don\u2019t hand your resignation letter over just yet. We often hear people who are worried about non-compete clauses and the like when moving into a new role. Our best advice is to know your contract. Neither your recruiter nor your prospective employer are legal experts, and at the end of the day, it\u2019s your employment agreement, so it\u2019s down to you to know what your commitments are. Once you know this and have worked out any potential kinks or anxieties, you\u2019ll be far more confident and in a better position to cross that mental bridge.<\/p>\n One more thing: if you haven\u2019t sighted and signed an employment offer, do not resign! Be careful to ensure that your new role is a sure thing before committing to leaving your current job.<\/p>\n The conversation with your boss when you resign can be a difficult one. Emotions are likely running high and, dependent on the nature of your resignation, tempers can flare too. Be careful to not let your emotions get the best of you, it\u2019s best to remain cool, calm and collected, especially if your boss doesn\u2019t take the news well. Be ready for any potential reaction, and don\u2019t be trapped into emotional blackmail.<\/p>\n Some employers will respond to your resignation by saying that it isn\u2019t a great time for you to go, that it will \u201cdestroy the project\u201d or \u201cput the company in a bind\u201d if you leave now \u2013 these are normal short-term reactions. The harsh (and ego bruising) fact is that you will be replaceable, it may just take some time for the employer to find someone suitable for the role.<\/p>\n Changing employers is always difficult. It is always emotional. But it is a natural and normal part of business life. Before starting the process of looking or considering a new job, first take the time to get in the right mental space. Understand what you want, be clear of your options internally and have a clear picture of what is within your skill set. Always try to avoid dipping your toe in the water but if you do start going through the job search process, make sure you are confident in yourself and not just following something along to its natural conclusion. It is easy to be swept along with the emotion and excitement of changing roles, especially if you have been approached for a role directly. If you\u2019ve made the mental leap and are ready to go, but still a little unsure, feel free to\u00a0get in touch<\/a>. We\u2019ll be happy to provide a helping hand to get you one step closer to your career goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Throughout our careers in recruitment, we\u2019ve placed thousands of candidates into roles that they\u2019ve been successful in \u2013 loving their time at the company and going on to build a great career. Equally, however, we\u2019ve also seen plenty of people for whom the move hasn\u2019t panned out. When you\u2019re presented with a potential opportunity, with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2123,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions\/2123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/2122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talonrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Be Certain<\/h2>\n
Read the Small Print<\/h2>\n
Keep Your Emotions in Check<\/h2>\n
In Closing<\/h2>\n