INTHEBLACK November 2021 - Magazine - Page 68
WORK
SMART
// L E AV I N G A J O B
THOSE WHO REMAIN IN THE SAME ROLE FOR MANY YEARS
RUN SEVERAL RISKS, SAY CAREER AND WORKPLACE EXPERTS.
CHIEF AMONG THEM IS BEING PERCEIVED AS LACKING IN
AMBITION. WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO CALL IT QUITS?
STORY JESSICA MUDDITT
QUIT
WHILE
YOU’RE
AHEAD?
68 ITB November 2021
T
here are many excellent reasons to stay in the same
job for a number of years – becoming an expert on
the business and industry, developing a high level
of proficiency in everyday tasks and cultivating long-term
relationships with colleagues and clients.
There are also many good reasons to stay with the
same organisation – especially a large one – where it is
possible to hold a variety of roles and take on more
senior responsibilities over time.
The danger is when a person holds the exact same job
for an overly extended period. When the time eventually
comes to find a new job, this may raise a red flag among
prospective employers about a lack of ambition or
adaptability to change.
Getting too comfortable can also flatline career
progression, says David Simpson, managing director
at Melbourne HR.
“People think that their careers are really long, but
when you work it all out, after university…you probably
only have 13 or 14 years at boutique firms, or 16 to
20 years at the ‘Big Four’ to go from a junior position
to a senior role, reporting to the C-suite or equivalent.
That’s actually not a lot of time.”
COMFORT VS LETTING GO
If we become disenchanted with our current workplace,
it can be damaging to our reputation to remain there.
“When we’re unhappy, we don’t do our best work,
and sometimes we can even get into a negative mindset,”
says Rachel Service, CEO of workplace culture
consultancy Happiness Concierge. “Then, when it comes