Don't tell employer you might be leaving
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Dear Joan:
I have been in a management position at my company for the past two years. I have determined that management is not a good career path for me and have begun looking for a staff accountant position elsewhere. In addition to not liking my management role, I also don’t enjoy working in the law firm environment that I am currently in. Although the economy is not offering many jobs in my salary range right now, I am willing to take a pay cut to find a position that I enjoy more.
I am confident that I will find something within the next 6 months. I am being asked to take on additional workload and training this year and don’t want to waste my employer’s time, money or resources on something that will not benefit either of us. I have already mentally disconnected from my job. My question is whether I should let my current employer know that I will be leaving my position sometime in the near future. Is it okay to withdraw from progressing in my current position since I have no intention of seeking other management-type jobs in the future or am I better off “playing along” until I actually have a new job to move on to?
Answer:
Stop! I need to talk you off this career ledge. Before you jump, consider the following possibilities:
It is rarely a good idea to tell your current employer that you are leaving before you get a firm offer. Why? More often than not, the current employer either:
a) Treats you like you are dead—they write you off and you are cut off and cut out of daily activities.
b) You are walked to the door—you are a lame duck and they don’t want a defector destroying the morale.
c) They are resentful (“How could he leave us, after all we’ve done for him?”) and then if you don’t find a job, you are in a living hell. So much for a good reference!
So, you say you don’t think the nice people where you work could ever treat you that way? It’s not worth the risk.
Your “confidence” about finding a job that is not only in a different field, but a step down from where you are now, could take longer than you think. This economy is not rebounding very quickly and employment is the last thing to pick up. You would be much wiser to do some discreet job hunting, while you are still gainfully employed. Not only that, but employers prefer to hire people who are already employed…people who have a good work record and a good reference.
Which brings me to the next mistake I don’t want you to make. Whatever you do, don’t disengage from your current job. I know it’s easier said than done, but stay engaged enough to perform well, so you will get a good reference. If you slack off, let projects slide, or seem disconnected, your employer won’t be willing to say you are a good performer after you are gone. So suck it up and do what you are being paid for.
The next hurdle is how to sell yourself to potential employers. There is always suspicion when someone says, “I’ll take less pay,” or “I’ll take less responsibility.” It can come across as “I’m desperate and I’ll take anything, but if I get a better offer I’m gone.” And you have to be careful when explaining why you want to leave your management responsibilities. You don’t want to sound like you are failing or ineffective.
When asked, “Why do you want this staff accounting position, when you had more responsibility before?” you want to be prepared. It might sound something like this: “It’s not where my heart is and I found that I was getting away from the technical aspects of the work—which I love and am good at—and was becoming more of a generalist supervisor. It was a great experience and I’ve gained a management perspective, which has helped me see issues in a broader way. My current employer has been happy with my performance and has given me more responsibility but before I go too much farther up the management ladder, I felt I had to make a choice. And I’ve chosen the technical path.”
So, I’d advise you to take a more measured approach to your career transition. Don’t look at it like you are “playing along”. Instead, look at it as fulfilling your obligations as long as you are accepting a paycheck from your employer.
Do you need answers to tough job hunting questions? Are you looking for some added punch to help you stand out from the crowd? Joan Lloyd’s has developed job hunting tools that can help you to maximize your job search:
Your career is your responsibility.
Create your own job security by acting more like an entrepreneur at work. Learn how to “sell” your skills to your organization, add more value on the job, develop your internal advocates and identify your personal motivators with Joan Lloyd’s You, Inc. – Success Strategies to Boost Your Career & Help Your Organization. Take charge of your career, today! Joan Lloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm, Joan Lloyd & Associates, specializes in leadership development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership & presentation skills training, team assessment and teambuilding and retreat facilitation. Joan also provides consulting skills training for HR professionals. Clients report results such as: behavior change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committed workforce.
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