How do you know when it's time to go?

[BA.]

I've only had 2 jobs my entire life!!

1. USMC 4act / 4 inact
2. <insert major corp name here> 19yrs


The question for you guys who have taken stock and moved on is:
How do you know when it's time to go?


I mean, there's BS most everywhere,.....good times and bad that you have to work through, etc.

Personally, I hate change but I'm thinking it's time. The stress level is huge, promotions are frozen for a long time, layoffs have and will continue to happen as we outsource.
The people are good, the money is good, the hours are flexible but there are pro's and con's there. (late nights or wkends)

The latest snag here is and has been for the past 2-4 years.... "what do you mean you're overworked? show me the data."

[rob07002]

The latest snag here is and has been for the past 2-4 years.... "what do you mean you're overworked? show me the data."

I think this maybe your first sign.

Truthfully, all corporations suck, but I've moved on when I can't get up in the morning and just the thought of another day there makes me ill.

If you're thinking its time, it probably is.

Good Luck!

[Rubes]

I guess if your to the point of asking the question...you're pretty close to being there.

I'm feeling the same right about now. 17 years where I'm at. They tell ya if ya wanna promotion just step up and show us what you can do. Unfortunatley after "showing" them for two or three years they forget that you stepped up and it is now "normal". when you ask what is being done they again say if you wanna promotion, step up. So your constatly stepping up and they continue to forget you did so. Honeywell is bunch of greedy bullies.

Your right that the BS is everywhere. you may be shielded from it at a new place for a little while, but it will be the same eventually. I think it may be smarter to find a way to be "content" where you are. But then again it seems now a days if you are happy in your job and dont want to "move ahead" you're looked down on as a lazyass. What's so wrong with finding a job your good at and like?

[BA.]

You guys are right that I'm probably already there. I just thought this day would never come. It's been a really long good run. Rubes, 17yrs for yourself impressive too!


I've always felt that I'd be here forever. That's a hard feeling to get beyond.
Is it naive to think that you'd be with one company forever these days? (over $1.3B revenue)

[QuasarZ]

I was in the same boat last year but, the company was letting the axe fly all around me. I left and it was the best thing that I have ever done.

It's kind of funny though I have to do business with the old company.

Who's doing the body work on your car? I might have mine ready in a few years.

[justanova]

I was in the same boat about 9 months ago, I had been working at the same dealership(i am an auto tech) for just under 5 yrs. when It came down to the only reason that I wanted to stay was the vacation time I had accrued i figured it was time, so I got a job at the other dealer in town and it was the best career decision of my life so far.

[BA.]

Mikes Body Shop is working the Camaro for me.

[Tiger]

I did the change about a year ago after ten years for a company, couldnt have been happier!

[muthstryker]

My dad was at his job now for 12 yrs, he quit to go work for another company that didnt work out so well, now hes back with the company he was with for 12 yrs, and im on my second week there!

[g-force]

I worked 13 years at a major automotive company and that security blanket was real hard to put down.
I was stuck on afternoons due to the fact my job was skilled and I was the last one hired in that department. No chance of getting on Days for at least 10 more years. I wanted to see some of my kids growing up and deicded it wasn't worth it. I quit and have gained 10 times the amount of experience i would have had if I remaned there. TThe guys I worked with are now all laid off and wondering what happened.....Oops outsourcing to china!
I knew it was time to go when I began my day arguing with my boss and wondering if I would be there in the next few days if I didn't go out on my own terms.
You have to realize the security blanket is only as good as the decison makers above you. They hold your destiny in their hands.
Call a few headhunters and see if you can find something better. You can decide once they get back with you with 20 job offers from other companies.

[Martin71RS]

I was in the same boat as you are now. 8 months ago I left my staff job I was in for 15 years. I am still doing the same work now as a contractor and raised my wages by about 80%, only thing is I have to take care of my own pension now.

It will probably take some time before you make the decision. I quit when they told me how "much" my raise was going to be, that did it for me, but I already knew the moment was coming nearer.

No regrets here.... I am much more appreciated now and work closer to home (10 minutes drive )
And since I am not staff anymore it is easier to let go of work related problems....I only found out how stressed I was when I had left.

