Five Good Reasons to Change Jobs

The current job market has not been terrible good for workers. Many people are thrilled just to have a job. Therefore, they are very reluctant to leave a sure thing for a new job. What are good reasons to change jobs in such an environment? Here are five reasons that workers might want to switch career paths.

The biggest reason for changing jobs is for increased compensation. More than at any time in post-World War II American history, employers are cutting hours and compensation for hard-working employees. Many people have been laid off, and the salary workers who remained were forced to do more work for the same or less pay.

Big corporations like WalMart are notorious for keeping employees near minimum wage for a limited number of hours that just low enough to keep these workers from getting fringe benefits. While there is a debate over the societal cost of this strategy, the impact on the affected workers means that they are unable to get ahead financially.

Money is not everything, but it does take a certain amount of money to have a relatively comfortable life. Therefore, an offer of another job with a higher level of compensation has to be taken very seriously.

I've not had any overbearing bosses in my life, but it appears that I am in the minority. There are many micromanaging bosses out there that will criticize every little move that employees make. Some good employees wind up on the bad side of a boss and will have trouble from day one, regardless of how hard they work.

People who have these problems with their boss should seriously considered changing jobs. Even money might not be enough to be worth staying with an overbearing micro-manager.

Some employees have reached what has been called the "glass ceiling." They have gone as far as they can possibly go in an organization. These people might not feel terribly fulfilled in the job that they have knowing that they have reached the top of their career arc.

A new career can sometimes lead to new possibilities. Going into another line of work might offer much more in terms of advancement. At times, it might even be worth it to take a job for less money in order to get ahead over the long term.

Most people will have to decide whether they want to work to live or live to work because some companies think they own their employees. Of course, there is a freedom of choice when it comes to choosing and employer, but once an employee is in a job, it is sometimes difficult to switch. Many companies will put their employees on salary and then expect them to work 70, 80, or even more hours each week.

Working that much can have severely negative impact on family life. All work and no play can lead to stress and poor health. Working less and having a vacation can lead to better health and better family relations. Therefore, getting the opportunity to have more down time can be a great move.

Some employers will try to keep employee benefits at a minimum as noted in the comment about WalMart mentioned above. This means little in the way of vacation (the US averages the fewest number of vacation days in the industrialized world). It also means that healthcare is nonexistent.

Finding a job that offers days off and other benefits like insurance and retirement funds (be they traditional pensions or 401k plans) is something that most people dream of. Those who can find such a job just might find that it's a good idea to change career paths.

Getting a new job can be a scary proposition. Those who can change careers to benefit themselves should seriously consider it. Do you know of any other reasons why people should change jobs?