Hired: When is the right time to move on to new job?

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Dear Mr. Walberg: In times like our present economic depression, how do you know when it's time to move on? I like my job, but the morale is so low and business is so slow, I'm getting afraid of layoffs. Is this a time to polish up the resume and get busy, or hang in there and hope for change?
J.P., Alabama

Dear J.P.
Your resume should always be polished, yet ready for action, and you can always "test waters" for opportunities, but you can also get busy in your present job and make some positive changes.
Fact: Two thirds of American workers say that they are worried that they will lose their jobs. Yet at least three out of four layoff survivors report that workplace productivity is down, mistakes are up, and customer service is slipping, according to one poll.
Workers must wake up and make wiser choices, and there are choices, say experts Jamie and Maren Showkeir, co-authors of "Authentic Conversations" and partners at Henning-Showkeir and Associates, an Arizona-based business and workplace consultancy.
Here are their seven make-or-break choices at work and beyond:
- Blame everyone else -- or be accountable for yourself. Stop playing the blame game. Accept accountability for your own role in improving conditions.
-Keep quiet -- or speak up. Instead of wandering and wondering, take your questions to a manager who you know and trust.
- Feel helpless -- or take action. In the wise words of Gandhi, "Be the change you want to see."
- Gossip -- or do your job. Odds are your workplace is rampant with rumors and what-ifs. Bypass "fictional" chitchat and focus on your work.
- Look out for yourself -- or consider others, too. Looking out for #1 is a shortsighted strategy. Success in times of crises requires goodwill and collaboration.
- Tell others how to feel -- or listen. Create a safe space for sharing and listening.
- Wallow in doom and gloom -- or be hopeful. Rise up and take the road less traveled -- convey a grounded sense of hope and optimism.
Marvin Walberg is a job search coach. Contact him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.

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