Campaigns teach you many skills: time management, how to make a pitch, how to set and meet goals, but one thing they definitely don't teach you is how to leave a job of your own accord. That's because win or lose the job is over on Election Day. This means many of us find ourselves later in our careers in jobs that make us miserable or no longer serve us without a roadmap to get out.
Here are some tips on what to do when you think you may need to move on from a gig that doesn't have a pre-set end date.
1. Get clear on why you're leaving. You can't look for a new job until you know why you want one. Maybe you love your current employer but there's no room for growth there. Maybe your organization is under new leadership and you're no longer happy in the culture. By identifying why you want to leave you'll know what to look for, and what to avoid, in your next role.
2. Give your job a chance to make it right (maybe). This one is optional and depends on your particular circumstances. If you know you gotta go and there's nothing your org can do to change that, then there's no reason to bang your head against the wall. But, if for example, you're thinking of leaving because you feel like you should be making more money, it's worth having a conversation with your boss about whether there's room in the budget and what you would need to do to up your compensation. Unlike campaigns, longer term organizations often have built in room in their budgets for raises and also have the runway to build a plan with you to develop toward a promotion and if not they won't be scratching their heads when you ultimately decide to go.
3. Start looking earlier than you think you need to. My experience on most campaigns is that by the time they are ready to interview you, they needed someone yesterday. By contrast, interview processes in the non-profit sector/real world can take weeks and sometimes months. We are in a very competitive job market so even things that seem like they would be a fantastic fit based on job description won't necessarily call you back. Even while you are happily employed its a good idea to keep a casual eye on job postings and occasionally apply to things that feel like they would move your career forward. Applying, and even interviewing, doesn't mean you have to take the job if offered. Once you are positive you need to leave, you'll want to start applying almost like searching itself is a second job.
4. Continue to be a good employee. This is a huge one. I've known people who have become petulant and withdrawn at work once they are passed over for a promotion or leadership makes a decision with which they disagree. This is a losing strategy. First of all, our world is very small. Even if you don't list your current employer as a reference, it is very possible that potential future employers will do a soft reference check by asking one of your coworkers with whom they have a relationship what they think of you. Second, eventually almost everyone at your org will move on to other things and you don't want a lasting reputation as someone who is gruff or hard to work with. You want to leave your job on as good of terms as possible, so when you do leave make sure any projects you were working on have been handed off, files you owned have been shared, and you give appropriate notice.
5. Network (on the DL). It is totally fine and expected and necessary to ask friends and mentors to start keeping an eye out for you once you've decide you need to move on. In fact, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't do this. However, make sure you choose your alliances carefully. Unless you are entirely confident that you have that kind of relationship, do not ask your coworkers or worse yet clients, vendors or partners with whom you currently work to help you leave the place you're working. Again, we live in a small world. Make sure when you do ask for help that you let people know you are not being public with your search out of respect for your current employer and don't post about your search on social media.
That's it for now! Let me know- have you left a job recently? If so what did you wish you had known?
