Monday, February 28, 2011

reason for leaving?

This is a question I always ask, on a daily basis, to the people I help find a better opportunity.

May I know your reason for leaving your current employment?

Some are honest and open, and they share, indepth, on how unhappy they are with their current situation. Others are just seeking better opportunities, or are bored with their job scope. There are SO many reasons people want to change their jobs, money being one of them. I have to say that in our island, it's still pretty okay to do a mid-career switch to do something you are passionate about. We judge ourselves and our comrades far too harshly if they were to move into a different industry. Yet, it's been said that most of us take about 10 years since we graduate from college, to find our true vocation. So, just go for it, I say. The salary difference is not that huge to make money the main concern...

But more than that, often the 'reason for leaving' is human relationships.

I'm sure almost all of us have been in situations that really makes us drag our feet to work. These are the strongest push factors I've seen.

And always surprisingly to me, it's not the dude who's the smartest, best, and brightest that often lands the role. It's the one who most desires a move.

Hence, I would sum it up this way:

DESIRE (several push factors making them very unhappy in current role) = being more OPEN = PERFORMING better at interviews = getting the OPPORTUNITY (aceing the interview) = ATTITUDE to succeed, because, they treasure the opportunity, more so than the others who are 'just looking for a change'.

I've seen this happen again and again and again, and I cease to be amazed why the person that I think can ace the role, my 'favorite' candidate so to speak, always never gets in. It's the one who wants the job the most and would fight tooth and nail to get it who succeeds.

In life, if we don't have strong reasons for doing something, we almost always never have the right attitude to do it right. It's often a half-hearted attempt that often fails to reach up to expectations. Then we wonder why we are disheartened and disconsolate. Perhaps we never really really REALLY wanted it in the first place. Some people talk about wanting to do things for so long. But I've hardly seen any action and sometimes, the opportunity that had existed would be gone when you least expect it.

Anyway, this is just something for all of us to think about. Despite what others may think or say about my reasons, I have always tried to keep a pure heart, and I believe obedience brings blessings.

Me in Aceh, tsunami rebuilding efforts. I hope I can make a trip like this, this year.