Thinking of a career change, are you sure?

Now might not be the right time to change jobs.

Will it be better to ride out the economic turbulence with your current employer?

One of the paradoxes of the current economic slow-down is that it does not yet seem to have had much impact on the numbers of people planning to switch jobs.

One indication of the level of discontent in the workforce came in a recent poll of 3,300 North American workers by consultancy Blessing White.

It found that a general disquiet over a lack of opportunities to grow or advance in their job was the main reason why people wanted to jump ship - so much so that a third of those questioned said they would only "probably" still be with their employer by the end of this year.

With anticipated job cuts in the pipeline it may be a better option to wait in a slower economy.

For those who won't - or can't wait there is some vital advice - exercise extreme caution.

In a difficult business environment, competition for jobs is more intense. At times like this it's a buyer's market and as employers trim their payrolls, qualified candidates are more plentiful. So employers with more to choose from will tend to play it tough. They will also expect fast results.

Employers will be looking for high achievers, people who can increase sales, cut costs, improve earnings and productivity. If you are a top performer you may see this time as a period of opportunity.

But another factor to bear in mind is what might happen if your current employer discovers you are trying to change jobs.

Employers who learn that a valued employee is seeking to change jobs may try to make things more attractive for him or her to stay. But, an employer who discovers that a lesser performing employee is job hunting may decide to 'encourage' the worker to go.

Tough times make it more important that there is a good "fit" between new employees and their new employers.

Employers may be less forgiving of new employees who don't fit in with the culture of their organizations and deliver results fast. How well new employees relate to their supervisors and colleagues counts more heavily when a business needs to be turned around and its performance improved.

This all means that anyone contemplating a change of job should make sure in their own mind that they are doing it for very sound reasons. If you generally like what you do and whom you are doing it for it may be best to stick it out until the economy improves. There is more at this link.

"The hard way is the right way" - John Alves.

Best wishes,

Michael Harrison.

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Article by Michael Harrison, Author, Consultant and Business Builder.