Moz Hussain
Principal Program Manager Lead, Skype Business Services
at Microsoft
Every year, I mentor a few
dozen people who all ask for my thoughts on one question - should I leave?
I
work for a pretty large company, so some of the advice I give can be applied
more generally to anyone working in a big firm deciding between external
options and an internal career path.
So here's what I say ....
First and foremost, follow
your passions. If there is an
opportunity that fits with something that excites you and gets you blurring the
boundary between working for a living and working for fun, jump on it
and
everything else will come naturally. If the opportunity doesn't exist, maybe
you should create one. Whether you've always wanted to be your own boss or work
in high fashion, passions are callings
you should obey. If your passion doesn't
fit the opportunities available
inside your current company
and you are unable to create one, it may be time to look outside.
Second, avoid
stagnation and vitriol. If you feel
you are not growing, feel you can "do better",
are dreading coming to
work or are feeling bitter about your employer; it may be time to look outside.
I counsel folks who complain
about their work and their company incessantly to ask themselves
why they stay any longer. If
you are facing stagnation or vitriol, you should do you and your employer
a
favor and move on. Now, don't get me wrong, it's always good to find a way to
get
your concerns heard and
instigate change. But you should not make yourself out to be the victim
if you can't. I also advise
folks to look inside themselves too - sometimes it's the mindset and not
the environment that causes
these feelings. That's something moving companies won't solve.
Third, step
up growth opportunity. Lateral
moves don't make much sense to me (unless you are following your passion or
looking for a fresh start per above). Usually, I advise people to look for step
jumps
in their growth - a larger scope with more direct impact, an exciting new
category, or even significantly higher pay. Large companies often have a ton of
opportunities to continue to grow
in a professional career and
it takes time to build up credibility and connections within them.
It's smart to look inside to
leverage that credibility and connection before jumping off.
But if the external roles do
offer that step jump, go for it.
Last but not least, get
a life. Everyone has different
personal values and goals - see my post on
The
Balanced Lifecard. But you should stay
true to yours. Time matters - if you value staying
connected to your wife and
kids, you may not want a role that requires you to travel 3 weeks in a month.
Pay matters - if you are
looking to fund your kid through college, you may not be able to afford working
part time. Location matters - if you need to be close to elderly parents in
another location
or even a pastime you enjoy, you should move.
If your existing employer is
unable to meet these needs, it may be time to look elsewhere.
All of the above assumes you
have a choice of course.
But if you do, you could do
worse than start by considering the above four points.
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140430130007-170738-should-i-leave?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0
Consider reading my blog: The hierarchy of needs to
discover what is important to you
in this situation at this time.
Perhaps you’d like to
check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives
many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.turbochargedreading.blogspot.com describes the steps to
reading in the way your mind prefers
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com just for fun
To quote the Dr Seuss
himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn;
the more places you'll go.”
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