Job Change? Maybe Not.

Something is motivating you to consider a change. Maybe it’s a mismatch with the culture of the practice where you work. Maybe it’s conflict with a co-worker or supervisor. Maybe it’s the feeling that you’re not advancing far enough, fast enough. Whatever the problem may be, your focus should be on fixing it or adjusting to it.

If you’re feeling a culture mismatch, think back to the culture at the time you joined the practice. Has it really changed that much? Or, are you seeing that you no longer tolerate what you once let roll off your back? Even if you conclude you can’t adjust going forward, you should at least learn more about what works, and doesn’t work, for you.

Conflict with a co-worker or supervisor can be difficult to deal with. Bookstore shelves are full of advice for ways to make things better. Take time to read, study the problem, and seek resolution before giving up and deciding to leave.

Limits on your advancement are not necessarily the hurdles you perceive them to be. Talk to the boss about your path. Ask how you can demonstrate that you’re ready to take on higher level responsibility.

In the end, you may still decide it’s time to change. If you do, though, you’ll deliver a smarter interview if you can speak thoughtfully about your analysis of why you aren’t a fit where you are and—more importantly—what you’ve tried to do about it.