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Show Here's how to make sure you're actually bettering yourself, not just trading desks or—even worse—moving backward. . So You Want to by Robert G. Weaver Jobs are like icebergs: wn . Whatis the morale of the employees on yourlevel andin general? ianrhr . Whoreally runs the show? wont ~~ Seven-eighths of them areinvisible from the surface. That Yeths can becomedistressing asit reveals itself after you have taken the job. Before you say “yes,” get answers to questionslike these: . Whatfrustrations seem prevalent? . What problents, financial or otherwise, beset the company? . Whydid your predecessor leave? . What is the turnover rate? . How is the company regarded in the community? . How is their product accepted? . What's the reputation of the management? 10. What do former employees say? 11. Is there a job description? Is it accurate? 12. Whatis your position on the organization chart? Youwill want to be careful not to ask all these questions of the same person; ask the same questionsof different people. Don’t put unduestock in any single answer—it’s the over-all picture you want. Thereis anotherfactor that many workersfail to consider—that is, job prestige or status. Some persons put a great deal of emphasis onthis, whileto othersit is relatively unimportant. Be sure you know which type you are. Matters of status can make you miserable. Consider them before you change employers. Art by Bernard Glochowsky Ev pay, in homesall over America, the following scene takes place: An excited husband rushes in the front door. “Honey, I've been offered that job in Centerville. It looks like just what I’ve always wanted. Let’s start packing, huh?” While “Honey” may be excited over the possibility of a bigger pay check and a higher standard of living, she may also hesitate about moving to a strange community. Families usually adjust to new surroundings in time, but too hasty a job change may cause more pain in the process than it’s worth. If your family faces such a decision, you should have a sort of job changer’s guide to help you decide whether the new job actually will be a step toward a better life. Some of the questions that arise must be considered primarily by the breadwinner, others by his wife and children, but the whole family should have a part in discussing them. We all know that moneyisn’t everything, but as some wit observed, “It’s far ahead of whatever’s in second place!” Think carefully before taking a job that pays less money than you make now. There are many reasons why it may be desirable to change jobs even though the salary is lower, but employers often are skeptical of the “backward step.” If you take less pay because of greater promise, the promise better be there. Also be cautious about the “lateral move,” which is the changeto essentially the same job and same pay in different surroundings. Again there are reasons why such a move maybe good, but avoid moving just for the sake of moving. Many employers feel that men who havea pattern of moving every year or two are “job hoppers” and therefore bad employment risks. (s CONSIDERING the money advantages of a new job, always compare take-home pay. The withholding tax gets progressively bigger as income goes up, so a salary of $10,000 is not twice as much as salary of $5,000. No comparison ofsalaries is adequate without 4 Family Weekly, November 17, 1957 |