Today we focus on the prickly question of how you should change jobs — what to say to your current employer and when you should say it.
This is a question that comes up frequently when I am advising clients on career management matters and in the courses I teach on interviewing. The most common reason I am asked this question centers on how the current employer will respond, and for good reason. There are far too many bosses who can be extremely vindictive to employees who become job seekers. They view it as a loyalty issue — by accepting another position, even for a nice promotion with much better salary and benefits, you have betrayed them. These “Its all about me” bosses can react inappropriately, sometimes even illegally, so looking for another job can be a dicey proposition.
Given that a growing number of management and young executives — Millennials — are changing jobs three times faster than other age cohorts in the workforce, this topic is very relevant.