THE BILINGUAL JOB FAIR BLOG

Should You Stay Or Should You Go?

September 1, 2009

Most of us, at some point in our careers have asked ourselves: “Should I look for another job? Have I grown enough in my present job? Do I like my job and company enough to stay here?” Change is easier for some people than for others. And your answer to this question usually depends on whether you like to make changes – or not.

Today, I will narrate the story of two of my friends; one does not like change and the other loves the challenge that change brings. The first friend would prefer to stay in the same job rather than to navigate into unknown waters. The second friend can not wait to see what he can do with his career next, and doesn’t stay in a job for more than three or four years.

For this post, I’ll call my friends ‘Mary’ and ‘Daniel’ (but those are not their actual names). Mary is the friend who does not like change. Daniel is the one who thrives on it.

Mary went to college and completed her education in computer science. She found a job that was perfect for her. Throughout the years, Mary took on extra responsibilities at her company, excelled at everything she did, and became totally comfortable. Take a close look at the last word; ‘comfortable’. This word does not get along too well with the word ‘change’. So far, after college graduation, Mary has stayed for more than two decades at her first and only job.

On the other hand, Daniel also went to college. He got a law degree. As you know, many attorneys start practicing in a law firm until they acquire enough experience and develop a client list, and then become a partner in the law firm. However, early on in his career, Daniel decided that he wanted more than to work at a law firm, and eventually become a partner. So, for the last two decades, Daniel has enjoyed the challenge of finding new jobs, moving to new places, meeting new people, learning new things, and loved proving himself again and again. He decided early on that change was good for him, and that it kept him motivated to excel in his professional life.

The other day, I happened to be talking to Mary and she said that she should have gone for more challenges in her professional life when she was younger. I was surprised to hear this because I always thought that Mary liked her job. She pointed out that she does still like her job, but that the company she has worked for all of these years has changed, and that now her qualifications and experience are too limited to make a change to another company, especially to another field. Plus, she indicated that because she grew to be too comfortable with her tasks and responsibilities at her company, she is now afraid to make a change after so many years at her present and only job.

I found myself thinking about the ‘comfortable’ Mary and the ‘entrepreneur’ Daniel, and wondered which one has better career possibilities from this point on.

To this date, Daniel has lived in five or six different places, has worked at numerous law firms, and is now a Judge.

I should point out that I consider both of my friends to be successful people, and that both have achieved many goals in their respective lives, including having a good marriage, having a family, and being happy. Other than their fields of work, the main difference between Mary and Daniel is that one does not like change and the other does. Daniel does not have any regrets, while Mary may.

Recently, Daniel and I were talking about the fact that some people take more risks than others. But that whichever route we take with our lives, we need to make certain that we balance our professional life with our personal life. Daniel and I agree with the fact that a successful person achieves balance – with their business life, their personal life, and makes time for family and friends. After all, like we all have heard, ‘we only live once’… and ‘this is not a dress rehearsal’.

So, ultimately, the answer to the question “Should you stay or should you go?” is a difficult one to answer… and the best advice I can give you is to picture yourself and your life twenty-five years from now. Ask yourself these tough questions: Would you like to be Mary, or would you like to be Daniel? Which lifestyle would make you happier? Do you like change or not?

Filed under: Advancing your Career

Tags: career tips