Where do you start when changing jobs?

You've decided to change jobs. But you don't know where to start. You open a job site, scroll through listings, get vaguely tired, and close it.

That's the detour most people take at first. Looking at job listings is not the first step of a job search.

Six steps to changing jobs

From preparation to your first day, expect a few months. It varies a lot between people, but plan for a pace that doesn't rush you.

① Decide why you want to leave, and your priorities

The first thing to do isn't to look for jobs. It's to sort yourself out. What's hard about your current job? What do you want from the next one?

This is where you decide your priorities for the move. Salary, the work itself, working style, location, growth. Almost no job satisfies them all. So decide two things you won't compromise on and two you can. Without that, your feelings swing with every listing you see, and you can't decide.

To sort out why you want to leave, you can use the exercise in "Is wanting to quit running away?"

② Take stock of your career

Next, write down the work you've done. What kind of company, what role, what you did, and what results you got.

Achievements don't have to be big. "Reworked a process and cut the time it took." "Trained new hires." Concrete numbers and situations make it easier to talk about in your résumé and in interviews. This is also a way to learn your strengths.

③ Learn the market

Once your priorities and career are sorted, now is the time to gather outside information.

• Job sites: see what jobs exist and what the pay range is
• Headhunting services: register your background and see which companies reach out
• Recruitment agents: talk to someone and hear how your background looks to the market

Agents are free to use, but knowing how they make money helps you use them well ("Why are recruitment agents free?").

④ Apply and interview

Apply to jobs that match your priorities. Applying to a reasonable number makes comparison and decisions easier than carefully picking one company at a time.

The question you'll almost always be asked is why you're leaving. Don't list complaints; connect it to "what I want to do at the next job." This is where step ① pays off.

⑤ Check the terms of the offer

When you get an offer, don't accept on the spot. Check the terms in writing: how the salary breaks down, overtime, which team you'll join, how evaluations work. This is also where you check whether the problems at your old job will be solved at the new one ("Will changing jobs make you happy?").

If you're going to negotiate salary, this is the time ("Does changing jobs raise your pay?").

⑥ Resign and hand over your work

Tell your current employer you're leaving only after you've accepted the offer. Do it the other way around and you risk a gap in income, or a weaker position in negotiations. As a rule, look for a job while you're still employed.

How to tell your employer and how to handle attempts to keep you are covered in "What to know when you can't bring yourself to say you're quitting."

Today's exercise

1. Write down your priorities: two you won't compromise on, two you can
2. List three things that went well in your work so far
3. Sign up for just one job site or headhunting service