Is It Time to Change Jobs?

According to The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/business/economy/in-a-sign-of-labor-recovery-more-workers-are-quitting.html?_r=1&hp there are now a larger number of us quitting jobs to take what appear to be better opportunities than at any time since our current recession (yes, I definitely believe this is still a recession) began a little over 3 years ago. The number of layoffs per month has also dropped off.

The biggest upside to this is an indication that employers are showing signs of filling holes they have left empty for several years which is a very good thing. One item missing from this article is a breakdown of industries and regions that are thriving. In the Northeastern U.S., we seem to be dragging our feet in the recovery process. Large organizations like Johnson and Johnson, Alcatel-Lucent, and The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, to name a few, are definitely still reducing their numbers and many Wall Street companies appear to be struggling to maintain their footings right now.

Getting back to the main point of this Times report, why are people changing jobs? Are they getting more money, better benefits plans, more vacation time, a chance to grow their careers or are they giving up on their chosen fields and heading off in new directions? It still seems to me that you should stay put if you are not under pressure to move on. The risk of being the new kid on the block in extremely unstable times is a big one to take. Be certain to weigh the advantages of quitting against the possibilities of putting your career in jeopardy before making a move. If you still think it is a good time to switch, go forward but always keep your eyes and ears open!