4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Leave a Good Job- The Muse

4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Leave a Good Job- The Muse4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Leave a Good Job- The MuseEven if you like your job, its pretty normal to question if youd be better off somewhere else.Keeping an eye and ear open for new opportunities isnt a sign of disloyalty. In fact, you might find that looking around only confirms that youre in exactly the right role. Heres a secret The people who make the best career moves arent jumping ship simply for a bigger paycheck or to avoid one annoying co-worker. Theyre forward-thinking, goal-oriented, and thinking holistically about how this change will impact their career. So, if youre unsure if youre leaving your current standort for the right reasons, ask yourself these four questions 1. Will You Be Better Able to Achieve Your Goals?Maybe youve always wanted to pursue a particular avenue in your career. Or maybe, youve recently found a passion you want to dig into at your day job. If your goal is to eat, sleep, and breathe content, and there are all of zero writing opportunities in your current role, it makes sense that youd want to go somewhere where thatll be a bigger part of your job.But, if thats what you want in a new job, it has to be your priority. Youll want this new role to solve the professional frustration youre experiencing (and not just be the same problem in different wrapping) or help you meet that new goal. One great way to assess how your new role fits into the larger career picture is to find out what happened to the last partie who held the job. This information can tell you a lot If the company isnt forthcoming with it, thats a red flag. However, if the person got promoted within the organization or moved on to do the kind of work youre dreaming of down the road, its a good sign that this is a positive stepping stone. 2. Does the New Job Give You the Chance to Expand Your Skill Set the Way You Want?If this new role empowers you to learn things youd otherwise be spendin g your free time reading about, thats a great sign. The old adage, Do what you love and youll never work a day in your life may be clich, but that doesnt make it irrelevant. Late nights will be a lot more palatable if youre learning things that you feel are valuable- and interesting. So, ask yourself Would you seek out the information youre learning in this new job even if you werent being paid for it? And if it isnt something youd otherwise be studying on a Sunday? Then ask yourself if itll help you reach your overall career goals. (Because of all the reasons Ive already mentioned.) 3. Will You Have a Greater Sphere of Influence?Most people are motivated by the opportunity to inspire meaningful, positive change through their work. There are few things as defeating for career-minded, goal-focused people than feeling ineffective. In a study where participants were asked to build consecutive sets of Legos for less and less money, one groups previous creations were saved until the end of the experiment, and the other groups were broken apart as soon as they were completed. Even though each group welches being compensated the same way, the group that had its work preserved built more models. The lesson is We like knowing our work means something- even in the short term. So, seriously consider a new job that will allow you to have a greater impact.4. Are You Excited About the People Youll Be Working With?Culture is a bit of a buzzword these days. It may be trendy, but that doesnt mean it isnt important. To succeed in a role in which youll work closely with multiple team members, you absolutely must get along with the people. That doesnt mean you always agree- there are even times when you shouldnt. Rather, your team members should be people youd seek out and connect with regardless of you taking the job. They should both challenge and inspire you to think differently and expand your methods.So, ask to meet more people than just the hiring manager. Remember, its a r ecruiters job to lure you in with the best aspects of the job. Those traits may be legitimate, but you need the whole picture to make a solid decision. Pay close attention to the atmosphere, character, and situations you encounter.Just because you like your job doesnt mean you cant abflug thinking about the next step. And that goes both ways, just because youre ready for the next step doesnt mean you should jump right into it. Any new opportunity worth considering should offer an improvement in all areas creative freedom, personal growth, career trajectory, and your personal network. Make sure your next move is a thoughtful one by asking the right questions and doing some honest self-examination.Photo of woman walking courtesy of Shutterstock.