#CareerCounsel meets #PandaPounds: Leaving your role, part 2

Welcome back to our #CareerCounsel and #PandaPounds cocktail, where we are taking the reasons our respondents left their previous roles and offering some career wisdom should you find yourself in the same situation.

If you haven’t caught part 1, make sure you catch it here before you read on. In the concluding part of this miniseries, we are going to analyse different reasons for leaving a role and what you can do avoid this problem again. 

Analysing your reasons for leaving a role

It could be one reason, or several, but whatever it is that is making you consider moving on from your role, really have a think about it. We thought we’d pick some of the different reasons given by our respondents and offer some #CareerCounsel goodness. If the reason is something you absolutely cannot see changing, then there’s also some advice about how to avoid this happening again in your next role.

Feeling valued and respected

Do you feel the work you are doing isn’t getting the recognition it should? Maybe you work hard and get little reward. Is this something you can talk to your manager about? It isn’t a crime to ask for some feedback once in a while, but make sure you have an idea of what you can improve before you approach your manager. If you would like more one to one reviews, of what you have done well and what you want to work on, asking won’t hurt anyone.

If you don’t see this improving and you decide to move on, can you avoid this happening again? Do you remember that important question in job interviews? “Do you have any questions?” That’s right…you can ask your potential manager if there are regular reviews so that you know your work will be really valued.

Salary  

Feeling underpaid isn’t the best feeling, but salary is something to really weigh up against a few things. First of all, are there any benefits or bonus schemes that compliment your base salary? It’s easy to forget that these contribute massively to your overall package, depending on what they are.

If it is something you wish to approach your management team about, do not raise the subject of a pay rise without careful consideration. Read our #CareerCounsel post on how to approach this in the right way. If it really is time to search for a new opportunity, keep your expectations realistic; it’s nice to see a rise in your salary, but don’t always expect a massive leap forward. Nonetheless, make sure you are 100% comfortable with the salary offered and that it covers all aspects of your day to day life. Remember to also consider bonus schemes and benefits offered alongside the base salary too!

Company Culture, Management & Team

From the brand values to how the company interacts outside of ‘business hours’, it’s important to feel comfortable where you work. If there is something in your role regarding the culture where you don’t feel comfortable, is there someone you can talk to about it? It can be a tricky subject if you don’t connect with a colleague or manager on a professional level. Always maintain a polite and professional demeanour so you can open up a dialogue about it. If this isn’t seen to, you’ll become unhappy.

Determining culture is absolutely key in a job search. Find out how to do it right here!

Progression & feeling challenged

Not only is it important to have a career plan on how you want to progress, you probably don’t want it to be easy. Having stuff to really get your teeth into not only keeps your days varied but it is also great to be able to put your proud achievements onto a CV. Do you feel something has stalled in this respect, and you’re quickly becoming demotivated?

If you’re happy with everything else in your role, how can you resolve this? It’s important to know you can approach someone about extra responsibility, but do it with caution. Maybe start with requesting simple feedback and find out if you can improve on something you’re already doing. If you do have a conversation about extra responsibilities, don’t demand them and let your manager share their thoughts too.

If you decide to find a fresh new challenge, make sure the role is a step up and that there will be plenty to do. Furthermore, you ultimately want your career to progress so keep an eye out for roles that offer progression opportunities!

That concludes our miniseries! Be sure to download a free copy of our salary survey for full insights on a range of career related topics.