Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change

Boris Groysberg

In an article that appears in the January-February (2010) issue of Harvard Business Review, Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams identify, discuss, and suggest strategies to avoid five ways to bungle a job change. Here is an excerpt:

“The average baby boomer will switch jobs 10 times, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The worker as free agent – a concept popularized in the 1990s – remains a reality regardless of economic conditions, making it incumbent on all of us to take greater control of our careers…This is your career we’re talking about. The occasional misstep can be forgiven, but a careful and conscious assessment of the risks and realities will help you avoid making too many mistakes or ones that amount to a major setback.”

Here are five most common mistakes:

1. Not doing enough research. For example, not doing enough homework on the job-market realities for the given industry or function, not paying enough attention to a potential employer’s financial stability, ignoring cultural fit, and assuming that the given job title and description accurately reflect the position.

2. Leaving for money without taking into full account the value of current relationships and associations, professional growth, and what has been (until now) a congenial culture.

3. Going “from” rather than “to”: Because many people are so upset about real or perceived injustices and inadequacies, become desperate to get out and make decisions based on emotion rather than on reason.

4. Overestimating yourself. Groysberg and Abrahams quote one executive search executive who suggests that people “believe they contribute more than they actually do and undervalue the strengths of their organization in helping them achieve their objectives.” Many people are excessively optimistic about their prospects and underestimate the time and frustration usually associated with a job search.

5. Thinking short term. This mindset focuses on various issues such as compensation (“When will I be paid more?”) as well as recognition and appreciation (“When will I be promoted?”). It extends to leaving the current position (“How soon can I get out of here?) and then to the job search (“ When will I be hired?”).

Robin Abrahams

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This article’s ID# is R1001M and can be purchased online, as can a subscription to Harvard Business Review for a substantially reduced discount, at http://hbr.org/magazine.