It's a New Year and a New Start. How About a New Job? The beginning of the year is the perfect time to start over in a new work environment. Here's why.
By Peter Daisyme •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
According to a LinkedIn survey of more than 10,000 people, the number-one reason why people switch jobs is because they believe that there is a lack of career advancement. This was followed by being unsatisfied with management, the culture of the company, compensation, the rewards system and wanting more challenging work. On top of that, changing career paths can help us grow not only professionally but also personally.
As we enter a new year, there's no better time to quit your current position to give yourself a fresh start at a new job. And, if you're still not convinced on the benefits of switching jobs, here are a few points that may help you reconsider.
Related: 3 Reasons Why Your Best Employees Leave for New Opportunities
1. Breaks up the monotony
Do you honestly enjoy being stuck in the same pattern everyday, kind of like of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? Of course not. Monotonous habits leads to boredom and doing tasks while on autopilot. That's not always the best scenario if you want to stay motivated and productive on a daily basis.
By switching jobs, you can break-up the monotony by accepting new challenges, establish new goals and get you out of your comfort zone since you'll have to work with new people in a new area.
2. Allows you to discover your passion
If you've been working for the same company for several years, are you really certain that you enjoy the work? Or have you been consumed by a hefty paycheck? Changing jobs gives you the ability to not only discover your real passion but also allows you to start making money by doing something that you actually enjoy doing for a living.
As my friend John Rampton says: "It is never too late to make a change in your life. It doesn't matter what you're doing or how old you are, you should find your passion and chase it. It'll be the best thing you'll do to make yourself happy in the long run."
3. Helps you meet new people
When you start a new job, you'll be forced to introduce and interact with a new group of people that provide an endless amount of opportunities. That may be intimidating at first, but meeting new people is one of the best ways to grow personally and professionally. This is because interaction with new people exposes you to new thoughts and ideas, helps develop your communication skills, builds-up your list of resources and introduces you to potential clients.
Related: 4 Reasons Employees See a Bleak Career Path and Quit
4. Builds confidence
As Eric Ravenscraft states on Lifehacker: "Confidence is knowing what you're good at, the value you provide and acting in a way that conveys that to others." This is important, because being confident can help make you successful at work, possibly even earning that promotion you've been looking forward to. As for your personal life, you'll actually become more attractive to the opposite sex.
When you make the move to a new job, you'll have to work on your confidence, because you'll have to dress to impress for interviews, explain what you do well and finally show off those power poses that you've been practicing.
5. Gives you the chance to learn something new.
As Sir Francis Bacon said: "Knowledge is power." Learning a new skill or piece of information can help you achieve anything that your heart desires, because you'll have the information to do so -- which is a major perk for your personal and professional lives. Additionally, learning combats boredom, stimulates your mind and allows you to share that knowledge with others.
Beginning a new job will give you the chance to learn plenty of new information, since you'll be expected to get familiar with a new work system and possibly a new set of skills if you're changing positions.
If you're sold on changing jobs, here are a handful of tips to help you get on your way.
- Freshen up your resume. While you can still use your previous resume, you should update it so that includes new information, such as current work experience or any classes that you've taken since you last created your resume.
- Create a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the go-to platform for networking and job-seeking. If you haven't done so yet, create a profile. If you do have a profile, make sure that it has been updated with relevant information and a recent photo.
- Use your current network. There's no shame in reaching out to friends, family, colleagues and even former co-workers when searching for a new job. They may know of a location that has an opening. If not, you can use them as a resource when applying.
- Network, network, network. Get your face out there as much as possible. Whether it's an industry event, alumni mixer or meet-up, there's no shortage of networking opportunities for you to use when on the job hunt.
- Narrow the search down to find the right job. As mentioned earlier, take this opportunity to find a job that you really want. You can do so by making a list of positions or companies that you would want to work for.
- Don't sweat the small stuff. Mistakes are a part of life. I'm sure Steve Harvey is kicking himself over the recent Miss Universe 2015 mishap, but even a blunder like announcing the wrong contest winner can be a good thing (as long it goes viral). Just remember that for all the negatives out there over your mistakes, there are just as many people rooting for you and backing you up as you own up to the mistake and fix it.
How will you start 2016?
Related: 3 Reasons Why Your Best Employees Leave for New Opportunities
