Be careful not to make a bad job situation worse.

More than twenty million Americans have left their jobs since the Covid-19 pandemic began, in a movement that some have referred to as the Great Reshuffle. If you are one of the millions of workers considering a similar move, it is important to understand why you want to leave your current job. Are you just running away from a bad job or moving toward a good one?

In this post, we will examine why this question matters, and how it can influence the career choices that you make. We will also offer some tips to help you ensure that your participation in the current labor reshuffle does not result in you leaving one bad job only to land in another.

Your motivations could impact your decision-making

There is a reason your motivation for leaving a job matters. If you are just trying to flee a seemingly bad job, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Often, when an employee begins looking for a new job to escape a horrible work environment, they are too eager to accept any new opportunity. Desperation can lead to rushed decisions that ultimately do nothing to improve the situation. Sometimes, an employee hurriedly leaves one job, only to end up in an even worse environment.

There is nothing wrong with running from a bad job

Obviously, there is nothing inherently wrong with leaving a bad job. If you are sincerely unhappy with your current work situation, regardless of the reason, it is important to make whatever changes you need to get to a healthier career environment. Sometimes, that change may involve working with management to address your concerns. Often, though, resolution can only be accomplished by packing up and leaving for a different job.

Why it is important to ensure that you are moving to a better job

When you have made the decision to leave your current job, it may be tempting to accept the first offer that comes your way. Unfortunately, that is a mistake. By rushing to accept a new job offer just to get away from your current job, you may be heading toward a similar bad situation. That is why we recommend focusing on finding the right job rather than simply leaving the wrong one.

Yes, that may mean that you need to stick it out at your bad job longer than you had hoped. You may have to endure a toxic work environment or an unbearable supervisor for several more weeks while you scout for more positive opportunities. The good news is that you know you are leaving as soon as you locate the right job.

It is also helpful to take a note from the science of positive psychology. If you set a goal that focuses on your strengths and value, you are much more likely to succeed than if you are simply trying to escape a negative thing. That is because beneficial goals engender positivity and hopefulness, while the things we run away from are sources of negativity and hopelessness.

Here are some resources from our blog that can help:

Tips to help you avoid moving from one bad job to another

Naturally, you may be wondering how you can possibly know whether your next job prospect will be better than your current bad job? What processes can you use to reduce the chances that you are leaving one bad job only to end up in a potentially worse situation? Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to properly vet any prospective job opportunity:

  • Do not simply take a company at its word when it describes its own work environment. Most employers like to think of their companies as great places to work, but that doesn't always end up being the case.

  • Do your due diligence when researching a job. Use Google to search for any relevant information about the company, its history, and online reviews.

  • Search sites like Indeed and Glassdoor to find employee reviews about the company. Sometimes, current or past employees can provide insight into a firm's culture and overall workplace environment.

  • If possible, use LinkedIn to reach out and find people who have worked for that company. Try to open a dialogue with someone who has personal knowledge of the job, the company, or its management.

  • Ask questions about management style during your interview.

  • At the same time, remember that hiring managers may not always know everything that goes on outside of their specific roles. When you know that you are a finalist for the position, you should also ask if it would be possible to speak with other employees.

  • If your prospective manager is part of the interview process, pay attention to how they interact with you. Try to assess their level of interest in you and the value you can provide to the team. Are your questions being answered in a direct manner? Is the manager courteous and professional?

  • Make sure that you fully understand the full range of duties connected to the job. Jumping into a new job without fully grasping the nature of your role can be a recipe for disaster.

  • Trust your gut. If a prospective new job feels wrong to you, then chances are that you will just be jumping out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire.

Summary

It is common for workers to eventually decide that their jobs are no longer the right fit for their needs. When that happens, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to take the time to locate the right job. That way, you will not just be running away from a bad job but will also be moving toward a better opportunity.

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