Friday, August 31, 2007

Should you change job?

There are a number of great blog posts on starting in the web analytics field, the job market is growing and we've seen a number of high profile people doing career shifts to go freelance or start their own businesses.

You can do a deep introspection, see a career advisor, be tempted by the greener grass at the company on the other side of the street... Or ask yourself those three simple questions:
  1. Am I increasing my value in the market?
  2. Am I bringing the right value to my employer?
  3. Am I being rightly compensated for my value?

Trough my 20 years of experience in the field, I have come to the conclusion I only needed to answer those 3 questions to decide if it was time to move on. I usually do it twice a year, a quick check of my professional situation and of my personal values. If I can't say "yes" to any of those and come up with a satisfying answer, it means there is something I should do.

Everyone can interpret the words "value" and "compensation" their own way. It really depends on your own personal values. That's why I'm avoiding to give any more details. Just think about it for a couple of minutes and you will get your own answers.

Of course, one need to balance those professional aspects with the other aspects of life: family, social, personal, leisure, health, finance, etc. But from a professional perspective, it's very straightforward.