The Best Time To Look for a New Job

17 Nov 2024 #career

It’s not when you’re “let go.”

The best time to look for a job is when you don’t need one.

You’re not desperate to pick anything to just pay the bills. You’re in a better position to negotiate. You can use your new offer as leverage in your current job. You don’t have anything to loose.

That was a lesson I shared with a group of friends and ex-coworkers the last time we met to catch up.

After the usual questions, where you’re working these days and how you’re feeling in your new role or job, one of our ex-coworkers answered he felt good in his new role after a couple of years and he wasn’t looking for something new. Then I shared that lesson. I wish I knew it earlier.

It doesn’t matter if you want to leave your current job or not. Don’t outsource your career decisions to your boss or something else. At least, set a direction for your career and be conscious about the jobs you pick.

For some years, I make the mistake of outsourcing my career choices.

A couple of years ago, I knew it was time to leave my job, but instead of making a hard decision, I asked for a raise. If they refused to give me a raise, that was the sign to leave. And, surprised, surprise, I got the pay raise. Arrggg!

Vacations and pay raises won’t change an unfulfilling job. They will only move a death sentence further away, like kicking a can.

That taught me that the best time to look for a new job is not right after a layoff, it’s when you don’t need a new job.