When considering a career change, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration.

You need to understand the emotions that go with the idea of moving to a new company. You should know that “fearing the change” is normal and expected from every individual. The way this fear manifests in your daily life is what you need to identify. It can come in all forms, such as feelings of self doubt and inadequacy. Understand that it might be this inherent fear that is causing you to believe this.

By the time you feel that it is time for a change, you might have already experienced a lack of interest in your current position. You might not be performing at your best and this could leave you feeling that if you are of no use to your current employer, why would anyone else want to hire you?

Once that fear of change has been explored and understood your next step should be establishing why it is that you are leaving your position. Is your position unattractive i.e. is your boss a tyrant, do you work ridiculous hours or are there no more growth opportunities available to you in the company.  You need to clarify the term growth to yourself…what is growth i.e. what would I like to grow to, or do in the company that I am not getting exposure to?..OR it could be that you want to leave for a position that is more desirable? Great benefits, appealing working environment, larger companies offering more growth, or even promotion plans to employees?

Leaving because you are desperate:
This puts you in a situation of rash decision making. Often candidates in this segment take the first offer that lands on their table. This might not be the best option for them, because they base it on what they currently have and don’t want. NOT on what they want and need to further their careers.

Leaving out of motivation:
Candidates that fall in this segment will often say “I’m not too unhappy where I am now, but I want to further my career in to a more challenging environment.” They often thought through what they need from an employer to reach their goals and are driven to find the right position. They will typically take a while longer to make their choice, but they will make it in the end and more often than not it’s going to be the right choice.

Another factor you need to establish in your timeline is when this move is supposed to happen. Take into consideration that you need to give your notice (30 days or a calendar month). So if you want to be in a new position within 2 months, your whole process should start immediately.

A timeline is also important to prevent procrastinating taking the step to finding a new position. “There is always tomorrow or next week”
– this should not apply when it comes to your career. Before you know it, a year has gone by and you have not grown in your current position and your stagnant experience is becoming less and less desirable for new employers.

Before you even start your interview process, you need to decide what your attitude on a counter offer is.