You've been thinking about it for awhile now -- it's time to get
a new job. So what's the hold up? Here are five reasons why there's
no time like the present dust off that old resume and start looking
for a new job today.
You'll Stress Less
These days, work and stress are synonymous. A 2006 survey by
ComPsych Corporation found stress is rampant in the workplace.
Fifty-five percent of workers said they have high levels of stress
with symptoms of extreme fatigue and feeling out of control.
Another 42 percent said they have constant but manageable stress.
That's a lot of headaches.
What's the biggest cause of all this tension? The study cited
"People issues" as the No. 1 work stressor, followed by workload
and work/life balance. It's proven that stress can harm your mental
and physical health, so save yourself by finding a new job.
You'll Advance Your Career
Take the next step up that proverbial ladder. Workers may have more
negotiating power with employers than they think.
Fifty-five percent of hiring managers surveyed for this years
Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report said it
was difficult to find qualified candidates 12 months ago; 81
percent said recruiting is equally or more challenging today. More
than half of hiring managers who are having trouble recruiting
cited a shortage of qualified professionals as the primary
culprit.
You'll Make More Money
All signs point to fatter paychecks. Nearly two-in-five hiring
managers plan to increase starting salaries in the next year to
attract new talent, according to a CareerBuilder.com and Robert
Half International survey.
Plus, the Department of Labor reports annual compensation costs
(what employers spend on wages, salaries and benefits) for civilian
workers increased 3.3 percent for the year ended September 2006,
compared with a 3.0 percent over-the-year increase for September
2005. And, average hourly earnings increased from $16.28 per hour
in October 2005 to $16.91 in October 2006. Take advantage of this
knowlege and use it in negotiating your new starting salary.
You'll Get Better Benefits
Although economic pressures are increasing, employers are becoming
more committed to offering more and better benefits packages to
attract and retain talent. In the same CareerBuilder.com/Robert
Half report, 30 percent of hiring managers reported their firms
have instituted new policies and programs to increase staff
retention rates in the last 12 months, up from 23 percent this time
last year. The primary measures taken included offering pay raises,
bonuses, better benefits and more flexible schedules.
In addition, Prudential Financial's study "Employee Benefits: 2006
& Beyond" looked at current and future employee needs and how
employers plan to respond to them. The study found that eight in 10
employers say it's important to offer and subsidize a wide range of
employee benefits. Be prepared: Although more companies are
offering more diversified benefits, workers may see more costs
shifted from employer to employee, especially in voluntary
benefits.
You'll Have More Time
Isn't it time you improve your commute? Fifty-nine percent of
workers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com admit to experiencing road
rage while traveling to and from work. With 128 million commuters
in the United States that's a lot of road rage.
And it seems your commute is only going to get worse according to
"Commuting in America III" by Alan Pisarski published by the
Transportation Research Board. The average national travel times
grew to 25.5 minutes in 2000, up from 22.4 in 1990 and 21.7 in
1980. That time is increasing even though more people are leaving
for work between 5 a.m. and 6:30 a.m to beat rush hour. Find
something closer to home, or better yet, become one of the 4
million Americans already working from home.
