Journal NetFu's Journal: It's Time To Leave Your Job When...
Well, thank God I finally realized I was wasting my time working for a company who didn't appreciate my work or my department's. A company that now seems like the 7-11 of the Silicon Valley, with equally obsessive, loser executives who have nothing better to do but stand around watching employees surf the Internet or staring blankly out their office windows while sales lag, stock prices drop, and stock options become permanently worthless.
Oh, sorry, just had a retro-moment of bitterness there. :-) I'm all better now, really. But, please read these articles and feel free to discuss. Here are a few highlights that reflect on my personal situation:
Disappearing Workload: no successful business pays people to do nothing. One day without much to do is a welcome break, two or more and you'd better head for the lifeboats. If the people lining up the work don't have anything for you to do, that means the company isn't making any money, and that it won't be making money in the future, either. If work drops off and stays low, expect to need another job within two weeks.
Efficiency Cops: the minute anyone in management says the word "efficiency" or "productivity" you should get your resume out. This is code for "we're going broke, and need to squeeze everything we can out of our workers before we fire them." If management starts doing "efficiency reviews" or "strategic reevaluations" that means they are trying to find someone they can safely fire. If they go as far as hiring a "Bob", an outside consultant that starts examining everyone to see who can be cut, then you might as well just stop working and let them fire you.
Mysterious Lunches: when all else fails, pay attention to your coworkers. Many of them know more than you do. If you notice several of them taking extra long lunches, talking a lot on cell phones, or showing up to work in interview clothes, it's already too late. The smartest rats jump ship first. They're not coming in late because of a dentist appointment, not unless the dentist is hiring designers. Start looking for a new job before your buddies take all the good ones.
Top Management Defections: did you ever see the movie Titanic? Remember when the ship was sinking, there was a scene that showed all of the rats on the lower decks heading for high ground? While this may not be the most politically correct analogy, it demonstrates what usually happens when a company is sinking. Remember, these folks, like you and I, want or need to work. So, when things are heading seriously downhill, you will start to see senior members of the management team bail and take a job at a different company, In the meantime, current employees with less seniority will take the senior executives' places.
Big Insider/Institutional Sales: the "smart money" investors, meaning institutional and executive holders of the stock, typically dump their shares ahead of a bankruptcy filing or really difficult times. This goes back to my sinking ship analogy. Be on the lookout for big sales by these "smart money" people, as they may be a harbinger. One thing though: During the normal course of business some of these "smart money" players may sell the stock from time to time. In fact, it is perfectly normal. Essentially, you should pay attention to unusually large or frequent transactions, particularly those that occur in or around the time negative news is released.
Signs of a Sinking Ship
It's Time to Leave Your Job When
Wow, this top-10-list is a little too eery for me:
How To Know When It's Time To Leave Your Job Or Company
Oh, sorry, just had a retro-moment of bitterness there.
Disappearing Workload: no successful business pays people to do nothing. One day without much to do is a welcome break, two or more and you'd better head for the lifeboats. If the people lining up the work don't have anything for you to do, that means the company isn't making any money, and that it won't be making money in the future, either. If work drops off and stays low, expect to need another job within two weeks.
Efficiency Cops: the minute anyone in management says the word "efficiency" or "productivity" you should get your resume out. This is code for "we're going broke, and need to squeeze everything we can out of our workers before we fire them." If management starts doing "efficiency reviews" or "strategic reevaluations" that means they are trying to find someone they can safely fire. If they go as far as hiring a "Bob", an outside consultant that starts examining everyone to see who can be cut, then you might as well just stop working and let them fire you.
Mysterious Lunches: when all else fails, pay attention to your coworkers. Many of them know more than you do. If you notice several of them taking extra long lunches, talking a lot on cell phones, or showing up to work in interview clothes, it's already too late. The smartest rats jump ship first. They're not coming in late because of a dentist appointment, not unless the dentist is hiring designers. Start looking for a new job before your buddies take all the good ones.
Top Management Defections: did you ever see the movie Titanic? Remember when the ship was sinking, there was a scene that showed all of the rats on the lower decks heading for high ground? While this may not be the most politically correct analogy, it demonstrates what usually happens when a company is sinking. Remember, these folks, like you and I, want or need to work. So, when things are heading seriously downhill, you will start to see senior members of the management team bail and take a job at a different company, In the meantime, current employees with less seniority will take the senior executives' places.
Big Insider/Institutional Sales: the "smart money" investors, meaning institutional and executive holders of the stock, typically dump their shares ahead of a bankruptcy filing or really difficult times. This goes back to my sinking ship analogy. Be on the lookout for big sales by these "smart money" people, as they may be a harbinger. One thing though: During the normal course of business some of these "smart money" players may sell the stock from time to time. In fact, it is perfectly normal. Essentially, you should pay attention to unusually large or frequent transactions, particularly those that occur in or around the time negative news is released.
Signs of a Sinking Ship
It's Time to Leave Your Job When
Wow, this top-10-list is a little too eery for me:
How To Know When It's Time To Leave Your Job Or Company
It's Time To Leave Your Job When... More Login
It's Time To Leave Your Job When...
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