Is the economy ready for me to change jobs?

In the United States, the question many job seekers have asked is where is the economy now? While the Great Recession began in the fall of 2007 according to most economists, it didn’t affect all parts of the country or all industries at the same time. Many people have been reluctant to make a move or change jobs even if they despise the company they are working for or the job they are doing.

When are conditions right to make a big job move or change jobs?

In 2014, I noticed a larger trend in people who were willing to make a big move or change jobs. They had great jobs at the director or upper management level and they might be content to stay in their current role. However, they were on the lookout for the right new challenge, new opportunity, or new role to progress in their career. In 2015, this trend of people who want to change jobs seems to be happening much more frequently, at all levels, and in multiple industries.

My business has a significant new client base from word of mouth or referrals. This also has an impact on the level and type of client who will hire me to drive their career marketing initiatives. But as I look at the job postings, I see more of them in more fields than I have in a few years. Articles I read point to at least a start in more confidence with the economy and that leads to more people who are willing to change jobs.

When is it safe to change jobs?

This is a “It depends” answer. It depends on the field, on your own skills, on the geographics of your location or the geographics of your job search. Overall, I would say that it is much safer to make a move now than in 2012 or 2010. But there will always be impacts on specific industries that would make a move for you a bad move.

I have many clients whose reason for changing jobs is based on someone else. That other person could be a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, child, or parent. People move to other parts of the country to be nearer to people or groups of people that they love. They also make job decisions based on whether they can find a job in their field that allows them to remain close to a family member, be it an elderly parent or a child for whom they have joint custody. You have to be sure of the job before you change if there are other factors that limit your location.

How does geography play in your willingness to change jobs?

When you are open to change jobs to a location anywhere in the United States, it makes it easier to find a new job but you have to consider other factors. I always ask my clients during the project roadmap where they want to find their new job. What are the geographics and we often use a cost of living calculator to determine the differences in costs. People in California who want to move to Georgia will find that they can take a job for a lower salary and still be comparable because the costs of housing, groceries, health care, and education. However, if someone wants to move from Chicago to Manhattan, they need to make 75% more to live there.

Look at the industry — Is the economy good for you to change jobs?

Another “it depends” is the variable of industries. For example, I had a client with a secure manufacturing job in Florida who moved to take a job in Texas to be closer to a girlfriend. The job was in the oil industry. Unfortunately, the great gas prices for the rest of us means layoffs in the oil industry. Even when the economy is mostly good and other factors are positive for most people, it may mean that you have to be cautious about moving in your field.

Overall, I think it is a much better economy that it was three or five years ago. There are many more opportunities. I find that clients who are prepared are better off in most economies than those people who still think a resume is a piece of paper or a list of job duties.

Today’s job search is more than an application, it is a lifelong strategy so that you can position yourself well in any market. Are you ready to change jobs? See how I can help here.

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