Oh, and +1 on the outsourcing drama.....not much goods comes from that now...it will in a few years time when they find out about their mistake...and need to re-hire local people.

Martin

[Tony_SS]

BA, if you have to ask, you already know the answer.

I was with the same company for 7 years, and they treated me good for awhile. Toward the end, they became like every other greedy business. Bigger building and the employees paid the price. First our 401k's got cut. Then they made us pay for half our health ins. Next we lost our annual raises. Pretty soon we had to take out our own trash. (The cleaning guy got fired.) Attitudes changed and so did mine. Plus all this time I was consistent, making the clients happy and making the company money. You give 100% and when you don't get it back, its time to go.

I quit the job and started my own business. I took a huge pay cut doing this. My income has been cut in half, but no regrets and sorry's needed. I'm my own boss and get to spend a lot more time with my wife and seeing my son grow up.

Bottom line - life's too short to be chained to a desk, working where you are not appreciated by a company that see's you only as a dollar sign.

BA, something else better could be out there - Never settle for less than happiness.

[wiedemab]

Wow - I always hate to hear when a situation like this goes down hill. Best of luck with the decision. I never dreamed I'd be on my 3rd job since college already, but it just worked out that way.

If it comes down to it, let me know what you are looking for. I'm going to Xavier in Cincy for my MBA right now and they have a ton of Corporate Connections events and send us info all the time. I'd be happy to pass any/all info that may be of any help.

Good Luck - Don't stress out too much over the decision.

Take care,

Brandon

[Fawkes]

As a contract (temp) design engineer, I know it's time to go when I see that the work is drying up. I tend to stay 1-2 years at a company.

[BA.]

this struck me as funny,...particularly because I may be riding the proverbial dead horse here.



> The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to
> the next, says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best
> strategy is to dismount.
>
> However, in modern business, because of the heavy investment factors to be
> taken into consideration, often other strategies have to be tried with dead
> horses, including the following:
>
> 1. Buying a stronger whip.
>
> 2. Changing riders.
>
> 3. Threatening the horse with termination.
>
> 4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
>
> 5. Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
>
> 6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
>
> 7. Appointing an intervention team to reanimate the dead horse.
>
> 8. Creating a training session to increase the riders load share.
>
> 9. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.
>
> 10. Change the form so that it reads: "This horse is not dead."
>
> 11. Hire outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
>
> 12. Harness several dead horses together for increased speed.
>
> 13. Donate the dead horse to a recognized charity, thereby deducting its
> full original cost.
>
> 14. Providing additional funding to increase the horse's performance.
>
> 15. Do a time management study to see if the lighter riders would improve
> productivity.
>
> 16. Purchase an after-market product to make dead horses run faster.
>
> 17. Declare that a dead horse has lower overhead and therefore performs
> better.
>
> 18. Form a quality focus group to find profitable uses for dead horses.
>
> 19. Rewrite the expected performance requirements for horses.
>
> 20. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

[Rubes]

...looks like the answer is to BE the dead horse. That's an approach I haven't tried.

[absintheisfun]

...looks like the answer is to BE the dead horse. That's an approach I haven't tried.

I have seen this, and the sad truth is that that seems to be a pretty damn good approach for some people...

[Scott Parkhurst]

I've always started looking for something else as soon as I started to feel the way you do. At least check out Monster and HotJobs or whatever and see what's out there.

The best-case scenario is to be hired away by a better offer, but if you're not out there sharing your resume and talking to people about who you are and what you can do, odds are slim you'll get any offers! LOL!

If you don't get any offers that are tempting, you can hang out where you're at. As long as you're not being pressured to leave, there's nothing to worry about. Start sniffing out other potential positions, and see what happens. Talk to the wife and family about the offers you get. Discuss relocation and things like that to get a solid idea how it'll affect the ones you love the most.

There's nothing wrong with looking, and things always seem easier to find that way.

Hopefully, you don't get to the point where you 'have' to leave!

Best of luck no matter what you end up doing!

~SP~

[Project69]

My dads been with local PD for 12 years and im starting my 1st. He wouldnt have it any other way.

[zero g]

My dads been with local PD for 12 years and im starting my 1st. He wouldnt have it any other way.

22 years here and I think about quitting every day. The state will do that to you. Bad thing is I don't know how anything else.