Finding a new job is scary. And deciding to find a new job when you have secured employment is even scarier. If you are currently contemplating changing your current job and finding a new one, here are some assessment questions to see if making this change is the right decision for you.

1. Are you making enough money at your current job to support yourself (and your family)? If you struggle every month to pay the most important bills then changing jobs is something you should greatly consider.
2. Are you making enough money to live with some luxury? If you live comfortably and even have some basic luxuries then changing jobs may not be important at this time.
3. Is the room for advancement in the business you work for? If there is no chance that you will be promoted or get higher pay the longer and more dedicated you work then this job may not be the best place for you and you should change jobs.
4. Can you make a career from your current job? If you can have a lifelong career at the place you work then staying there is a good option.
5. (This is the most important of all the questions) Are you happy at your workplace? Yes, work is hard and often not fun, but having a job that makes happy and content overall is a much better choice then a job that makes you miserable every single day.

You need to ask these questions to yourself and talk about them with your spouse or significant other. This decision will affect them as well and you need to ensure that they are a part of the decision making. Once you have made the decision to stay in your current job or change jobs be confident in the decision and feel good about the decision you have made. If you feel good about it, then you will never have regrets about it.

 

 

Are you daydreaming of pina coladas on a sandy white beach, but know you will never get there? Are you watching your friends take vacation and wonder when you get to? Do you have weeks of vacation days saved up but haven’t taken any?  Whether you are a self-proclaimed work-aholic or feel guilty about taking time off, DON’T!

Many employers think the fear of taking a vacation is unfounded. “People need vacations” says Mark Needham of Jones, Jones & Associates, a PR firm in the Midwest. “There are certain people who just won’t take vacations and I tell them they need to for their own sanity. The only time you shouldn’t is the first 100 days of a new job. They are crucial in terms of establishing yourself within the company and getting in sync with your coworkers” he says. “You can’t gain momentum if you are not there”.

The should-I or shouldn’t-I answers lie in your own heart. If you know you consistently pull your weight and handle a great deal of responsibility, then go. “However, if you are in the bottom 20% of performers, you are at risk any time you take a vacation” says Mr. Needham. Still, he says, few people get fired for taking a few days of which they are entitled to by company policy. “If you’re going to get fired, you’re going to get fired, so you might as well take your days off and enjoy yourself“.

Hmmm. OK then, I am booking my flight to sunny paradise right now…