Changing Jobs

 

Deciding to change one’s job is a difficult choice to make because it involves taking a risk and hoping for the best. As Christians, it is one of the biggest things we will have to trust God on.

 

When making this decision, it shouldn’t be taken lightly but prayerfully and in discussion of one’s significant others such as wife, girl or boyfriend, parents (if living at home) etc. Sometimes even with trusted friends too.

 

The reasons to change jobs are varied. The most common ones are:

• Economics- is the job paying one enough to pay their bills?
• Location- how far must one drive to get to it. Thanks to inflation, the costs of gasoline has gone up significantly. One of my coworkers is paying $400 a month in gas just to get to work. I know other friends who are paying much more. Due to the high costs of gas, that itself is a great reason to want to change jobs and find something closer to home.
• Insurance and benefits- does the job have that? If not, over time, it might be necessary to find a job that pays that.
• Time or work schedule- does one’s schedule enable one to do what they need to do such as bring children to school, pick them up? Is one in school or taking care of an elderly relative?
• Public transportation- where I live there are some shifts, I can never take because the buses and metros (subways) only run for certain hours. I once could not accept a job with a major airline before covid because the shift ended at 2am and the metro at 1am.
• Work atmosphere- is it a positive place to work or is it a toxic environment?
• Type of work-some jobs are very grueling on the body and after a few years, due to injuries or wear and tear on the body, it’s necessary to find another job
• Sector- covid has changed the economy- it closed many sectors and small businesses down and some are slow in recovering. I know several people who returned back to school to get re-educated in a new field because of it. It’s very common (at least in my area) to see 30, and a lot of 40+ aged individuals starting fresh in new fields. I had to do that before covid because there weren’t any jobs in one’s field.
• Opportunities for advancement- it gets to a point where one’s job becomes stagnant, and one stops growing in one’s job. As a result, if the company doesn’t provide opportunities for advancement, one might have to change companies. I know many people who have done that too.
• The reasons continue…

 

Before deciding to leave one’s job, it is important to stay where you are until the right doors open up. For example, about a year and a half ago, I started to work at a new job (not my current one). It wasn’t a good fit for many reasons (super toxic environment), I decided to stick it out until I found something better which is my current job.

 

 

The first thing I did before applying was to ensure that:

1. My CV (curriculum vitae) was up to date and properly edited. I know many career centers offer this service and will often even help one create it too. As a trained editor, I have helped a lot of friends who have had positive outcomes.
2. If you live in Quebec, Canada or another country, state or province where a secondary language is primarily used, also get the CV and cover letter translated into that other language. It will open up many doors because human resources can read the two in the language, they are most strong in.
3. Contact your local career center and request help for having interviews. That has helped me and helped to secure a job.
4. Started to quietly ask around. One never knows who knows of a place that is hiring.
5. If you have business cards, this is a good time to make sure they are updated.

 

Once the CV and cover letter are ready to go, start applying and see what happens. God opens the right doors when the time is right. Google jobs in your area as well as reputable job search websites. In Quebec, Canada, I have had lots of success with Indeed.ca as well as word of mouth. I found my present job through Indeed.ca and have loved working with my team. Linkedin is another place to check out. Since the job availabilities on different job search websites might differ from area to area, it is best to do one’s research and use the websites that has the most jobs in not only one’s sector as well as one’s area.

 

As you start applying, ask close friends and family to start praying for God’s direction. The right job will either come quickly or in a year’s time so please don’t quit your job until a new one comes up. Apply for jobs that speaks to you and that has the criteria one requires such as distance, pay, type etc. Never underestimate your worth. God knows what He is doing.

 

One of my past articles was on taking the high ground, when deciding to leave one’s place of employment, the same concept also applies. If one loves their job and wants to stay, it is perfectly alright to speak with HR (human resources) or the boss and ask if they can match the salary/ conditions the new company is offering. Sometimes they will say yes and then one will have to decide if they want to stay or take the new position. I know friends who did this with human resources, and they were able to stay because the job offer gave HR the nudge to keep them. Others it didn’t work, which is okay. It is important to take the high ground so that one can get a positive reference from them as well as a place to return to should the new job not work out. Even when the experiences at the place of employment are so awful that it will never go onto one’s CV, take the high ground because all sectors are small, and no one wants to tick off a boss or person in HR. A bad send off could prevent one from finding a job in the long term.

 

When leaving, be careful with what you write on social media because even if the boss makes the Wicket Witch of the East appear to be a saint, one wants to keep it positive. Thanks to social media, the world has become super small and one wants to keep their head high above water when changing jobs. This is super important because bosses have friends and sometimes their hear of their friends looking for someone to work for their company. If you decide to use social media to help find a job, make sure you are unemployed and left the former place of employment on good terms. The last thing you want to do is tip them off that you are leaving before you are ready to go. On occasion, they will recommend the person or will say had a bad experience and the other person will take the hint even if they have no idea what happened.

 

When deciding to take the job:

1. Pray about it
2. Look at the criteria, does it fit most of the check marks?
3. Ask yourself if there are criteria that you are willing to compromise? For example, access to transportation, money etc.
4. Seek counsel with trusted friends and family regarding it’s validity
5. As one decides to take the job, believe in yourself because God only opens doors that will enable one to grow.

 Once a decision is made:

6. If you want to stay, bring new offer to HR or the boss and ask if they can match it. If you don’t please don’t leave them in a lurch.
7. If you are wanting a reference or desire to put your current place on your CV- give two weeks notice. It will give them time to find or train a replacement
8. Try to get at least a three-day weekend before starting the new job in order to decompress and re-energize your batteries before starting a new job.
9. Enjoy those few days off before the new journey begins.

 

When you begin, find out what is expected of you and when does the probationary period ends. Since covid is still around, make sure you those their protocols because I had a friend who got into trouble with her boss because a client had covid and no one thought to inform her of their protocols. They weren’t even in the manual. Bring a note a notebook and folder to record the information needed for the job. Remember, the first weeks and months into the new job are the hardest. There is a lot of learning that needs to be done and it is important to get your rest. When there is something you don’t know or are uncertain, don’t be afraid to ask those important questions. If you are finding your training is inadequate, ask the necessary questions because it could hinder or prevent yourself from passing the probationary period.

 

If the new job isn’t working, start applying to other jobs and stay there until either you are laid off or until a new job is found. If you can, try to get laid off so that one qualifies for unemployment insurance. When leaving this new job, try to leave on good terms so that the job experience can be added to one’s cv and used to further one’s carrier. Another good reference is always a good thing to add to one’s repertoire. One never knows how small steps can help one gain the skills they need to fulfill their carrier goals.

 

Moreover, if you do get laid off, try to save some extra money out aside since it can take a few weeks for companies to send the papers and even longer for governments to start payments. Last thing one wants to do is to run into problems paying one’s bills between jobs.

 

Whatever happens, don’t give up.  Sometimes we are called to stay at certain places for a long time and others for a short time. Whatever time one remains at a locations such as a place of employment, always show God’s love, not by necessarily preaching the gospel but by showing God’s love by being friendly, caring, and no nonsense to the clients/ colleagues one is called to help and Remember St Francis of Assis is known for saying the following: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” And “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.”[1] Sometimes in the workforce that is all we can do.

 

 

 

[1] https://brickhouseinthecity.com/10-saint-francis-of-assisi-quotes-to-inspire-discipleship/