I subscribe to quite a few newsletters, and one of them is for job hunters. I have a great job, maybe the best job for me, but I like to keep in touch with what’s going on because I, well, I have job insecurity and worry about being without a job. I think this is leftover from childhood. I also want to know how to help others in finding their dream job.

Recently there was a question asking when it was time for a new job How can you tell (for yourself) when you should be seeking new opportunities? It might not be easy to recognize for many of you. Perhaps you don’t realize there are other opportunities you might appreciate because you’re comfortable. Perhaps you’re the frog in water that’s being heated so slowly that you don’t realize how poor your current situation is for your health.

Earlier in my career I was constantly looking for new opportunities. Whether that was within my current employer or outside, I was looking every month for other jobs, asking people what they liked about their position or employer, and regularly looking to increase my salary. I was working hard to drive my career forward in my 20s, both with opportunities to grow and more compensation.

In my 30s, I had children. They became important, and while I was aware of opportunities, I wasn’t actively looking to move unless I found myself in a very poor situation. Even then, I tolerated a couple of very poor managers for months because I had no options, little energy to look, and felt resigned at times. I worked on my career, but lightly. At some point, I somewhat fell into owning a business (with partners) with SQL Server Central. I had good and bad jobs, high and low stress, but I didn’t do enough to stop and think about my current situation at various points in time.

In my 40s, I found a great employer in Redgate, a company run the way I’d want to run my own company. I’ve been there 16 years, and I don’t ever want to look for a job. I still evaluate how I feel, and I appreciate the ability to log my feelings periodically in Thymometrics, which helps me decide if I’m satisfied. This is a service that lets you rate your position in many ways. I question myself, regularly, as I fill out the form and I often look at the historical trends. I measure those graphs against how I feel that day and decide if I need to make any changes in how I approach my job.

I’m older now, approaching retirement though not anytime soon. I don’t want to look for any more jobs, and I love the one I have. Thymometrics verifies this. My job has changed over the years, evolving to better help me support Redgate’s direction. Fortunately, I’ve enjoyed those changes. However, I do always keep an eye on my friends’ jobs and am aware of other opportunities. While I don’t expect to move, I’m always lightly looking. It pays to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

I still touch my resume a few times a year and try to keep it up to date. I recommend you do the same.

Steve Jones

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