Lots of young engineers seek new opportunities of employment. In most cases the overpowering consideration is to get a hike in the salary and / or an enhanced position in the new organization. Is this all to seeking a new job? I would consider it a folly to have such a approach while seeking new employment. A lot more needs to be found out about your prospective new employer before you take the plunge. Remember you are looking at a long term career prospective and any unwise decision is going to cost you dear in the long run. I am providing some point wise guidance on what aspects need to be checked out before any young engineer decides to switch jobs.
1. Set your priorities whether you are looking for a permanent type employment or a short-term contract. Short-term contracts generally pay more but in a short-term contract the employer has no obligation towards the employee and you can be fired at less than a day's notice. If quick money is the sole criteria and you have a tendency not to hang around one place for long then opt for the short-term contract option.
2. Check out your probable employer's credentials. What kind of a market reputation he has? Are they doing substantial and meaningful work in your area of expertise or strength? Check out what projects they are engaged in and how long these projects will run. If you join an organization and find out they have no meaningful work you will soon find yourselves twiddling your thumbs and also get this unpleasant feeling of being a liability to the organization since you are not contributing anything for the growth and profit of the organization. You just simply end up as an overhead expense to the organization. I can assure there is no worse feeling then sitting idle and still collecting your paycheck.
3. I would recommend joining a reputed organization at a lower paycheck then joining an unknown or little known organization at a higher paycheck. This might sound boring and a very conservative approach but I believe most people are looking for stability in their jobs rather than adventure.
4. Don't deviate too much from your area of expertise. Stick to your areas of strength and look for employers who can provide you substantial growth in your area of expertise. Otherwise you will end up as a jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none. This is a sheer waste of one's talent and expertise. I am not advocating anything against learning new skills but everybody needs to focus on his or her area of strength.
5. Check out the place (town / city / state / country) where you have been offered a job. Is the place amenable for living to you? As an example, if you cannot handle cold weather, Calgary in Alberta would simply be the wrong place to work for you. Your physical and mental well being counts above any lucrative job opportunity.
6. Generally as a rule do not take up any employment opportunity at a lower paycheck then your current paycheck. If your prospective employer has the temerity to offer you a lower salary then your current one, it is clear that he is trying to exploit you. Do not let anybody exploit you or take undue advantage of you. An employer-employee relationship is of a meaningful partnership and not that of a master and a slave.
7. If you are having a family and are desirous to take up any job wherein your family stays with you take their opinion about the new job offer. Tell them all the pros and cons of a family life at the new place of employment. These are your loved ones, and any discontent on their part is going to affect your own well being. If your personal life is in disarray it certainly will affect your professional life. Do not ignore this aspect of choosing a new employment.
8. Do your homework on the prospects of business in an overall perspective in your area of expertise. If global trends indicate that business in your area of expertise is going to face a turndown in the time to come, look for employment opportunities where other skill sets that you have acquired can be utilized. After all nobody wants to end up on the losing side.
9. Last but not the least, make a sound introspection on where you want to end up as an employee 15-20 years down the line. Introspecting today on what are your targets and goals in the future will ensure to bring a brighter future for you.
A lot of these suggestions that I have made in my blog entry may sound idealistic but many of these are based on my own experiences working as an employee for the last 26 years.
I would be happy to receive the comments of young engineers who are looking for brighter career prospects in their chosen area of expertise.
Regards,
Ankur