1. Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Evaluating the pros and cons of moving on
from your current job

2. Spring 2015 – The current career landscape
• It’s spring – a time of rebirth
• The good news: hiring is picking up in a number of industries
• Many people who have felt trapped at their jobs are ready to spread their wings
• The risks: Significant M&A activity, which will mean fewer senior-level jobs
• The risks: Many of the organizations that are hiring are not yet making money
2

3. 3
How do you make sure your next career move is
the optimal one both short- and long-term?

4. 4
Analyzing your current situation

5. • Am I in the right job?
• Am I in the right industry?
• Do I have compatibility with my boss?
• Do I have compatibility with the corporate culture?
The Four Questions
5

6. Other questions to ask yourself
• Does your current company have legs?
• Does your current boss have legs?
• Have you been passed over repeatedly for promotions?
• Have you ceased to grow professionally at your job?
• Have you gone as far as you can with your company?
6

7. Is your current job salvageable?
• Have you confronted problems at your job directly?
• What are the pros of keeping your job?
• What are the risks of leaving your job?
• If you’re an entrepreneur, is it time to close shop?
7

8. Case Study: Ted
• Ted left a major bank to start a boutique brokerage firm
• Owns 5% of the company
• The firm is struggling and Ted recently took a 50% pay cut
• Is it time for Ted to return to corporate financial services?
8

9. Building a strategy to optimize your
transition
9

10. Your job transition strategy should…
• Be a 3–5 year plan. Where will your next job get you?
• Examine your wants/needs now and in the near future
• Evaluate what trade-offs you’re willing to make
10

11. Being realistic about the job search
• 1 month for every $15k in salary
• $75k  5 months
• $150k  10 months
11

12. A wants/needs list to help guide your search
• How much money do I need/want?
• What I am interested in doing?
• What “atmospherics” are important to me?
• What are my values?
• Are my values changing?
12

13. A wants/needs list (continued)
• How much free time do I need/want?
• What in my current job do I want to eliminate from my next job?
• Do I need/want to continue to live in the New York metro area?
• What is my attitude toward risk?
13

14. Trade-offs
• What am I willing to give up to get what I want?
14

15. Case Study: Jean
• Senior economist, PhD, 10 years with current consulting firm
• Pros of current job:
• Firm allows him to take time off to deal with his aging father in France
• Infrequent travel
• Cons of current job:
• Trouble getting promoted
• Finds the firm’s area of focus, litigation support, too narrow
• Received an offer from a consulting firm with room for growth
• New firm is unwilling to hire him as a Managing Director
• New job will require significant job-related travel
15

16. 16
When is it ok to quit your job before you have an
offer?

17. Case Study: Gretchen
• 62, Executive Director of a major arts-related nonprofit
• Board Chair is one of NYC’s top supporters of the arts
• Board Chair is bringing someone in above Gretchen
• The Board says Gretchen can keep her job but there need to
be younger people in the wings
• Gretchen has a toxic relationship with her boss, the CEO
• Gretchen is working 65–70 hours/week
17

18. Evaluating a job offer
18

19. Due diligence questions – job related
• Are you moving to a good job, or just escaping a bad one?
• Do you understand what the job will look like on the ground?
• Do you have the skills to do the job?
• What will your total compensation be – salary + benefits?
19

20. Due diligence questions – job related (continued)
• What will the commute be like?
• Will there be room to grow and advance?
• Where will this job get you in 3–5 years?
20

21. Due diligence questions – company related
• Have you researched corporate culture, leadership, etc.?
• Does the company have legs?
• Does your boss have legs?
• Does the company’s industry have legs?
21

22. Case Study: Tracy
• Chief Development Officer at a health-related NGO
• NGO has developed serious reputational problems
• NGO now being run by a turnaround firm. Partner in charge knows
nothing about fundraising
• Tracy offered CDO position at a prominent scientific research
organization where she worked in the past
• She would be reporting to the CEO, who is infamous for having
temper tantrums
• The new job would offer a 40–50% pay increase
22

23. 23
Leaving your current job on a positive
note

24. • DO tell your direct supervisor first
• DO be prepared for a counteroffer
• DO give sufficient notice
• DO abide by professional codes of conduct
• DO continue to meet your performance expectations
• DO do everything you can to prepare your successor
Dos and don’ts for quitting your current job
24

25. • DON’T burn bridges – no “take this job and shove it!”
• DON’T trash talk your employer or your boss
• DON’T feel compelled to rant in your exit interview
Dos and don’ts for quitting your current job
(continued)
25

26. Q & A
26