When stuck in traffic I found myself listening to a popular Seattle radio station. The morning program featured a local psychic that was answering called-in questions from the audience.

The breakdown of the questions was about 40% relationship related, 10% March madness related, and 50% career related. A huge portion of the questions being asked revolved around moving on from the listeners’ current position and/or changing career paths entirely. While I’m certainly not doubting the validity of the city’s finest radio physic- I also think major life decisions should probably have a little more weight behind them. In order to provide some guidance to the Puget Sound’s working population contemplating a real jump, Business Talent Solutions has compiled a list of substantial reasons to consider making a move.

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Your compensation isn’t adequate. If you’re feeling undervalued and inappropriately compensated, it might be time to look into greener pastures. Hard work, innovative ideas, and longevity are a recipe for career advancement. However, if your current company isn’t able to afford you at a realistic market rate- do not feel obligated to stay in a position. You can research the realistic pay and benefits of people in your position and local market online. Once you have supporting evidence of the local economy you can also

The work isn’t challenging. Early on in your career you will make huge strides in your professional development. If your workplace cannot keep up with the progress you are making by assigning you more complex and challenging work, you should feel free to make a move that will continue to advance your career. Your job should on some level bring you satisfaction- and help you to develop skills. If this is a long standing trend (not just a plateau in your development) and you have tried multiple venues to expand your work load, try to determine what kinds of positions your skills can qualify you for.

Unhealthy work environments. This seems blatantly obvious- but your workplace has a huge impact on the rest of your life. There are a variety of components that can make for an unhealthy workplace such as toxic relationships, poor work ethic/teamwork, structure changes and mismanagement, among a seemingly endless pool of

Weigh the pros and cons of leaving a position, determine what kinds of positions you may be interested in pursuing and begin your job search process. This will help you determine if your personal feelings are realistic.