Moving On
Professional factors are a major concern to the IT professional. IT staff need to be technically challenged on an almost continual basis. If they are not, they run the risk of losing the skills they need to be competitive in the future, almost certainly damaging potential career prospects. As discussed earlier in this book, with the exclusion of money, continuous education and experience are almost certainly the most prevalent factors governing people's career wanderlust. Keep in mind that the erosion of an individual's skills may not be readily apparent when the person stays in the same working environment, but will be harshly exposed if the individual elects to look for other work. Consider these factors carefully before making a decision to "move on."
Other significant professional factors to consider include such things as a company's attitude towards employee training, on-the-job diversity, and exposure to other professionals and accessibility to current technology. IT professionals need to be aware of what a company has to offer their career and the direction towards which a company intends to grow.
Much of the skills and knowledge of IT professionals is gained through practical experience. A quick look through any online employment agency reveals that hands-on experience using the latest technologies is a hot commodity in the IT field. Effectively, the more jobs, responsibilities, and products an IT professional is exposed to, the more marketable the person becomes. Within IT, experience is money. Knowing this, job diversity becomes very important.
Finally, external factors are those circumstances not directly related to the job but which can have an impact on the direction of a career. These factors can include such things as needing or wanting to relocate to another area based on various personal and family-related reasons.
Of course it is reasonable to say that these factors can influence people in any industry, but few other industries experience the staff turnover that IT does. The skills shortage can play a major factor in this respect. Whereas in other industries an individual might work through a difficulty with a co-worker, or attempt a salary renegotiation with a manager, a worker in IT might just as easily decide to leave, working on the assumption that the skills shortage will make it easy to find another job. Another way that the skills shortage can have an influence in this respect is that alternative employment opportunities appear at seemingly every turn. Every IT and many non-IT related Web sites have a link to employment opportunities, and online job sites offer electronic resume services and a list of tempting employment opportunities. For those who are dissatisfied in their current job, this is a bit like looking through the menu of an exclusive restaurant knowing that they can order without leaving their desk. In other words, people may be willing to change jobs because it is just too easy. The question that career movers need to ask is whether this degree of ease leads people to change jobs on a whim-something that does not necessarily help themselves, their employers, or the IT industry as a whole.
The first thing to do when you get the feeling of itchy feet, therefore, is to ask yourself what is wrong with your current situation. Depending on the situation, changing jobs may seem like the cure all for whatever issues are at hand, but beware! Before you jump to any conclusions or make any decisions, you need to ask yourself,Why do I want to leave? You need to carefully examine not only what your particular issues are, but whether moving from one job to another will actually resolve them. The next section will assist you with this decision by discussing some common issues that you might face in evaluating whether to change jobs.