Are you really deeply fed up with the job, or is this just a short-term reaction to not getting the pay rise or promotion you want? If the dissatisfaction goes deep, it may well be time to change. If, for example, you don’t get on with the people, or you find the organization over-political or excessively bureaucratic and inflexible, this is probably a long-term problem that won’t go away until you leave the job.
But it may be that your frustration is relatively recent, and mostly to do with pay or promotion. In that case, it’s worth thinking about the prevailing character of the company. Are they always poor payers, or slow to promote talent, or have you just hit a temporary blip? Is this a problem that would evaporate if your boss moved on, perhaps (and if so, how likely is this to happen)? Or might things resolve if you get that job you’re after when a particular colleague leaves in another six months or so?
Broadly speaking, if your desire to leave is the result of some r
elatively recent development such as being passed over for promotion, it’s a good idea to wait for a while before making a decision on whether to leave. But if you’ve been unhappy in the job for some time, leaving is more likely to be the right decision. So think about the real reasons you want to go before you rush into anything.
Remember that no organization is perfect, and you shouldn’t balance up your knowledge of your present company with an imaginary perfect employer, because that’s not where you’ll end up. Does your employer really pay less than other companies? If so, are there other compensating factors you should take into account? For example, does your employer offer more stimulating work challenges, or longer holidays?
Play it cool! If you do decide to leave, there’s nothing to gain by telling your present employer just what you think of them. Far better to stay on pleasant terms. Sure, you can tell them politely why you’ve decided you can do better elsewhere, but don’t get on the wrong side of them. You might need a reference from them and, even if you don’t, you don’t want people around saying things that will damage your reputation. One of your bosses may even end up working with you again one day. So once you’ve got what you want, keep the moral high ground and resist the urge to say how you really feel.
No risk-free guarantee. Bear in mind that staying where you are isn’t necessarily the safe option. There is risk in everything, after all. If you’ve been there more than five or six years, a decision to stay could ultimately lead to you looking less employable to other organizations In the future – you’ll begin to look inexperienced in taking on new challenges. And if pay or promotion really is poor where you are now, you risk losing the opportunity to earn more and climb the ladder faster.