Changing Jobs: Is It A Bad Time?

In difficult economic times, a lot of people might be forced to change jobs after being retrenched, but they might not be competing with too many others for the new job they try to get. Apparently, in uncertain times like these, it’s particularly common for professionals to stay put - most white collar workers are very reluctant to change to a new company right now, preferring to stay with the employer they know.

It’s not an uncommon situation for someone to change jobs and then find themselves made redundant soon after the change; in fairness to its longer-serving employees, companies often use a “last on, first off” approach to dealing with staff reductions. But not only is it a disaster to lose a new job, these employees will also be losing out on severance payouts, which would have been much higher in their old job where they had served the company for longer.

That’s why experts suggest negotiating a higher severance package into a contract if you decide to change jobs right now. You should also do plenty of research about the company you’re thinking of changing to, to make sure that as far as you can find out, they are in a financially stable situation and not likely to start laying off staff. Don’t be afraid to turn down a job offer if the new company won’t offer what you need to feel secure.