Question:
How do I know when it’s time to move on to a new position?
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Answer:
If you’re working in a position that you are really excited about, you’re learning a lot, and there’s more you can contribute, you should continue. I use this measurement: I’m really tired when I come home at 6 o’clock at night, but it’s a good tired, because I felt like I made a difference today.
The first key indicator that it’s time to make a change is that you’re not excited about going to work anymore. And yes, there are always boring things in every job, but when you are starting to lose that passion, that is a huge signal that it is time to move on.
Another thing is if you’re not learning. Learning happens on two levels: the horizontal level, from colleagues who hold a similar rank, and the vertical level, taking your skills to the next level. Managers are supposed to help you develop those next steps within your organization.
If you aren’t having fun going to work, then do something about it. Ask, “What’s the next opportunity?” It takes a lot of courage to make a change. I’ve been through five mergers in my career, which were not part of my plan at all. It took a lot of courage, to the point where I looked myself in the mirror and said, “You need to be a change agent.”
If you get into that mindset, it’s not quite as scary because you are the driver of your career. It’s just like running foodservice. You never know when you are running out of water, or you have no electricity or there’s a snowstorm. There always has to be a backup plan.
—Lynne Eddy
Associate Professor, Business Management
The Culinary Institute of America