How do you know it's time to look for a new job?
Breaking up is hard to do, and the relationship between a CEO and their Chief of Staff or Executive Assistant is no exception. As with in any relationship there are signs to watch for that may be telling us it’s time to start considering other options or in this scenario, job opportunities. Knowing what to look for and when it’s time to have the conversation about moving on is a discussion I have with many people who call me for career coaching. Many people call me for career advice on a regular basis. During these sessions, I always run through a few specific items with them that might be helpful for people to discern if they are merely updating a resume or looking for a new job.
Executive assistants are privy to insider knowledge of a business (particularly within the C-Suite). This will include explanations as to why businesses are struggling, or slowing down, or why business owners could be seeing numbers that don't look as good as the previous year. By and large, however, this type of information is not what causes executive assistants to leave their current roles. From my years of guiding others in this field, there are some strong indicators that have nothing to do with KPIs or revenue that executive assistants should use to gauge whether it’s time to find a new job.
5 Signs It’s Time to Find a New Job
You dread going to work the next day
You might be up late at night regularly now, complaining to your significant other, your roommates, your animals, or whoever will listen: you don’t want to go to work. Your job is negatively impacting you to the point that you’re losing sleep. You’re anxious when you get up in the morning. You don't have the bounce in your step like you used to when you first started your role.
Bottom line: You would literally rather do anything than go to work. This is a major problem and it’s your job to ascertain why.
Ask yourself the following questions to figure out why still you're in your current role:
Is it the job itself?
Is it your boss?
Is it the company culture?
Is it the pace?
Is it the compensation and benefits?
Is it a sense of duty or obligation?
Truly, what is keeping you in your current role?
2. Learning and career advancement opportunities have dried up
You’ve been in your current role for awhile and you feel like you can do your job in your sleep. Your workday is predictable; you can’t remember the last time you got to tackle a challenge. You’re mentally bored and restless. You are living a professional version of the movie Groundhog's Day. You’ve asked everyone for new projects. There's nothing more for you to take on and zero opportunities to learn new skills. Your motivation and satisfaction are much less than they were a few years ago. You’re at the top of your department currently with no other place to move within the company, and you’re mentally checking out more every time you go to work. These are all good indications that it's time to move on.
Ponder the following questions:
When was the last time I was able to add new skills or responsibilities to my role?
Is there another level or title in this company that I can attain?
Has a previous employee in my current position moved to another role within the company, or did they move on to go somewhere else?
3. HR has stated that you’ve reached your role’s maximum income ceiling.
Your raises have stopped or are so insignificant that you barely get excited or notice a difference in your paychecks after the new raise is applied. There’s a frustration bubbling up inside of you that you’re working as hard as you ever have, but your pay increases have halted entirely or are very minimal.
It’s time to ask yourself some tough questions about your current position.
How much do I love this job?
How much do I love this company?
How long do I want to stay here knowing that I can't financially grow?
Talk to other friends who are in similar roles or companies and ask them what their salaries might be (without disclosing too much information). Perhaps you are at the top level for the company, but perhaps you aren’t at the top level for your job within your industry within your location. Researching Glassdoor.com, Salary.com, and searching job postings for your current role in your area should give you a good idea of where you’re currently sitting.
4. Your boss is leaving the company.
Over the course of my career, I’ve found that there's about a 50% chance that the executive assistant will stay in a role once the executive that they’ve been supporting exits the company. Once a new executive fills that position, there is about a six month transition, and after those six months, the executive will evaluate whether their assistant is the right person to support them.
Before this grace period ends with your new boss, ask yourself:
“Do I feel so dedicated to this company that I want to wait for my boss to make the decision for me?”
“Do I have the rapport and trust with my new executive that I believe they have my best interest in mind?”
5. Your workplace is toxic.
Sometimes, you get to a point where a boss, co-worker, team, or the whole organization feels uncomfortable. They’re not aligning with your ethics or personality and you see things that you don't believe should be happening. Soon you find that you’re unhappy upon walking in the door, you’re eating lunch by yourself, or you don't want to interact much with coworkers. It takes all your willpower to get through the day to not get sucked into the void of drama and toxicity, and you’re absolutely exhausted by the time you get home. Your work performance is starting to tank. Your emotional bandwidth is completely sucked dry by the end of the week. These are all major red flags that indicate your workplace is toxic.
Consider the following:
What is your current work environment doing to your health, your psyche, and your career?
Is any salary worth damage to your physical health, self esteem, self-respect, emotional and mental health, and morality?(Hint: The answer here should be a resounding NO.)
Listen to intuition and trust your experience. Force yourself to take a step back and look at your situation with a wider perspective while also digging a bit deeper within yourself. If we could only turn up the volume on that inner voice so that we would actually listen and move forward with what it's telling us. Be honest with yourself. Sit down and write if you have to. Your gut will always tell you what’s best for you.
Keep in mind:
If you are in control of your career, there will be a very good opportunity elsewhere. Keep your resume updated and see what's available out there.
We don’t live to work, we work to live. How can you put a price tag on even one year of your life if you’re feeling miserable and stuck at work?
Does the thought of a new job excite you? If yes, listen to your instincts. They usually lead you in the right direction.
The bottom line is simple: if this blog resonates with you, there's something that caused you to read it in the first place. Looking for a new job is never easy, and often feels intimidating, but change is necessary for us to achieve positive growth and fulfillment. Take the next step and get prepared to find your next career stepping stone. Remember, you are in full control of your career and you can choose to make any necessary moves- no one else can do that for you!
There are many steps to finding a new job, and to knowing when it's time to move on and look for a new role. Go and make something great of yourself and your career, be guided by that aspiration, listen to the inner guide that may be whispering, “Let's just take a look”.
Plan a free, 15-minute candidate consultation, or 15-minute client consultation by clicking here.
Diane Steele, CEO of Steele Recruiting offers National Executive Search services for Executive Assistants supporting C-Suite Executives, and private career coaching.
Diane can be contacted at diane@steelerecuiting.com or steelerecruiting.com.
