Apprehensive and thrilled at the same time, Kalpana Singh, 36, headed to her cubicle on the first day of her new job. With many queries, she approached her colleagues. But she was taken aback to notice most of them turning a deaf ear. Some even made snide comments. The shift from a respectable position in an NGO to a place where she wasn’t accepted well was stressful.
"I wasn’t prepared well before I jumped into another job. But the way my junior colleagues were behaving was outright rude and immature. I later learnt that they didn’t like the fact that I was chosen directly as a senior officer,” says Kalpana.[break]
According to Sharmila Maharjan, psychosocial consultant at the National Institute of Psychology, the trend of job shifting is usually seen among youth aged 19 to 40 years of age. “The main reason is because human mind is very conscious during that period. During this age, one is often confronted with the idea that the capacity they have can be used to do better in another situation or organization,” she explains.
There are many such issues and tough situations that have to be faced by people like Kalpana who decide to switch jobs, especially when the work environment is completely new. The feelings of anxiety mount as the issue of fitting in also creeps in.
But though fitting in is one issue, it is always challenging to work with people with a different mindset, catering to their expectations and coping with their working style.
Sociologist Ganesh Man Gurung points out that today’s generation is restless as compared to the older generation. So they are always on the lookout for perfect opportunities for their career growth. Also due to growing inflation, people want a better lifestyle which they want to achieve through better jobs. "Many of my bright students have already left for abroad as they see more prospects there. It’s the need and demand of society and time as social dynamics and career options are gradually changing,” he says.
He explains how contrary to today, the older generation was immobile and static as most of them were satisfied with whatever work they were engaged in. A permanent job was more valued as it was deemed respectable. Moreover, there was less competition and challenges. “The generation now is more active. But one of the downsides of it is that they are growing to become more impatient,” he says.
Subodh Rai, 38, who is a bit fickle-minded, as per his own admission, also has numerous experiences when it came to shifting his career options. He initially worked at a startup company where he got a lot of opportunities to grow. “It was a very small company, so there was no competition. But after a certain period of time, I felt like there was nothing I could learn anymore,” he shares.
He then relocated to a finance company though he wasn´t a student of management or finance. “It was a drastic change for me since it was like facing the real world since my first job was more like working with a family,” he says.
Subodh had a hard time adjusting in the organization and he soon left for a media house. “At one point,, I regretted that since I didn’t have a fixed career option, I was moving like a pendulum. But at the same time, I was gaining experiences from three totally different organizations that helped in my overall personality and career growth,” he shares.
There are many who go through similar transition periods like Subodh. Experts like Maharjan say that she has even dealt with chronic cases where some have hopped between twelve to fifteen job placements in a span of a few months. A few of them want to and have been quitting and switching jobs every six months on average.
She points out that usually youth aged 19 to 25 years change job categories because they are in a phase where they want to experiment more while some do it even for adventure. “From mechanical to technical or consulting, there are varied fields they explore,” she adds.
One of the main reasons of quitting jobs is dissatisfaction stemming from their dependence on seniors or subordinates. Those who change jobs after 25 are usually those who are looking for better economic satisfaction, social prestige and psychological dependency on the organization. But that always depends on various factors, human tendencies and individual issues.
Human mind is usually influenced by social, cultural, and family issues and when they switch jobs, they start working with the same mindset that they had in their previous job. They have the same expectations and they repeat and respond in the same manner. “The main problem is that they expect others to change, and when that doesn’t happen, they even go through adult or working depression,” she adds and explains that half of the causes to quit or change jobs is due to unwillingness to change oneself. While a few quit jobs, some even quit their professional lives.
Maharjan, who also provides counseling with organizational and individual adjustment tips, says that a person shouldn’t expect something other than what is required at their current job. When you choose a new job, you should understand the benefits and objectives of the organization. You should also know how to work in a group and maintain a give-and-take culture when it comes to working and learning something in return.
Many people usually change careers either by choice or when they are forced when their services are terminated. Either way, proving your worth and making a deserved position or marketing yourself in places where you haven’t worked before is surely difficult than expected.
There are however positive stories when shifting jobs can bring plethora of opportunities and new learning experiences.
When Shruti Dhungel, 25, was working at Standard Chartered Bank for two years in the trade department, it was pretty hectic for her. With no time to attend to classes, she was engaged in self-study for the UK-based Association of Chartered Certificate Accountant course.
After resigning from the bank, she got the opportunity to join WWF in Pokhara as finance and compliance manager.
“The field was completely different from banking, as in banks every department has a different operating system and policies where every work is defined well, and I was dealing more with international clients there," she says.
"The schedule would be tight with deadlines and pressure. But now since I’m working at community level, the challenges are quite different as I have to face more practical difficulties when I’m in the field,” she adds.
But the best part is that she could use her previous job experience in her new one and she got the best of both worlds. “I had actual field experience here and there’s no room for complaints as I learnt a lot from both organizations,” she says.
The common trend that has been observed is that young people hone their skills in one company and then switch as soon as they receive a better position and pay somewhere else. In that way, the concept of holding permanent jobs is slowly changing.
According to an expert’s opinion, it is very important to have good communications with the seniors or subordinates at your current job. Rather than changing jobs in haste, you should weigh the pros and cons. “The post-job interview is also really important which should focus on employees’ weakness and strengths. Through questionnaire and inventory methodology, employers should interact with employees on why it’s necessary to quit or stay back,” suggests Maharjan.
Like Kalpana, Subodh and Shruti, many find themselves at the threshold of a new beginning when they decide to quit their holding jobs and start exploring new job prospects. Everyone has his own reasons to shift or quit, but it’s always better to be well-prepared and know your field of expertise before taking the plunge.
nistha.rayamajhi11@gmail.com
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